Revolutionary War Rifle

[Maj Dad]

I recently learned that my 6th great grandfather was Col. Alexander McAlister of the Cumberland (NC) Militia and later a NC state senator. This has piqued my dormant interest in muzzleloaders, and I am curious as to what rifle one of those militia men might have carried. I saw some beautiful rifles at the NRA Annual Meeting, but really didn't have the time (or the $$$) to pursue it. I understand there is a Carolina or Virginia pattern type that would have been in the "usual suspects" but I would like to be able to research it a bit with the idea of getting a better idea and acquiring a replica since I feel sure an original would be out of my league. Any thoughts, suggestions or direction would be sincerely appreciated.
Cheers,
George Jacoby

 

[Al LaVodka]

Chances are he carried a smoothbore musket if he wasn't in a rifle company. A Brown Bess or Charleville (see below), some local fowler maybe... But, then again, if he had a rifle at home for some reason, maybe they let him use that. It coulda looked like this TVM Early Virginia of mine. If your heart is set on a rifle, may I suggest a Pedersoli Frontier or Kentucky flintlock?
Al

 

[StrawHat]

Another option would be a Committee of Safety Musket. These were made to a standard by individual gunsmiths for use in the war by the colonists. Most were unsigned because it would be considered an act of treason to arm the rebels. If you find through research that your ancestor did indeed carry a rifle, there are many well thought of builders who could help construct one typical of the time and the area your ancestor lived.

As an officer, he likely carried a pair of pistols and a sword. Perhaps leaving the pistols behind.

Shumway, Kindig, Dillin, Johnston and others have written books on the various styles of American Long Rifles, you might want to search for one of them.

 

[Maj Dad]

Thanks Al & Strawhat - good advice & I appreciate your input. I'm sure he likely carried a pistol & sword, but I like some of the rifled muskets of the time. The ones I saw at the NRA confab in Charlotte were beautiful reproductions by modern day artisans, and were naturally priced accordingly. I just can't spring ~$4000 or so for one. I'll have to keep my eye peeled & consider one of the ones like you mentioned, Al, and do some reading of those references.
Cheers & best regards,
George

 

[4v50 Gary]

As a militia officer, don't rule out the possibility that he may have carried a sword. Research the unit by checking with the county historical society or state historical society for any articles on them.

There are no set patterns per se but you might want to check various museums to see what type of guns they have in their collection to get an idea. Rifles were more predominant in the south (Pennsylvania, Maryland and further south) than they were in the New England states. Most of the militia that defeated Ferguson at King's Mountain carried rifles, but there were some smoothbores among them too.

 

[lawandorder]

Check out "Track of the Wolf" & "Dixie Gun works"

and here is a way to remember your ancestor, a personalized powder horn.

http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/search?q=holston+river

 

[4v50 Gary]

BTW, you might want to ask these guys here. They are really into the stuff. Frontier Folks

 

[303]

I'm interested in the same sort of thing for a similar reason. One of my 4-great grandfathers was Capt. John Autry of the Wilkes County, Georgia, Patriot Militia. John was from what is now Sampson County, NC and moved onto the Ceded Lands in Georgia in 1773. After he was killed by Creek Indians in 1788 his son John, Jr., my 3-great grandfather, returned to Sampson County, NC, then moved to Cumberland County, NC, then finally back to Georgia. The Southern militiamen were generally riflemen, and pension records of soldiers under John Autry's command specifically said that Captain Autry's company was a company of riflemen. There is a book on NC rifles and by careful reading of it I decided that riflemaking there was in its barest infancy at the time and that it was more likely in the Revolutionary period that a North Carolinian or Georgian would have carried a rifle made further north... Pennsylvania, Virginia or Maryland. The Wilkes County Georgia militiamen were among what was known, however, as the Georgia refugees. When the British fleet sailed south and took Savannah and occupied Georgia, these Georgians packed up their families and evacuated them enmasse "overmountain" to what is now Tennessee, then they continued to fight in the Carolinas till the British left and they could take Georgia back from the Tories. So... there is also some possibility of them using Tennessee rifles.

By and large the war in the Carolinas and Georgia was entirely different than the war further north. I think you might enjoy reading _A Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens_ and possibly also _Longrifles of North Carolina_... though I'll warn that the author doesn't really find any North Carolina rifles going back to the Revolution.

 

[XxWINxX94]

It would be hard to tell, something that old. I would imagine some sort of smoothbore flintlock, made by a gunsmith, or even grabbed off a British Solider, or imported via trade from another country.

If your relation was a higher "rank" or more prestigous, (General, Captain,etc) it might be possible he carried something different from the other infantry, or other "branches."

An example: In the civil war, the navy(s) had the 1851 Navy model pistol, while the army(s) had the 1860 Army pistol. Sometimes in old paintings, you might see a general or captain with something out of the ordinary, like a saber, or other unique weapon.

But who really knows?
This is 200+ years ago, you would think they used whatever they could find to defend against the strongest army in the world.

 

[Oyeboten]

Lotsa 'Squirrel Guns'...

60, 70, 80, 90 Gauge I imagine...variously.

 

[4v50 Gary]

You might want to consider Jerry Noble's series of books on the iron mounted southern rifle. He may be reached at Gary Noble,414 N.E. 7th Ave, Aledo, Illinois 61231. I have two out of the four volumes and should buy vol 3 & 4 myself.

Remember, the sharp crescent shaped buttplate didn't develop until the post-Federal period (after the Constitution was adopted). Stick with the earlier guns with a flatter buttplate (and it can be brass).

 

[Al LaVodka]

I'm not sure the Navy vs. Army moniker really had all that much to do with the actual service it was being used in after hostilites began in the War of the Rebellion.
Al

 

[junkman_01]

It really designated the caliber of the revolver being used.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Let's keep this on topic with respects to the American Revolution.

 

[moconfed]

Excellent post, Maj Dad- very interesting, especially regarding your ancestor.
My ancestor, Col. Gideon Lewis Jr. , was in the NC Militia, as well, although he was in at the end of the War of 1812. His father Gideon Sr. fought in the Revolution, though.