Indian trade guns--Georgia, 1730s

[spgordon]

The vast letterbook of John Brownfield, one of the earlier settlers and traders in Savannah, Georgia, contains a lot of information about the guns he imported and the preferences of his customers in 1737, 1738, and 1739. His British agents, Pytt and Tuckwell, sent him guns from Birmingham--but they kept sending guns made by Robert Farmer and his Indigenous customers only wanted guns by "Wilson" (probably Richard Wilson). Brownfield informed Pytt and Tuckwell about these preferences but they kept sending Farmer's guns. On 13 May 1738, exasperated, Brownfield wrote:

"Any one may reasonably suppose that Mr. Farmer will praise his own Goods, but that cannot avail much in the Sale of them--I have not the Pleasure, of knowing the Gentleman & therefore cannot be thought to act through Prejudice. As to the Traders, they do indeed despise them, & it is my duty to acquaint you with every thing that may promote to hurt your Interests & I may again say 'Mr Farmer's Trading Guns will not do for the Indians of our Province.' His having supplied the Trustees with another Parcel is not to be doubted: but they are for Presents to the Indians & there is a vast difference between what they receive as Gifts & what they purchase with their Leather. An Indian is so very nice that before he buys a Gun, he will take it in Pieces & if any defect appears, will immediately return it. I have not known any Gun, so generally approved of, as those made by Willson."

Also interesting: one way the Indigenous buyers could tell the difference between a Farmer gun and a Willson gun--refusing the former and preferring the latter--is that the "maker's name" was on the weapon.

[Levy]

spgordon,  The trade guns that were recovered around 2002 from the Apalachicola River, by the Bureau of Archaeological Research, were all by R*W (Richard Wilson) except for one TVLL gun that was loaded.  A .62 caliber rifle was also found that had been well used.  The barrel was 38" in length and still had 29 cm. of the wiping stick in the bore.
In 2005 a Williams signed Carolina Gun was recovered from the Suwannee River by divers looking for logs.  Production of Williams guns ceased around 1745 (I believe).  James Levy   

[backsplash75]

Great quote! A variety of gunmakers were doing trading guns for various destinations/customers, with some being described as lower quality ("worst sort of Sale Guns with painted Stocks"). Wilson seems to have been very much preferred in the South (Sir Wm J liked them in NY too). Georgia also ordered military style muskets from Wilson in the 1740s. Bailey notes that Wilson's firm did most of the ordnance Indian trade gun work in the F&I and RevWar periods (Government orders vs merchants ordering export guns for commercial purposes). Neat to see the difference between gift guns and purchased guns spelled out for us like that.

Dewitt Bailey in "Wilson gunmakers to empire"

“Charleston merchant Robert Pringle wrote to his London fac tor Thomas Williams in April 1737 that There are a great many guns &c that come over here of Messrs Halfhide and Willsons make, & Hawkins, tho’ I think some of them very indifferent, and I hope yours will exceed them in every respect.”

THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAZETTE
Date: March 29, 1735

RUN AWAY FROM Mr. Bryan Reily AND Mr. John CarMichael, two Irishmen Servants, both balking broad Scotch, one named Roger OMony,
a tall pocksetten freckle-faced Fellow, stooping in the Shoulders, his hair cut and wore a linnen cap, a dark brown colour'd Coat
 and Westcoat, leather breeches, and a new pair of Negro shoes, he has a double thumb with two nails on one hand. The other named
Alexander Sinkler, a short thick well set, surly looking, long brown hair'd, smooth faced, sharp long nosed fresh coloured fellow,
wearing a dark gray coarse karsey new Coat with buttons of the same, a pair of old brown breeches, a pair of gray yarn stockings and
a pair of new Negro shoes with two or three lifts, each of them about 4 or 25 Years old. They stole from the said Masters a new
yellow stocked trading Gun, marked on the plate of the lock (to the best of our remembrance)
R FARMER.
and sundry other goods. Run away likewise from the said Masters two Negro Men (which we suspect they have taken with them)
one this Country born, named George , he speaks good English, a short thick well set sensible fellow, the other named Derry ,
a tall likely young Ibo Negro branded on the breast I C. Whoever takes them up and brings them to the said Masters or to the
publick Goal in Charles Town , shall have 10l. reward for each of the white Servants and reasonable charges.
N.B. A Hue and Cry is gone after them.

Sir Wm Johnson Papers, Volume #2 pages 889-900
From “A List of Goods to be sent from London” dated November 1756

400, Neat Fowling pieces Barrels 4 Feet Long Substantial Stocks to have some distinguishing mark on the Barrel and Lock of each, about 20/price,
400, do. A better kind distinguish’d as above.
200, do. 3 Feet Barrel for Boys, do. Wilson maker
100, pr. Of middling Pistols with Ramrods
1000, Indian Cutlashes strong & of the Cymiter kind

…Indorsed: List of Goods, to be sent from London, for the Northern Indians in the E. of Loudon’s Letter of Novr. 22d. 1756

[spgordon]

Generally, in letter after letter, Brownfield reports that his customers don't like Farmer's guns; that the guns being sent are "too heavy"; that the pistols "with red handles, are most proper, for the Indians"; that the pistols are generally "too short" (they should be "14 inches in the barrel as light as possible"); that the Indigenous customers were discriminating & it was not a good idea to send poor quality ("it is an entire mistake to send bad ones hither"); that gun locks will always sell well (but "engraved" ones sell for 25% more than "plain" locks); that poor packing often damaged the guns on the trip over.

He hits on a number of these issues in a couple of sentences on 9 September 1737: "The Guns you have now sent for the Indian Trade are in general much too heavy & the Pistols are more so. I am sorry they were not Willson's make, for the very name of Farmer makes them be slighted amongst the Indian traders"

[jrb]

Great research, thanks for sharing it !