[Lafayette C Curtis]

When did the salute of presenting arms with the sword--that is, holding it vertically in front of the face, long edge towards the left, and then sweeping it diagonally downwards to the right--begin to appear in its modern form? Was it already present (sorry for the pun) in the 16th or 17th century or did cavalry officers at this time prefer to doff their hats instead when saluting each other?