Lemuel Lyman Pouch by Jeff Bibb

In 1755, an expedition was planned against Crown Point, and the command entrusted to Sir Wm. Johnson. His army arrived at the south end of Lake George before transportation had been provided. While waiting for batteaux to convey him to Crown Point, he received intelligence that a detachment of French Regulars, Canadians and Indians, under command of Baron Dieskau, was approaching Fort Edward for the purpose of destroying some provision and military stores. Johnson at once called a council of war, at which it was determined to dispatch Col. E: Williams to intercept the French on their return from the fort. Diskeau, however, changed his course, with the intention of attacking Johnson's camp. Col. Williams was not aware of the change, and he marched on to his doom, apprehensive of no danger. The enemy had been apprised of his approach and lay in- ambush for him. The firing commenced prematurely, hub was very destructive. The surprise was complete. The bi-ave- commander, in endeavoring to conduct his troops to a more advantageous position, received a ball in his head, which instantly killed him. The firing continued with unabated fury, and they were obliged to retreat to the camp, whither they were closely followed by the enemy, who were received by Johnson with a murderous discharge of cannon and musketry, which did so much execution among them that they retired in great disorder, leaving on the field Baron Dieskau, who had received a mortal wound in his thigh. He fell into the hands of the Americans, and said, before his death, that, in all his military life, nothing had ever sent death into his army like the prolonged cheers which the Americans gave at their approach. Each of these neighbors, last referred to, had a son in this battle, which took place Sept. 8, 1775, and in- which Col. Ephraim Williams, the generous founder of Williams College, and more than two hundred others were slain, among whom was Sergeant Eliakim Wright, son of Stephen, aged 28. Lemuel Lyman, son of Benjamin, then twenty years of age, was in company with Sergeant Wright, one of the scouting party who was sent out to reconnoitre. They met the enemy advancing in the form of a crescent, but did not discover them until they were partially inclosed, whereupon a warm fire opened. Mr. Lyman was in the act of firing at an Indian, when a ball struck him. It passed across three of his fingers and struck his breast, passing through a leather vest, three thicknesses of his shirt, and his bullet pouch, which was providentially in that place, and half buried itself in his body. The pouch is still preserved in one of the numerous families of his descendants. There were four other soldiers standing near him, three of whom were killed there, and the other one after he reached the camp. Shortly after he obtained a furlough and returned home.

 

The pouch is made from cowhide with a full inside divider. It measures 7" wide by 5" deep. The shoulder strap is 3/4" wide with a brass buckle adjustment.

Copy and photos by Jeff Bibb.

Horn by Bruce Horne for Jim Chambers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos by Jan Riser.

Upper East Tennessee Rifle # 134, by Keith Lisle

Black Walnut stock. (Feathered burl from crotch or fork)
Green Mountain .40 cal. "A" weight x 44" barrel (Coned Muzzle).
Modified Chambers Late Ketland Lock.
Chambers White Lightning Vent Liner.
Modified Davis Double Set Triggers.
Extended One Piece Tang Over-the-Comb to the Buttplate.
All iron is aged. Toeplate & Buttplate Riveted.
Handmade Toeplate, RR & Entrypipes, Sideplate, Nosecap.
LOP is             13 3/4"
Weight is           7# 12 oz
Drop at Heel is   3 7/8"
Butt Cast Off is    3/8"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To see more of Keith's work, please visit his web site, Custom Muzzleloaders.

Photos supplied by Keith Lisle.

Game Bag by Ron Scott

This bag with deer legs is one that I have just finished.  The body is pigskin, interior lining is Lambskin and the edging sections are forrest green Calfskin.  Brass rings and buckles.  The knife has a bone handle and is a random pattern damanscus blade.

 

 

 

Copy and photos supplied by Ron Scott.

The “Green River of Kentucky” Pouch Set by T.C. Albert

The beautiful Green River of western Kentucky was settled in earnest shortly after the close of the American Revolution. In 1785, Captain Henry Rhoads led a party of settlers to the falls of the Green and established one of the regions very first settlements, Rhoadsville Station. At the time Henry was a prominent citizen of Berks County, Pennsylvania where he had been an officer in the militia during the war, owned 1200 acres of land, was a justice of the peace, and had been a member of the Philadelphia Constitutional Congress.

Henry was the son of German immigrants, living then at Germantown Pennsylvania, and many of the settlers accompanying him to Kentucky were also of direct German, or what was then called “Dutch” descent.

In 1795 Henry was engaged to survey a 7000 acre tract of land along the Green that had been awarded to fellow war veteran and officer, General Alexander McClanahan, as “War Bonus” or bounty land. For his services as surveyor of the tract, Henry was paid in land, the land where he and his descendants lived and where he went on to become one of the areas most famous settlers.

Coming from Berks County, one of the very centers of the early longrifles early development, Henry would have recognized the design and style of this rifle pouch, and odds are that he even carried one very much like it. Made of finely tanned cow hide, from the simple double pocketed construction, shaved hair deer skin flap, external saddle stitched bindings, to the large and spuriously added patch knife and sheath, this set is based directly on an original early Pennsylvania double pouch in my collection. I believe these traits are often found on many of the nicer and perhaps professionally made bags common to that region during that time, and that fine early double bags like this set a standard for the basic size and design of many rifle pouches for years to come.

The set as accoutered with a simple, early styled “lip” horn commonly used during both the French and Indian wars and the Revolution, and is served with a file worked deer antler powder measure, a forged iron vent pick, and a primitive antler handled utility knife with a poured lead ferrule and hammered copper pommel cap.

As a seasoned war veteran, respected wilderness surveyor, early settler, wealthy land owner and avid hunter, we would expect that Henry Rhoads spent a fair amount of time living in the field with a fine Berks county made rifle in his hand and nice shaved hair double shot pouch over his shoulder. Many tales of his exploits survive, and one story or legend is particularly famous. It seems Henry owned a fine rifle, but that it was so prone to “hang fire” and touched off a round so slowly that it actually saved his life one day.

Henry was out in the woods one morning hunting turkey, and drawing bead on a big old bearded tom had just pulled the triggers when from the corner of his eye he saw a large mountain lion bounding towards him from the underbrush. Henry whirled his rifle around in time to aim it at the cat. It when it finally went off just as the cat was leaping into the air barely a few feet from him, hitting it “point blank” in the chest and killing it instantly. The mountain lion fell harmlessly across his shoulder and he promptly “hopused” it back home and skint it.

The “Green River” of Kentucky pouch set is dedicated to the memory of Henry Rhoads, his family, friends and neighbors, and all of the other early frontiersmen that shared similar experiences and stories as they settled along the banks of the Green.

Copy and photos by T.C. Albert.

Steven Lalioff Canteen

 

 

 

 

Photographed at the 2009 CLA Show by Jan Riser.

Susanne Warren-Bicio

40 cal Sheetz rifle built from scratch a few years ago

 

 

 

Photos supplied by Susanne Warren-Bicio

Folder by Charlie Wallingford

 

 

Photos supplied by Charlie Wallingford.