A horn for a fusil de chasse

[BillinOregon]

Wondering what style horn and other accoutrements would be appropriate to go with a Tulle-style fusil. I know these date to the F&I War period and before, but doubt their French users made the elaborate horns the colonists were know for in this period.

 

[dlemaster]

You might consider a Bison horn. A friend just read an account to me over the phone that a frenchmen wrote taht the natives used the horns of "wild oxen" to carry powder. It was from the late 17th century or early 18th century.

Regards, Dave

 

[paulvallandigham]

Be careful of translations. This reference may be to ordinary cattle horns, as well as " oxen. Most people could not tell you the difference between the two animals, much less their horns. I doubt that people were much more knowledgeable 200 years ago.

 

Wondering what style horn and other accoutrements would be appropriate to go with a Tulle-style fusil. I know these date to the F&I War period and before, but doubt their French users made the elaborate horns the colonists were know for in this period.

I tried to rsearch this topic a couple years ago and found little real info. If you are a frenchman (persona) with a Tulle fusil you would likely be carrying a plain cowhorn horn. I have found scant reference to scrimshawed or fancy horns--they seemed to be mainly an English thing--with one exception. Also, in the early days (say 1690s-early 1700s, a pulverin might be a better choice as a powder container--these were truncated horns worn vertically and had brass spouts.

 

[Harddog]

Be careful of translations. This reference may be to ordinary cattle horns, as well as " oxen. Most people could not tell you the difference between the two animals, much less their horns. I doubt that people were much more knowledgeable 200 years ago.

Paul,

I don't know where the account mentioned above came from, but a classic account of carrying powder horns made from wild oxen horns is in the Jesuit Relations and from a Jesuit living among the indians. The term "wild Oxen" usually meant the american bison. Louis joliet mentined wild oxen when referring to bison and so did LaSalle. Louis Joliet even talks about how the wild oxen/ could be domesticated and use for drawing plows and for riding like a horse.

The term "wild oxen" that they used was not to mean domesticated oxen like one would find in the eastern settlements.

Randy Hedden

 

[Okwaho]

Wondering what style horn and other accoutrements would be appropriate to go with a Tulle-style fusil. I know these date to the F&I War period and before, but doubt their French users made the elaborate horns the colonists were know for in this period.

I believe that French Voyageurs,Milice,and Coureurs de bois horns tended to be relatively plain.Like Mike,I have found little info on them.For my 17th and early 18th century Indian outfit I use a horn Ca.1800-1815 that I found on Ebay for $50.00. It is a plain horn with little twist and a greenish cast. It has one fairly thick ring just below the spout.The ring appears to be applied and is pinned. It is a dead ringer for a New England horn dated 1695 a picture of which I got from a very knowleagable friend.I agree with Mike that a pulverin might be carried but I'm not too sure about them being carried by the class of peole carrying fusils de chasse.I generally associate them with the Compagnies franche incorrectly called French marines.I just noticed a post by Randy Hedden suggesting the use od buffalo horns based on a cite in the Relations. I concur that buffalo horns would be appropriate especially among the Voageurs including Coreurs des bois who spent much time in the Pays d'en haut.

There is an excellent book which has recently become available called"Adventurers In The New World" by Georges-Hebert Germain. This is an excellent overview of those French Canadiens called Voyageurs and Coureurs des bois.ISBN no.0-660-19075-3. On Page 75 is shown a probably 18th century powder horn made from a buffalo horn.
It can be ordered for $39.95 plus postage from The Museum of Civilization,100 Laurier St.Hull,Canada J8X 4H2,
Tom Patton

 

[tg]

I would also tend to think these horns would be quite plain, the guns were also plain, if one had a very high end gun then fancy accuterments might be in order but I would go or should say have gone with a very simple horn for my Fusil De Chase.

 

[dlemaster]

Randy
The reference actually came from you in a discussion with Tom Strohfeldt on another forum.
I just couldn't remember the details.
I have a copy of the Jesuit Relations by Edna Kenton but Tom says it may be in Parkman's version. I hope to look it up this weekend.
Thanks for the information.
There was a Bison powderhorn from the 18th century on display in the Clash of Empires exhibit in Pittsburg last year.

Regards, Dave

 

[Harddog]

Dave,

The Reuben Gold Thwaites 1900 translation of the Jesuit Relations is online at:
[url] http://puffin.creighton.edu/jesuit/relations/[/url]

Randy Hedden

 

[rich pierce]

There is a drawing of a horn reported to be from Canada and brought back to the English colonies during the F&I War. This drawing was done by Robt. M. Hartley in the 1930's and the drawings are on exhibit at the Margaret Reeney Library in St. Johnsville, NY, in the eastern Mohawk Valley. Here is a copy of that drawing.

Sorry for the low contrast. The main things to notice are that the horn is monochromatic, probably buff colored, and has a simple turned plug and a simple raised collar on the throat. The engraving may be by different hands at different times. The story of this horn is that Frederick Christman escaped from captivity in Quebec, stole this horn and a gun, and made it back to the Mohawk Valley. He then served in the Revolutionary War. You really don't need to point out to me that the F&I War was not in 1774. Many horns were scratched on at different times by different people.

It is also possible that as often happens, families hope and wish and even believe that this particular artifact is really linked to a particular event.

Last point- many powder horns were imported from Europe in colonial days and these would normally be large, plain, and with a turned plug and a simple collar, like this horn.

 

[BillinOregon]

Harddog: Immense gratitude for the link to the online version of the Jesuit Relations.