One upon a time ago I had a 2nd model Bess, but it had been converted to percussion and I eventually sold it.
At the big Gettysburg show this past weekend I was wandering around and someone I have known for years had this musket, and I looked at the tag, sat down and said "tell me about this."
It is a short land pattern musket, ca 1775 or so and it is in great shape. The wood has shrunken somewhat back from the lock, but after almost 250 years, that is to be expected.
What's so interesting about it is the engraving on the butt stock. It has the original owner's initials and "47" designating the 47th Regiment of Foot.
The 47th was in NJ at the beginning of the Revolution. They went to Boston, and were at Lexington and Concord. They later went to Montreal with Burgoyne and were in the campaign down Lake Champlain and the Hudson and surrendered at Saratoga.
They were POW's at York, PA, near Berryville, VA and Charlottesville, VA. They went home at the end of the war.
This gun would have been surrendered at Saratoga in 1777. There is an ancient crack in the stock, long repaired and someone, presumedly a patriot gunmaker, took a file to the Crown and GR on the lock and removed it and put an "X" over the spot.
Must not have liked the Brits. There's a lot of history here.
Happy 4th!
At the big Gettysburg show this past weekend I was wandering around and someone I have known for years had this musket, and I looked at the tag, sat down and said "tell me about this."
It is a short land pattern musket, ca 1775 or so and it is in great shape. The wood has shrunken somewhat back from the lock, but after almost 250 years, that is to be expected.
What's so interesting about it is the engraving on the butt stock. It has the original owner's initials and "47" designating the 47th Regiment of Foot.
The 47th was in NJ at the beginning of the Revolution. They went to Boston, and were at Lexington and Concord. They later went to Montreal with Burgoyne and were in the campaign down Lake Champlain and the Hudson and surrendered at Saratoga.
They were POW's at York, PA, near Berryville, VA and Charlottesville, VA. They went home at the end of the war.
This gun would have been surrendered at Saratoga in 1777. There is an ancient crack in the stock, long repaired and someone, presumedly a patriot gunmaker, took a file to the Crown and GR on the lock and removed it and put an "X" over the spot.
Must not have liked the Brits. There's a lot of history here.
Happy 4th!
