# Correspondence between John Belton and the Continental Congress

This is a collection of correspondence between Joseph Belton, a firearms inventor, and the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, in 1777. It contains descriptions of a modification that could be made to flintlock muskets to allow rapid firing of multiple shots with a single loading. Congress was interested in the invention, and it was demonstrated before noted scientists and military officers (including well known scientist David Rittenhouse and General Horatio Gates), but was rejected due to Belton's demand for what Congress considered excessive fees for the use of Belton's design.

## Belton's original letter to Congress, April 11, 1777

       To the Honourable Conteintnal Congress
    May it Please your Honours,
    I would just informe this Honourable Assembly, that I
    have discover'd an improvement, in the use of Small Armes,
    wherein a common small arm, may be maid to discharge
    eight balls one after another, in eight, five or three seconds of
    time, & each one to do execution five & twenty, or thirty yards,
    and after so discharg'd, to be loaded and fire'd with cartridge as
    usual, which I am ready to prove by experimental proof
    and can with equal ease fix them so as to discharge sixteen,
    or twenty, in sixteen, ten, or five seconds of time, which I
    have kept as yet a secret, thinking that in two, or three Months
    we might have an army thus equipt, which our enemy
    should know nothing of, till they should be maid to know it
    in the field, to their immortal sorrow
    And if you Gentlemen are desirous to enquire into this im-
    provement, your Humble Servent, is ready to wait upon you at
    any time, or place, or he may be waited on at the Widow
    Fords, in Walnut Street, between second & third street.
    from your most Obedient
    Humble Servent
    Philidelphia April 11th 1777 Joseph Belton

## Journals of the Continental Congress, Sat. May 3, 1777

    Resolved, That John Belton be authorized and appointed to superintend,
    and direct, the making or altering of one hundred muskets, on the
    construction exhibited by him, and called "the new improved gun,"
    which will discharge eight rounds with once loading; and that he
    receive a reasonable compensation for his trouble, and be allowed
    all just and necessary expences.

## Belton's second letter to Congress, May 7, 1777

       To the Honorable Continental Congress
    May it Please your Honours;
    I have receiv'd your resolve of the first of May, Were-
    in, I am Authorized to superintend, & direct, the altering of one
    hundred Muskets, & that I receive a reasonable compensation for
    my trouble (for so superintending & directing) &c. But I see
    no prospect of having any reward for my Invention, and for
    the cost and trouble I have already been at, Which has ever
    been customary through all Nations, to reward usefull inventi-
    ons, or discoveries, as I have set for in a paper, Which I
    had wrote before. I had seen the Resolve, Which I had defer'd
    the Board of War to lay before your Honours, and to what lengths
    I would carry the invention and What Service it might render
    to the States, and provided I should fail in compeating the
    armes as I had therein set fourth, I would have no rewards
    as I desire not my Counteries money without rendering Ser-
    vices adiquate thereto, And still to remove all possable
    Objections, & to put things on an equitable, & reasonable a
    futten, as any one I think can desire, I will engage to direct
    the arming of one hundred men, so as to be equal to two hun-
    dred in the field of Battle, or any number equal to double the
    same number as they are arm'd at present, Which shall be
    left to the Judgement of the Commander, or three first Comman-
    ding officers of our Army. And if they judge they are not I
    will be satisfied, & desire, and receive no reward & be intitled to
    none, But provided they should judge they were equal I then
    should be intitled to a thousand pound from each State-
    according to resolve of Congress, fo then where one hundred was
       thus equipt it would be the same, to the strength of the army, as if
    there was another hundred raisd & equipt, & what state can raise, cloth
    & equipt one hundred men for a thousand pound, or even three thousand
    then allowing one hundred men to be equipt for each State, their
    strength would be the same, as if they had been to the expense of three
    thousand pounds more, in raising men besides the cost of maintaining them
    which may be saivd to the State, What then would be the saving in
    arming three or four thousand for each State, in short the many &
    ennumerable advanteages, which it may render, are almost beyond
    discription, which makes my proposal vastly reasonable, & untill
    it is agreed to, or something simular, I shall beg to be exus'd
    from superintending & directing the altering of any Muskets,
    But when it is, it will be undertaken with Alacrity by
    Your Most Obedient Humbl Ser't
    Joseph Belton
    N.B. As for the Enemies obtaining & making any use of the
    invention against us, as some perhaps my imagine, I am no ways
    apprehensive of at present, for it will be my own folt if they doe,
    at least untill we had what number you please armd, and if they doe
    then it might be by a deserter from our army, after he had become
    acquainted with the use of the armes, for were our enemy to take
    some of the Armes after they were completed they could not very sud-
    denly use them, untill they had discovered the true & safe method
    of Charging, which might puzzle the best of them for Months as
    it has done me, & perhaps split one or two about their ears, as I have
    done, Which you may think Gentlemen, as you have seen me
       discharge, to be very easy, but if any Gentleman in this
    place will tel me in a week with what, & how I charge
    I will give him the Invention, And him that alter'=d me
    the gun knows not, and I am confident there is but one
    upon the Continent beside myself that does know, But
    from this you may think it will always be difficult, &
    dangerous, for men to use them, But so far from that,
    -that I would trust any friend that was usd to a gun,
    after giving him the materials, & three or four words of
    direction, to go by himself & Charge, for me to discharge,
    and who had never seen the gun thus Charg'd before,
    Many things appear vastly dangerious & difficult, & are
    so till they are found out, then as vastly easy & simple
    so experientia docet omnia, and has taught the forgoing to
    your HblSert
    Jo^s Belton
    Philidelphia May 7 1777

