The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1909-08-04
OLD POWDERHORNS,
They Were Once important I'M
plements of Warfare.
TREASURED AS HEIRLOOMS.
Handed Down From Father to Son and
From Friend to Friend--Engraved
and ornamented, They Were Used as
Gifts instead of Jeweled Swords.

HANDED Down From Father to Son and
From Friend to Friend--Engraved
and ornamented, They Were Used as
Gifts instead of JeweIed Swords.
Modern inventions have robbed war
fare of much of its romance and the
soldier of much of his old time pictur-
esqueness. Although the powderhorn
as an implement of war disappeared
long before the magazine gun of today
was dreamed Of 1t wasn't so very long
ago, MS matter OF fact, that men
were carrying powderhorns. Some of
the soldiers in the Mexican war, for
example, used them.
The powderhorns carried by the
fighters in the early days of this coun-
try were often of comparatively SIM
pie workmanship, but they were cher
ished and handed down from father
to son and from friend to friend.
Strange to say, though cherished In
this manner collectors have had a
very hard time in locating any great
number OF the powderhorns used In
this country, and this In spite of tho
large numbers used In the seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries.
In the French and Indian war the
English and Americans carried 10000
powderhorns, 1t has been estimated,
TO say nothing of tho number carried
by those on the French side. In tho
Rerolnfinu fharn ,varn orcordtno 10,
the best estimates. about 10000 pow
derhorns In use In the American
army without counting those ON the
British side. The European troops had
long discarded them, of course, but
their colonial allies naturally were
equipped with them.
A few years ago Isaac J. Greenwood
presented to the New York Historical
society collection of wafer color pic
lures of powderhorns no had found
still In existence.
Although the search was prosecuted
withgreat diligence, tho number of pow
derhorns actually located and sketchcd
WAS not much more than 400, showing
how quickly the horns have been dis
appearing.
Pewderhorns are supposed to have
come into use almost simultaneously
with the invention of gunpowder. A
way had To be found TO carry the pow
der and keep II dry, and men quickly
found that there wasn't anything bet
Ter or cheaper In medieval times for
this purpose than the horns Of an AMI.
nal.
They were In general use In tho six.
teenth century and were brought to
this country by the first settlers. The
Oldest norm whose picture appears In
the collection was found near Science
tady, N. y, and bears the date of 1883.
1t was generally the horns OF their
own cattle that The farmer fighters of
America used. The loss of horn In
nowiso impaired the usefulness of tho
animal and bulls frequently were
called upon to make the sacrifice. Such
horns were easily obtained and
wouldn't rust and could be carried In
! the rain and through streams without
the powder In them getting wet.
They were always worn under tho
left arm by strap that went over tho
right shoulder. the curve I'm tho horn
conforming to the shape of the body
and serving to keep IL out OF tho way
of the wearer. There was stopple In
the small end. and without being un.
sung the powder could be poured into
the right hand and thence into the gun.
Boiled, scraped and cleaned and col.
orod with an orange or yellow dye.
which was the way most Of tho pow.
derhorns were prepared, they lent
themselves more readily TO ornamental
tlon by the owner than did any other
part of his equipment. and 1t Is this
fact which has made them particularly
interesting MS historical relics Admir-.
Ing friends In the days when powder
horns we're In general use instead Of
presenting a hero with an engraved
sword gave him finely decorated
powderhorn.
Sometimes the horns were made to
order and the engraving done by pro-
fesslonals. Many OF these horns were
beautifully colored. the most popular
shade being sort OF orange tint.
Perhaps the most remarkable exam
Piles Of the engraving are to be seen
on the geographical horns whose pic
lures appear in the Greenwood collec-
ton. These geographical horns took
the place Of pocket maps for the early
pioneers. They were the work Of pro-
fessona engrayers in places like New
York and Boston.
Some Of the horns IN the collection
contain practically complete maps OF
the old trails and waterways One Of
the best Of these bears the date of
1867 and shows New York with its
harbor filed with ships aud New York
state as far as Lake Champlain and
Ontario. The Hudson valley, with its
settlements. appears on most or the
geographical horns discovered. One
horn shows the country between Eliz-
abethtown and Plttsburg, each little
settlement being carefully noted
The horns thus filed a double pur-
pose. supplying the traveller with a
map aud carrying his powder for him.
One Of the best specimens In the col
lection shows Havana. as well as the
trail from Albany to Oswego. 1t Is
believed to have been owned by SOL
dler 10 the English army which cap
tured the Cuban city and who later
served in the colonies Washington
Post.
Make hay while the sun shines. and
the sun never shines so steadily and
hriOht as when vou arp voung