marked rifles (and muskets): February and March 1776

[spgordon]

I photographed the ledger today in which Samuel Postlethwaite, a merchant in Carlisle, Cumberland County, recorded the arms he procured for & supplied to his county's associators in February and March 1776. The page below is a particularly interesting one, as it records the arms he provided and the marks that were on many of these arms: some have "PP" (which Pennsylvania's Committee of Safety asked Robert Towers to stamp on muskets that he had repaired and proved), some have "IW," many have numbers, etc.

[JTR]

Thanks for posting this list.
All these muskets and all these names, and I don't think I have ever heard of any of them before!
John

[WESTbury]

Scott,

This is an excellent document, thanks for posting it. It is interesting to note that many of the muskets are identified with Weapon Numbers or Rack Numbers.

Relative to the "PP" stamps or brands, the US surcharged M1766 Charleville, described on pgs 11 thru 16 and shown in 23 photos in my book, has a "PP" marking on the left side of the buttstock.** Obviously, 1776 is way too early for that particular musket to be part of any of the muskets listed in this document. Also, the "PP" on the Charleville could be coincidental.

**Please note that the photo from my personal proof book notes that the "PP" appears on the right side of the buttstock rather than the left side. My Drill Sargeant would be disappointed in me.

 

[spgordon]

All these muskets and all these names, and I don't think I have ever heard of any of them before!

John, in all these lists (there are lots of such lists), it is very hard to tell whether the merchant is getting these rifles and muskets from individuals or from gunsmiths. When there's a large purchase, you can assume gunsmith (even if you don't know the name), but one rifle or one musket at a time ... hard to tell. I would guess most of the folks listed here are individuals whose rifle or musket was purchased (willingly or not--that's another thing that these lists don't tell us).

The puzzling thing about this list, for me, are all the marks on the arms: all these arms were marked by March 1776, before they were purchased for use by soldiers? That's strange. But if these arms had been marked because they were already in military companies, why would Postlethwaite be purchasing them for military companies? I'm not sure I understand.

[spgordon]

27 October 1775:



2 March 1776:

[WESTbury]

A "PP" stamped musket is shown on page 135 of George Neumann's Battle Weapons of the American Revolution . That particular musket also a number "63" engraved into the breechplug tang. This musket was also featured in a Man at Arms Magazine article in Vol.5 No 5 Sept/Oct 1983 issue.

[spgordon]

A "PP" stamped musket is shown on page 135 of George Neumann's Battle Weapons of the American Revolution . That particular musket also a number "63" engraved into the breechplug tang. This musket was also featured in a Man at Arms Magazine article in Vol.5 No 5 Sept/Oct 1983 issue.

Yes--owned by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission:

[WESTbury]

Scott,

Thanks for posting the great color photos of that musket!

Moller's Vol 1 American Military Shoulder Arms also has a discussion of that musket in pages 121-124.

Kent

[spgordon]

That particular musket has two different PP markings ...

[WESTbury]

That particular musket has two different PP markings ...

Yes it does.

[JV Puleo]

I first saw that PP marked musket when I was 17. It hung over the fireplace in the late E.A. Mowbray's sword room. Some years later he gave it to the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission.

[WESTbury]

I first saw that PP marked musket when I was 17. It hung over the fireplace in the late E.A. Mowbray's sword room. Some years later he gave it to the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission.

Joe,

Did Andy bring this musket to Glastonbury once upon a time?

Kent

[backsplash75]

Great info, thanks for sharing!

Interesting tidbit here

" Feby...12 X 1 Rifle from John Taylor X Round barrel X   paid  2 3"0.0  "

[JV Puleo]

I first saw that PP marked musket when I was 17. It hung over the fireplace in the late E.A. Mowbray's sword room. Some years later he gave it to the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission.

Joe,

Did Andy bring this musket to Glastonbury once upon a time?

Kent

I don't know but it is quite possible. I remember it from the first time I visited the house (when I was 15) – that would have been in the winter of 1966.