## Belton's letter to John Hancock, May 8, 1777

       Philadelphia May 8th 1777
    Mr Hancock
    Sir
    Perhaps the Congress will sooner Comply
    with this than what I have heretofore laid before
    them, (Viz) I will engage to arm any member
    which shall prove equal to double the same num-
    ber in Battle, if so then I should be intitled to
    five hundred pounds from each State, & if equal
    to three times their number I should be intitled to
    a thousand pound from each Sate, and if equal to
    four times their number I should be intitled to fif-
    teen hundred from each State, so on riseing five
    hundred for every greater number. Which should be
    left to four experienced Officers two of which I
    should have the privelage of Choosing, And as they
    brought in so I should receive. And if they judged they
    were not equal to double their number I would be
    intitled to no reward which will be hartily complied with
    by
    Your Most Obiedient Humble Ser't
    Joseph Belton

## Journals of the Continental Congress, Thurs. May 15, 1777

    A letter, of the 8, from Joseph Belton, was read, requiring an
    extraordinary allowance for his new invented gun.
    Ordered, That the same be dismissed.

## Belton's third letter to Congress, June 14, 1777

    Sir
    Please to inform the Honourable Congress, that
    as I have heretofore asserted to them, that I can discharge six-
    teen, or twenty balls from one piece, one charging, by once pul-
    ing tricker, or at two or three diffrent times, by little more
    than cocking & priming the same lock two or three different
    times. And as I mean ever to fulfull all & every one of my Asser-
    tions, I propose next munday about ten O'Clock A.M. (if it
    be agreeable to your Honours) in the State House Yard to make the
    following exhibition (viz) to make five different discharges from
    one pulling tricker. then again by little more than cocking & priming
    to make five more different discharges, then by little more than cocking
    & priming again to make six, all which I will warrant to do
    execution one hundred yards and think I might safely warrant
    it would two hundred, after which I can charge & fire with car-
    trage as usual.---from
    Your Most Obedient Humbl Ser't
    Joseph Belton
    Phila^da Saturday June 14th 1777

## Belton's fourth letter to Congress, July 10, 1777

       To the Honourable Continental Congress:
    May it Please your Honours
    You may see from a paper herewith inclos'd
    signed by the Generals & other Officers, & Gentlemen, their
    Oppinions upon my new Constructed Musket, and how extensively
    usefully they judge it may be, and that I ought to be hansomely
    rewarded by the Publick for my Invention, And it is reasonable
    to think that all Publick reward ought to be in proportion to the
    service that my invention, or improvement, may render to the
    Publick. And to remove Objections (if any there be) against the
    usefulness of my Invention, I will engage to direct the making
    of Muskets upon such a construction, that anybody of men shall
    be save in using them in discharging sixteen rounds in less
    space than a minute, that shall do execution two hundred yards, and
    then shall be able to load and fire with cartridge as usual, or to load the
    whole sixteen rounds again, and in the least failer herein I would
    be intitled to no reward. The service that such armes may render
    to the Publick at this day & to posterity, I will leave your Honours
    to Judge. at the same time, I think that Great Britan has granted
    many five hundred a year for less services renderd to their country,
    then what this will render to mine, and I look upon this extensive
    continent to be able to grant five hundreds as well as the little Island
    of Britan, and as money is stild the sinews of war, so it may be stild
    the sinews of invention, for doubtless many experiments which might
    have discoverd something useful to the Publick, has for the want of it, died
    in Oblivion, And as the present Invention opens a door, into a wide
    extended field of improvement in every military department, where many
    useful things present themselves to view, which lies as yet unnotissed,
    which when I am rewarded as the Invention merits, I shall readily
    step forth in my Counteries cause, and exert eery ingenious nerve
    to arm my Countery to the best possable advantage, for which purpose
    I beg leave to dedicate these papers to your Honours serious consideration
    and your wise determinations, may I hope, be crown'd with salutary con-
    sequences, which is the desire of
    your Most Obedient
    Most Humble Servent
    Joseph Belton

### Enclosure

Philadelphia July 10th 1777
       Having Carefully examined M. Beltons
    New Constructed Musket from which He discharged
    Sixteen Balls loaded at one time, we are fully of
    Opinion that Muskets of his Construction with
    some small alterations, or improvements might be
    Rendered, of great Service, in the Defense of lives,
    Redoubts, Ships &c, & even in the Field, and that
    for his Ingenuity, & improvement he is Intitled
    to a hansome reward from the Publick.
| Dav. Rittenhouse | B Arnold |
| Charles Wm Seale | Horatio Gates |
| | G Nash |
| | Th F Proctor |
| | J W Strickland |

## Journals of the Continental Congress, Thursday, July 10, 1777

    A petition from Joseph Belton, and a petition from Captain James [Joseph] Lees, were read:
    Ordered, That the petition of J. Belton be referred to the Board of War,
    and the petition of Captain Lees to the Marine Committee.
    Journals of the Continental Congress, Saturday, July 19, 1777
    Resolved, That the petition of Thomas [Joseph] Belton be dismissed.