Author Topic: Virginia bags  (Read 1807 times)

Offline ol gabe54

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Virginia bags
« on: September 22, 2021, 01:38:43 AM »
Not having access to Madison Grants book could someone post descriptions of early Virginia horns and shooting bags, all would be greatly appreciated.

Offline Dale Halterman

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Re: Virginia bags
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2021, 04:16:46 AM »
Gabe, this is a link to a post containing some pictures of an original bag and horn I own. It was found in Hardy County, West Virginia which was, of course, part of Virginia up to the Civil War.

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=60027.msg601149#msg601149

Hope this is of some use to you.

Dale H

Offline ol gabe54

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Re: Virginia bags
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2021, 04:29:50 AM »
Very interesting pouch, thanks for the info.

Offline Tim Crosby

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Re: Virginia bags
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2021, 03:11:21 PM »

Offline Mark Elliott

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Re: Virginia bags
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2021, 03:18:38 PM »
Here is a link to the exact page that should explain everything about the early VA bag that most of us make.  Let me know if you have any questions. 

http://www.markelliottva.com/wordpress/2018/12/early-va-shot-pouch-powder-horn-bag-10-horn-6/


Offline jrb

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Re: Virginia bags
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2021, 04:43:42 PM »
WOW, Mark E. those are awesome!!!
I just ordered the "clash of empires" exhibition booklet you mentioned on your website, really curious to see the French and Indian war era bag on page 30.
« Last Edit: September 22, 2021, 05:50:13 PM by jrb »

Offline Mark Elliott

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Re: Virginia bags
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2021, 07:49:27 PM »
WOW, Mark E. those are awesome!!!
I just ordered the "clash of empires" exhibition booklet you mentioned on your website, really curious to see the French and Indian war era bag on page 30.

This bag is based on that pouch.    http://www.markelliottva.com/wordpress/2019/07/mid-18th-century-shot-pouch/

Offline jrb

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Re: Virginia bags
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2021, 07:59:58 PM »
I love it,  i think i'll try to make one similar this winter. Thanks, Mark.

Offline Elnathan

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Re: Virginia bags
« Reply #8 on: September 27, 2021, 03:25:30 PM »
WOW, Mark E. those are awesome!!!
I just ordered the "clash of empires" exhibition booklet you mentioned on your website, really curious to see the French and Indian war era bag on page 30.

This bag is based on that pouch.    http://www.markelliottva.com/wordpress/2019/07/mid-18th-century-shot-pouch/

How well does that divider work? I always thought that having the divider open at the bottom would allow anything heavy - balls, most notably - to just roll around under the edge of the divider, making its existence kind of pointless.

I figured that the Lyman pouch was just a bad design made in haste just before Mr. Lyman departed on campaign, and he just never got around to fixing or replacing it in the fairly brief time before he got wounded and was invalided home. I never really noticed that Wallace's pouch had the same construction - since that pouch seems to have been in use for quite a while, maybe it worked better than I have assumed.
A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition -  Rudyard Kipling

Offline Marcruger

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Re: Virginia bags
« Reply #9 on: September 27, 2021, 03:46:33 PM »
Elnathan,

When I have put a divider in a bag, I have sewn the bottom of the divider to the back panel to prevent things from rolling underneath.  Here are a couple of photos of a Lyman I made that way.   

I hope this helps.   God Bless,   Marc





Offline Mark Elliott

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Re: Virginia bags
« Reply #10 on: September 27, 2021, 04:33:05 PM »
WOW, Mark E. those are awesome!!!
I just ordered the "clash of empires" exhibition booklet you mentioned on your website, really curious to see the French and Indian war era bag on page 30.

This bag is based on that pouch.    http://www.markelliottva.com/wordpress/2019/07/mid-18th-century-shot-pouch/

How well does that divider work? I always thought that having the divider open at the bottom would allow anything heavy - balls, most notably - to just roll around under the edge of the divider, making its existence kind of pointless.

I figured that the Lyman pouch was just a bad design made in haste just before Mr. Lyman departed on campaign, and he just never got around to fixing or replacing it in the fairly brief time before he got wounded and was invalided home. I never really noticed that Wallace's pouch had the same construction - since that pouch seems to have been in use for quite a while, maybe it worked better than I have assumed.


The way I make the pouch, the divider is tight against the bottom.   A ball is not going to roll under it.   There is nothing I put in a pouch that is going to slip under it.    All I put in my pouches are balls, a strip of patch material, a flint wrapped in leather, and a small block of wood to use as a ball starter.   In that tight bag, everything will pretty much stay where you put it.