Sword: The blade of this presentation sword is long, straight, and single edged. The fuller is shallow and broad, and extends almost to the tip of the blade. Both sides are decorated in blue, gold, and silver chasing. The obverse features a gold liberty cap and pole surrounded with floral sprays on a blue background, a gold eagle holding a "E PLURIBUS / UNUM" banner on a blue background, gold floral sprays on a blue background, and a variety of silver floral designs on a silver background. The reverse is similar, but instead of the liberty pole and hat, there is a cluster of military trophies, and there is a woman (possibly Liberty) holding a liberty cap and pole in place of the eagle. The grip of the sword is four sided and fat. There is a row of gold flowers along the edges and a floral design on the obverse and the reverse. The pommel is a casting of an eagle's head. The knuckleguard is a flat strip of gold metal with floral designs cast on both sides and a medallion with and eagle on the obverse. The knuckleguard terminates in a quillon in the shape of a ram's head. The counterguard features a figure of Ulysses half kneeling, with a female figure of Victory on his shoulder.
Scabbard: The scabbard bears one mount. On the mount there is an inscription with Brown's name on it, surrounded by floral designs. The rest of the obverse of the scabbard is covered in engravings of various scenes, like a battle with the cavalry, a large waterfall (Niagara Falls, perhaps?), and an eagle. The reverse features another inscription to Brown. There are no carrying rings on this scabbard, but there are two long metal hooks, (which presumably serve the same purpose), at the very top of the piece near the throat.
After a horrific battle with the British frigate Endymion in early October 1814 that the Prince de Neufchatel barely won, the American privateer returned to Boston for a refit. Around that time the vessel changed hands, and a new set of articles was drafted. Delivered on 30 November 1814, these articles laid out the terms and conditions of employment between the vessel’s owners and crew for a four-month cruise.
The owners paid for all the initial armaments and provisions; the privateer was expected to replenish its supplies from captured vessels. The owners received half of the proceeds from any vessels taken, known as prizes. The crew divided up the other half by rank. The ship’s commander earned 12 shares. The doctor was paid six shares; the chief cook earned two shares. The drummer and fifer were each paid a single share, and the ship’s boys were at the bottom of the scale with ½ share each.
The first crewman to spot a ship that became a prize received an extra half share in that vessel’s prize money. The first two crewmen to board an enemy warship each received six extra shares; if the prize was a merchant vessel, two extra shares were earned by the first two crew aboard. Any compensation for losing an arm or leg in the line of duty was at the captain’s discretion.
Because of the “1818” stamps on the lockplate and barrel, this pistol has been inaccurately called the Model 1818 Springfield Pistol. It actually originated in 1807 at Secretary of War Henry Dearborn's request for the mass production of pistols at the Springfield Armory. Three months later, Springfield Armory produced 300 locks, 400 barrels and one sample pistol for Dearborn. While Dearborn thought “the pistol [was] a good piece of work, the [.69] caliber [was] too large” (Smith, 278) and production ceased on the project.
The locks and barrels were primarily untouched until 1817 when the Superintendent of the Springfield Armory at the time, Lieutenant Colonel Roswell Lee, wrote to the Ordnance Office in Washington because he believed “it would be a saving to make [these locks and barrels] work into pistols” (Smith, 278). After receiving approval, Lee ordered the production for this particular pistol and many other U.S. Model 1807 pistols.
References:
Smith, Samuel E. and Edwin W. Bitter. Historic Pistols: The American Martial Flintlock 1760 – 1845, Scalamandre Publications, New York: 1986, p. 279.
Flayderman, Norm. Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms…and their Values, Gun Digest Books, Iola, 2007. 9th edition.
This .50 caliber breech-loading percussion smoothbore pistol was made by John Hall. It was converted from flintlock to percussion. It has a brass barrel and breech, a checkered grip, and a pin fastened full walnut stock.
There are no visible stamps.
History:
John H. Hall shares a joint patent with William Thornton for the breech loading flintlock rifle on May 21, 1811. Because of this patent, this pistol had to have been produced after the invention. Hall was employed by many different armories including Harpers Ferry from 1816 through 1840. There is a possibility that this pistol was made at Harpers Ferry around 1820.
