Evening star., 1897-01-09
THE GUNS OF THE PURITANs.
Not the Blunderbusses Usually Rep
resented by Artists

From the Boston Evening Transcript.
One of the most remarkable facts to the
investigator of our American antiquities is
the almost total ignorance which prevails
among even those who are otherwise well
informed as to the weapons more especial
ly the firearms, with which our Puritan an
cestors fought their wars with the Indians.
One of the notions which seem firmly es-
taplshed is that the early settlers general
iy used the bell-muzZle blunderbuss AL
most every artist who draws a Thanksgiv-
ing or Christmas picture of a Puritan GO
ing 10 meeting gives him gun with a muZ-
Zie like the end of trumpet. Now the
fact Is that the bell-mouthed firearm was
never a military arm among English-speak-
irS people at all, nor was such a weapon
ever common either in this country or in
England until about the middle of the last
century. when it came into use for the de-
tense of houses against burglars, for stage
coach guards and similar purposes. The
bltlnderbusseS which were common enough
in the curiosity shops are almost without
exception later than 1850. and many of
them date from early in this century
A large, bell-mouthed gun was in use
somewhat earlier on board naval and other
armed ships, but this was heavy piece on
a swivel, and used very much as the how
itzer was later.
Then, as to the locks. Even some of our
most distinguished writers seem to be COM
pietely at sea on this point. One New Eng
land writer whom 1 will not name for fear
of seeming disrespectful to a man deserv-
ing of honor, wrote some time ago in a
magazine article that some soldier in King
Philips war might have invented the flint
lock by finding that an Indian flint arrow
head would make fire If inserted into the
cock of the matchbox. Now, the soldier of
1919 was given a matchbox, not because
the military authorities were ignorant OF
guns which would make their own fire
(wneellocks and snapharnces were in COM
mon uSe), but because the matchbox was
considered better for ordinary use. More
than this, If he had thought Of it he would
have known that his matchbox would not
make fire with flint The f1intlock with
wfich our war of independence was Tough
recEires powerful blow to make the flint
sfr.e fire from the steel. This the match
iock did not have. nor did the pan cover
open in such way as to make this pos
sible.
At the time of King Philips war and for
a long time a1terward. the ordinary fire.
arm for infantry was the matchbox mus
ket. These are plenty In European col
lections, but very rare in America have
never seen one in any collection in this
cour try. AT the same time the snaphaunce
a primitive form of the f1intlock, was quite
extensively used by hunters. and probably
by the Indians, who would naturally OBJ
ject to the match. which. if kept lighted
would betray their presence especially at
night Wheellocks were probably used to
some extent by the earliest settlers, but
1t was always an exceptional arm and too
costly to be generally used. BY the time of
King Philips war it was rather old-fash-
ioned and not likely to have figured much
In Springfield is fine bronze statue of
one of the early settlers. who is represent
ed With wheellock blunderbuss This is
of course possible--anything is possible
but if any wheelock blunderbuss can be
foLnd in any collection of Europe or this
country, would like to see it.