Wilson made Flint Musket at Valley Forge NPS

[Artificer]

When I was at the Valley Forge NPS Visitor’s Museum a few years ago, there was a rather interesting English Wilson made Flint Musket on display. The musket looked too large to be one of Wilson’s more common Trade Fusils and appeared to be a contract piece or style for purchase by private citizens to fulfill their Militia Duty.

I THINK it had a banana style lockplate, but I could be mistaken about that and it may have been a P1756 style lock with a flatter bottom plate. “Wilson” could be clearly seen on the lock plate with no British Government markings on the lock that I could see through the glass case. I cannot remember if it had a date on the lock or not. The front of the stock was definitely cut for a bayonet and the front sight was situated to serve as the retaining lug for a bayonet.

I was not surprised to see a wooden ramrod in the Musket, but the ramrod pipes were of a type/style I’ve never seen or heard of being on Muskets for civilian purchase. They were the “bulbous” kind one sees more commonly on Fowling Pieces, some Jaeger Rifles or some Trade Fusils. The link below shows pipes fairly close to what was on that musket. http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/827/1/RP-JAEG-6

The book “Of Sorts for Provincials” shows this type of pipes on late 17th century muskets and some early 18th century Dutch Muskets, though. (It also shows them on one or two English Officer’s fusils or Carbines as well as some fowling pieces and even one long rifle.)

Has anyone else had a chance to carefully look at that Musket in detail? (I was on a very limited time schedule as I was meeting a fellow Instructor there for a class not too far away.) Has anyone seen other Private Contract or to use modern terminology “Para-Military” Flint Muskets of the period with such “bulbous” ramrod pipes?
Gus

 

[Alden]

Look anything like this?



You can see great blowups -- after you click on the picture here...
http://www.adirondackbasecamp.com/tag/ticonderoga/

use the up-right-arrow on it to expand further. You can even click on it then to drag it to see other parts of the gun in the frame.


From our Fort Ti Newsroom...

Rare French & Indian War Musket Donated to Fort Ticonderoga
Apr 8, 2013

Through the keen eye of a museum supporter and generosity of an important donor, a rare British musket that may have seen use at Fort Ticonderoga has recently joined the museum’s collection enabling Fort Ticonderoga to more completely interpret the site’s remarkable history.

Fort Ticonderoga’s Curator of Collections, Christopher Fox said “The donation of this Wilson musket fills an important and long-standing gap in the collection. It is a type we know was used by troops who served at the Fort. It is also an important reminder of the struggles armies sometimes faced in arming their troops in wartime and the great diversity of arms that found their way into military service as a result.”

The Wilson musket will be placed on exhibit this season in the museum’s highly acclaimed exhibit Bullets & Blades: The Weapons of America’s Colonial Wars and Revolution. The exhibit, featuring over 150 weapons, tells the story of the use of military and civilian weapons in America during the 17thand 18thcenturies. Fort Ticonderoga’s collection of 18th-century military objects is celebrated as one of the best of its type in the world.

During the French & Indian War, the London gun maker Richard Wilson produced muskets to arm the militias of several American colonies including New York, New Jersey, probably Massachusetts. Though they bear similarities to muskets produced for the British army, the weapons produced by Richard Wilson are not “army” muskets, they are “commercial” or “contract” muskets.” Their brass parts, stocks, and barrels resemble British army guns, but are simpler and lighter overall. Of the estimated 4,000 contract weapons that may have been produced by Wilson, only a handful has survived through today.

The potential connection with Fort Ticonderoga’s history stretches back to the British army’s planned invasion of Canada and the disastrous attack on the French lines on July 8, 1758. As British General James Abercromby was preparing his 17,000-man army, he had considerable difficulty obtaining enough weapons to arm his troops. Among the weapons he was eventually able to acquire were 1,000 muskets owned by the City of New York. These weapons had originally been purchased by the city from Richard Wilson in 1755. While it is not known with absolute certainty, it is thought that at least some of those weapons were issued to New York Provincial troops. Many of those troops took part in the battle before the French lines on July 8. It is known, however, that many of Wilson’s muskets were used at Ticonderoga as numerous brass pieces of these guns have been recovered on the site during various periods of reconstruction.

 

[satwel]

If you have a copy of A soldier-Like Way. The Material Culture of the British Infantry 1751-1768 by R.R. Gale, look on page 115. There are photographs of a gorgeous Officer's Fusil made by Charles Pickfatt of London, c 1745. It uses those same bulbous ramrod pipes that you describe. Similar to what is commonly seen on trade guns.

 

[Artificer]

Well Done, Alden !!

The only difference I see in the musket photo you provided and the one in the Valley Forge Visitor Center is the one you provided has a nose band or possibly an early type of nose cap that is not on the one in Valley Forge. (I am assuming the rammer in the "Fort Ti" musket is wood, though I am not positive?) However, we do know that adding nose bands was a common "Field Modification" done here in the Colonies during the French and Indian War.

Wow, 10,000 of these muskets were provided by Wilson, eh? That is VERY interesting! Thank you for solving the mystery!!

Gus

 

[Artificer]

Thanks,

Yes I do have a copy of that book and it is a gorgeous piece. However, until Alden provided the link to the "Fort Ti" Wilson Musket, the only musket I was aware of with the "bulbous" ramrod pipes were on the one at Valley Forge.

Gus

 

[Alden]

Art;
Did you mean 1,000 for New York City?

 

[Artificer]

OOPs, yes, sorry I hit one too many zero's.
Gus