Dave,I'm astounded here.You not only admit that you know George but you give credence to him. :bow: Be sure and tell him I said hello and will see him at Norris and he and I can pursue this matter further.I think Mike has raised an interesting point here.I also think that George's thinking is very credible here.however,I think that the English Carolina/Type G guns were more likely the predominant trade guns in the Southeast since that was the area controlled by the English in the 18th century and where their guns were still favored after the Revolution.The French,on the other hand still controlled the Mississippi River Valley and French goods were still coming in until after the Louisiana purchase.I realize that there was a great deal of overlapping here and I think the Natives in the Mississippi River Valley may well have influenced the English as to the appearance of guns offered to them in trade.There is a very interesting quote on the comparative merits of English and Spanish guns:"3.In 1789,a chief of the Creeks had this to say about the relative merits od the guns being supplied{Caughy,1938,P.217};he wanted guns"...not such as have been usually furnished us[by the Spanish]which besides being too small in the bore,burst after a few discharges,but English Trading Guns which are good and will last more than two years in constant use...","18th Century English Trade Guns in the South,or The Carolina Gun,It's Time and Place in History", Lee Burke 1991,unpublished.
See also {cited above} John W. Caughey,"Mc Gillivray of the Creeks'{1938}P.217
It may well have been that the Natives wanted the best of all worlds ie; French gun appearance and English gun functional quality.I don't know whether he's on this board but Ben Coogle has been down the road of Carolina/Type G guns and can offer his thoughts on the matter.This is really a great area of discussion.
Tom Patton
