One quick comment on brass tacks on powder horns. I do a lot of work with mid-western Tansel powder horns, and the majority of datable horns I see with brass tacks (and I mean ORIGINAL tacks) are the 1848 presidential campaign horns, both Whig and Democrat. Of course, with Tansel horns it's easy to know when they were campaign-related items because of the candidates' names and pictures carved on them. 1848 was perhaps the last major campaign when powder horns were widely used as political or campaign tokens. It always makes me wonder, when I see tacks on plain horns, if many were old horns brought out and tack decorated for use with campaign rallies or poilitical gatherings in other areas in 1848. I think this was particularly true when candidates were prior military officers, and voters/supporters served in the same war the candidate won recognition and glory in. The old horn, brightened up with shiny new tacks, brought back emotional feelings of national pride and support for the candidate. Or at least that's my theory!
Shelby Gallien
