May 27, 2020 Founders & Patriots
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/27/2020
This musket is illustrated and discussed on pages 134 & 135 of "For Liberty I live" by Al Benting. Colonel Moses Little's 17th regiment was in Newbury, Massachusetts. Moses Little's regiment marched on the April 19th alarm and some elements of the regiments served at the very end of the action on the April 19th, 1775. Other elements of the regiment served at Bunker Hill. According to the author this musket was discovered in Waugh family homestead auction in Townsend, Massachusetts by Bill Coakley. When the author purchased it from Bill, in the early 1990s, he indicated that it was issued to Robert Waugh when his company form Townsend and other units were mustered into the 8th Massachusetts Continentals at Rocksberry on July 22, 1775 or when the 17th's enlistment expired at the end of December 1775 when arms were taken from men leaving service. This musket, Robert Waugh, and Moses Little's regiment were at Bunker Hill, The Siege of Boston, The New York Campaign, Trenton, Princeton, Saratoga, and Monmouth. The musket is composed from British and American components. The 41-1/2" .80 caliber smoothbore British barrel has traces of British proofs in the center near the breech and a bayonet lug mounted on top towards the muzzle. It is possible that the barrel is from a Pattern 1769 Short Land Brown Bess. The British lock is also from a Pattern 1769 musket equip with a Pattern 1755 lock. The lock features an engraved double line border and is engraved "TOWER/ 1772" at the cock. The center is inscribed with a large crown over "GR" and is stamped with a crown over a broad arrow. The non-regulation script date of 1772 was possibly added at the time the musket was assembled in America. Some of the furniture appears to be British and some of the furniture appears to be American. The ramrod ferrules are of American manufacture as well as the sheet brass end cap. The wrist escutcheon is inscribed "17 RGT". The sideplate is poorly cast and probably American as well. The trigger guard and buttplate appear to be British as well as the trigger assembly. The musket is professionally stock in the British style using cherry. There is a much more diminutive beaver tail carved in relief around the barrel tang in contrast to the larger beaver tail found on British arms. Complete with its original iron ramrod and its original American manufactured triangular socket bayonet. The bayonet has a tapered triangular blade of 14 - 1/4" and a 3 - 7/8" socket. The top of the blade is stamped "IL" CONDITION: Barrel retains a heavy brown patina and shows some wear and minor freckling. Lock is strong and in its original flintlock configuration. Markings are excellent. Finial is broken off on frizzen spring. Furniture retains a dark mustard patina and shows some light wear and marks from use. Stock is very good, showing some minor chipping above the rear lock tang and in front of the lock tang. There are also a few slivers missing on the right side along the barrel and some age cracks along the other side, otherwise good with scattered marks from use. Bayonet retains a matching patina, a small portion of the tip is broken off. Lock markings have possibly been enhanced. A very nice regimental marked American musket.
Caliber/Bore
.80 Smoothbore
Manufacturer
Tower/American