Lil off topic. Anyone watch "The War that made America" on PBS ?

[bg]

This started a week ago. It's not about the Revolution. It's
about a very young George Washington and French and
Indian War. Tuesday night's episode was about Fort
William Henry up at Lake George when Monroe was asking
for troops from Webb. The uniforms and weaponry
look realistic. I was just wondering what kind of weapons
they would have been using back then. Would they have
been Enfields of some sort ? It's on Tues night on PBS
9:00PM pst chan 24 out here in So Cal. Ck it out >

http://www.pbs.org/neighborhoods/history/feature/redir/thewarthatmadeamerica/
http://www.thewarthatmadeamerica.org/

Sorry if in the wrong forum or site, but it does have some
interesting firearms, and helps me at least, understand a
little more about the issues that will lead up to the birth
of our Nation. I did find out where the name Cajun comes
from from Tue night's series. Anybody else watch it ?

 

[MuzzleBlast]

They would have been using Brown Bess

 

[Tory]

Incomplete information

The British would have been using the "Brown Bess" musket.

The French would have been equipped with the Charleville musket.

 

[jacobtowne]

The British would have been using the "Brown Bess" musket.

The French would have been equipped with the Charleville musket.

We were crown colonies of Great Britain at the time. Rogers Rangers (I think I've got the right war) used, IIRC, the Brown Bess Officer's or Dragoon model. This was the assault weapon of the day, since it was lighter and shorter than the regular BB. It had a 37-inch barrel, lighter stock, and was 16 bore, as opposed to 10 or 11 bore of the Brown Besses.
JT

 

[Tory]

True, but

"We were crown colonies of Great Britain at the time."

Quite true. And the regulars were BRITISH units, in quite marked distinction from the colonial militia, which MAY have also been armed w/British Army issue weapons, but more likely equipped with their own arms.

 

[bg]

Thanks for helping out with the firearm clarification. Maybe the
rifles used in this series aren't period correct. I don't know
hardly anything about flintlocks and percussion ignitions.
Man o man. Getting nailed with a 0.75 round or 10 bore.
Lord thats got to hurt and hurt bad.

I like that one statement from the Brown Bess article..>

As most male citizens of the American Colonies were required by law to own a musket for militia duty

How times have changed. Now we have to fight just to own
our weapons anymore. Sure doesn't sound right to me.

 

[Sactown]

That's a good series. Been catching it when I can.

 

[hksw]

Yeah, been watching it and the re-runs for the past couple of weeks. (Actually started the second full week of January.) Very interesting in that it is more detailed than what you read and hear in school and 1 hour programs of the entire conflict. I like it.

 

[newman32]

I thought it was cool too..Last year I visited a place in NH that is (and was) called Fort at #4 http://www.fortat4.com/ It was built during the French & Indian War era, and a lot of what I learned there clicked with the PBS show.

At the time, that neck-of-the-woods was the frontier! The whole idea of colonists getting kidnapped for labor or ransom is hard to imagine too - but it happened often.

Thinking of visiting Lake George this spring to check that out too.

 

[Tokugawa]

My Mom raised me on the exploits of Rogers Rangers, Daniel Boone, Kit Carson, Davy Crockett, and assorted stories of the Revolution. She is a REAL Mass. lady, not one of the damn sheeple they are breeding now. We have had lots of Indian fighters in the family. And pesky rebel colonists too.

 

[Onmilo]

I thought it a little weird that Graham Greene, who is a Canadian Born Indian, did the hosting.
He was excellent though and the show was well thought out, insightful, and factual for the most part.

The Author Allan W. Eckert wrote one of the best historical novel series on the time frame covered in the PBS show.
It actually traces history all the way up to the Blackfoot Indian Wars and is extremely well written.

If you enjoyed this television program, and enjoy reading, you may wish to try finding copies of Eckert's series.
The first book is called "The Frontiersmen".
The last is called "Twilight of Empire" and there are seven books total in the series.
Excellent reading.

 

[Hobie]

I believe it was "Munro" not "Monroe". Spelling being what it was then you aren't that far off...

Eckert isn't always right. He takes some liberties to give a good read. I don't think it's necessary but the books are good.

Kit Carson in the revolution?

 

[MuzzleBlast]

hardly anything about flintlocks and percussion ignitions.
Man o man. Getting nailed with a 0.75 round or 10 bore.
Lord thats got to hurt and hurt bad.

If I'm not mistaken, it was general practice to feed Brown Bess a "buck and ball load": one full-sized ball and three buckshot-sized balls. Yeah, that's gotta suck.