May 27, 2020 Founders & Patriots
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/27/2020
This fusil is illustrated and described on pages 90 & 91 of "For Liberty I live" by Al Benting. According to the book, John Daby's military career began when he was sixteen and he joined Captain Salmon Whitney's company of Colonel Johnathan Bagley's regiment, station at Fort William Henry during the massacre and at Crown Point in 1757. Other Revolutionary War records indicated that John Daby was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in Captain Samuel Hill's 3rd Company of Colonel Josiah Whitney's 2nd Worcester county regiment on March 18, 1776. He served on the Rhode Island Alarm and was called up for four days on on October of 1777 during the Saratoga Campaign. He was later commissioned Captain in the 3rd Company of Whitney's 2nd Worcester county regiment on June 17, 1779. The fusil itself has excellent New England form. It has a three stage barrel with an 11" octagonal section near the breech followed by a 5" multi-faceted section then turning to round. The first 14" of the barrel have straight rifling. There is a bayonet lug mounted towards the muzzle on the bottom of the barrel. There is a sight notch cut into the tang and breech and a brass blade front sight. The flat hand-forged American lock is signed "John Daby" in the center and there is a molding at the tail. The pan is faceted and the frizzen spring terminates in an arrow. The American furniture shows French influence and is of brass. For an example with similar furniture and an identical trigger guard see plate NE 46 on page 81 of "Flintlock Fowlers' by Tom Grinslade. The long shaped buttplate has a 5" tang and the flat sideplate terminates at the rear at a point. The full length cherry stock is in the classic New England form with Roman Nose buttstock inscrubed "SW" on the right side. There are thin relief molding around the barrel on both sides and a sheet brass nose cap. There is also a beaver tail carved around the barrel tang. CONDITION: Barrel retains a brown patina. Lock appears to be in its original flintlock configuration and functions well. Signature is crisp. Some light pitting at breech and on lock. Brass retains a dark mustard patina with some areas of darker patina. Stock shows scattered marks from use and scattered hairline age cracks. Most of the carving around the barrel tang is worn away. This is a very attractive 18th century signed New England fusil.
Caliber/Bore
.69 Partially Rifled