While this particular pistol has a brass barrel, typically Hall barrels are bronze or iron. This type is extremely rare. There are only four known bronze barrels in existence today.
References:
Flayderman, Norm. Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms…and their Values, Gun Digest Books, Iola, 2007. 9th edition
Gardner, Robert E. Col. Small Arms Makers: A Directory of Fabricators of Firearms, Edged Weapons, Crossbows and Polearms, Crown Publishers Inc, New York: 1963, p. 82.
This .69 caliber smoothbore flintlock U.S. Model 1807 pistol was made by the Springfield Armory. It is iron mounted with double barrel bands, a stock that extends past the band, a brass blade front sight on forward strap, a hickory ramrod with swelled tip and a threaded metal ferrule.
It is stamped “U.S.” under an eagle and “SPRING/FIELD/1818” on the lockplate.
History:
On April 26, 1782 Congress approved the construction of the Springfield Armory as a “good and efficient magazine for the reception of the public ammunition.” It began manufacturing pistols for U.S. government use in 1807.
Production of this pistol was started in 1807 but stopped in 1808 when military pistols were changed to .54 caliber. In 1815, some of these pistols were sent to Harpers Ferry and finished. The rest were not finished in Springfield until 1817 and 1818. They were the first to be made in quantity at the Springfield Armory.
References:
Flayderman, Norm. Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms…and their Values, Gun Digest Books, Iola, 2007. 9th edition.
Gardner, Robert E. Col. Small Arms Makers: A Directory of Fabricators of Firearms, Edged Weapons, Crossbows and Polearms, Crown Publishers Inc, New York: 1963, p. 185.
Smith, Samuel E. and Edwin W. Bitter. Historic Pistols: The American Martial Flintlock 1760-1845, Scalamandre Publications, New York: 1986, p. 280.
This .51 caliber smoothbore flintlock holster pistol was made in New England around 1815. It has brass furniture including a brass barrel. It is pin fastened with a Ketland lock. The lock has floral engraving and a gooseneck hammer. It is a “sleigh” design lockplate. The iron tang has a spear point filial. The stock is cherry wood with a beaver tail carving around the tang and brass nose cap.
It is stamped “KETLAND” and “L” on the inside of the lockplate.
History:
It is impossible to identify a maker. The engravings and bluing were used by lockmakers in England in the 18th and 19th centuries. However, these engravings also can be found on some American pistols.
References:
Flayderman, Norm. Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms…and their Values, Gun Digest Books, Iola, 2007. 9th edition.
Smith, Samuel E. and Edwin W. Bitter. Historic Pistols: The American Martial Flintlock 1760-1845, Scalamandre Publications, New York: 1986, p. 250.
This .69 caliber U.S. smoothbore flintlock pistol was made by O & E. Evans of Evansburg under contract to Pennsylvania during the War of 1812. It has a walnut half stock with a wide brass barrel band and spring, brass mountings including a brass flashpan, a double necked reinforced hammer, and an iron ramrod with a button tip.
The lockplate is stamped “EVANS. The barrel has a sunken “P” stamp and has “PM FS 1814” on the underside.
History:
Edward Evans worked with Owen Evans in 1798 to produce Charleville Muskets for Purveyor of Public Supplies, Tench Coxe. They continued to work together till Owen’s death in 1812. Edward carried on the business filling the contract on August 14, 1815. He produced this type of pistol for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for use during the War of 1812.
The pattern for this pistol was the French Year XIII (1805) Cavalry Pistol. This particular pistol was purchased in 1933 from Joe Kindig and the Harmen Collection by Edwin Bitter.
References:
Flayderman, Norm. Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms…and their Values, Gun Digest Books, Iola, 2007. 9th edition
Gardner, Robert E. Col. Small Arms Makers: A Directory of Fabricators of Firearms, Edged Weapons, Crossbows and Polearms, Crown Publishers Inc, New York: 1963, p. 61.
Smith, Samuel E. and Edwin W. Bitter. Historic Pistols: The American Martial Flintlock 1760-1845, Scalamandre Publications, New York: 1986, p. 294.