John Jost[Yost]

[Mike R]

I read that George Washington in 1770 had a gunmaker named John Jost [or Yost] in George Town make him a longrifle. He paid 6 pds 10 [or 11] shillings for it.  It was not his first rifle, as he had one made for himself in the mid 1750s as well--perhaps lost on his tragic expedition to Ft Duquesne when he had to surrender his forces at Ft Necessity.  My meagher library sheds little light on a John [J,Y]ost.  He supposedly plied his trade in Maryland, but  a John Yost shows up in York, PA in the early 1800s.  Anyone know anything about him?  Do any of his guns survive [identified]? He also made contract guns for the Continental forces.

The following contributed by Dr. James Whisker:

Yost, John. arms supplier. Georgetown, District of Columbia. On July 7, 1776, of that year he contracted to make 300 muskets at £4/5/0 each, and 100 rifles at £4/15/0 each. By the late summer of 1776 he had erected a horse mill for boring gun barrels in Georgetown, now in the District of Columbia. On January 17, 1776, the Council of Safety requested information on furnishing and delivery of guns. On August 1, 1776, the Council of Safety concerning shipment of arms. On September 13, 1776, Yost wrote to the Council of Safety concerning the manufacture of guns. On December 9, 1776, Yost wrote to the Council of Safety requesting monies. In 1776 Yost wrote to the governor, asking for payment on account for making muskets and rifles. [Maryland State Revolutionary War Papers]. On 10 August 1776, the Council of Safety paid "John Yost ,400 to enable him to manufac­ture good substantial Musquets"  [5 Amer Arch 1 at 1352].  On 3 March 1776, "Pay to John Yost £2/11/7 for repairing guns" [11  Md Arch 214]. On 23 May 1776, "Send the Musquets made by John Yost at Georgetown to Port Tobacco in Charles County"  [4 Amer Arch 5 at 1576].  John Murdock of Montgomery County to the Governor: "16 July 1781 "John Yost who has already repaired several public arms and is now employed about those you sent last to this county." Murdock warned the governor that unless Yost was paid for work already done, and the state was much in arrears, he was going to stop work  [47 Md Arch 351-52].

 

£6 Reward, Georgetown, Maryland, 5 April 177, ran away from the subscriber last night, 2 indented servant men, viz., John Kenster, born in London, about 35 years of age, 5'8" high, fair complexion and light brown hair . . . He is a gunsmith by trade. . . . John Yost or Thomas Rigden.

             [Maryland Journal, 15 April 1777]

[Shreckmeister]

Mike,
     Johann Jost Schreckengost came to America in 1764 landing in Phila and
whereabouts unknown by my family until he showed up in Northumberland Cty some time
later.  Could it be that ggggg grandpa SGost made a rifle for GW.  It's published
that he was a great hunter and two of his sons were gunsmiths, but nothing
is publishing of Jost making rifles.  His nickname was Yock.  His story is
that he fled Germany to avoid imprisonment for being caught hunting twice on the Duke's lands.  Could he have gone by John Yost and dropped his
last name in those early years after leaving Germany to avoid his past?

[loco219]

There is a reference to Washington loaning his rifle to another officer and never getting it back. I know years ago I also read a letter to Washington from another officer and he stated he would try to get the rifle back for him. This made it necesssary to have a replacement made. Regrettably, I don't remember the reference this info. came from. The "new" rifle is the one tucked under his arm in the portrait of Washington.