May 27, 2020 Founders & Patriots
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/27/2020
An extremely rare Federal era American martial horn, believed to be the pattern produced for the United States Rifle Regiment in 1808 and subsequently issued to all four of the US Army's rifle regiments that served during the War of 1812. Engraved on the outward-facing portion of the horn's brass spring-charger is a hunting horn suspended by a looped cord, with a cursive, capital 'R" within the loop; such a device can also be found on extant US cap plates and buttons for the rifle regiments during the War of 1812 era. Below the bugle horn is engraved the number "52" which is believed to be an issue number, not a unit number. Mention of brass-capped horns are also found in 1808-1817 supply records for the rifle troops of the US Army, allowing for this tentative identification. Unlike British martial horns of the period, the cap-shaped charger (1 1/4 in. diameter face by 1 5/16 inches wide, sheet-brass body) is secured to the horn body by a long, iron screw that runs through the cap and horn tip underneath and vertically across and through the other side of the horn tip and cap and into one end of a brass loop, then peened fast. This 1/2 inch-long loop for the carrying strap runs down the horn and its other end is similarly secured by another screw also set perpendicular across the horn. The horn is closed at its base by a turned and lipped plug of cherry, of 3 inch diameter. There is a sheet brass, 3/8 inch-wide, reinforcing band with edge-engraved line running around the circumference of the horn's base, which butts up against the lip of the cherry plug and attached to horn and plug by means of small brass pins. The plug has a large, iron screw in its center for attaching the other end of a carrying strap. The horn is 10 1/2 inches long. CONDITION: the threaded brass spout or nozzle of the charger is now missing, there is a 1 1/2 inch splinter or chip missing from the lip of the cherry plug, and there are a few insect browse holes in the horn body.
[with]
Cow’s horn body closed by a turned oak, butt plug with threaded, oak stopper in the shape of a handle, for replenishing gunpowder supply. The tip of the horn fitted with a conical charger formed of sheet-brass, with a cast-brass lever and steel spring. The suspension loops are of threaded iron, set in to the horn body. 16 in L body overall (not incl. threaded stopper, which is 2 3/4 in. L clear of the plug) x 3 ¼ in. diameter plug. A late 18th- or early 19th century artillery priming horn, probably an American copy of the British Ordnance-issue priming horns, differing only in the form of the capped lever and its attachment to the charger body, which is by a banded swivel, rather than a brazed swivel mount as found on British horns. This feature has been observed on a number of priming horns, all of which had American provenance. JLK