May 17, 2022 Early Arms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/17/2022
The 53rd Regiment arrived in America from Cork, Ireland on June 1, 1776 at Quebec and helped fight off the colonial attack on the city. The Regiment was then part of the Burgoyne invasion that reached Fort Edward on the Hudson River. However, they were deemed unfit for service because four of the eight companies were ill (probably from smallpox). While the Light Infantry and Grenadier companies stayed with Burgoyne and were taken prisoner at Saratoga, the remaining eight companies were sent back to Ticonderoga as part of the 910 men left to guard the supply route. The four companies unfit for service were quarantined at Mount Independence on the Vermont side of Lake Champlain. The remaining four companies of the 53rd were stationed at the portage, near Lake George. On September 18, 1777, the colonial force under Colonel John Brown, attacked the portage and captured nearly all of the detachment left there, including the commanding officers of all four companies. Existing reports show that almost 300 British and Canadian prisoners were captured with their small arms. It is well documented that many of the muskets surrendered by Burgoyne's troops at Saratoga were damaged by the British before handing them over to the Americans. This musket is most likely one of the captured muskets, which was broken and was restocked. There are only seven of these 53rd marked muskets known. Three of them, this example included, being American stocked. The round barrel is fitted on top with a bayonet lug, towards the muzzle. The left side of the breech is stamped "IB" and the top shows a worn "US" surcharge. The convex lockplate is inscribed "DUBLIN CASTLE" at the tail and is stamped with a "US" surcharge. All markings had been intentionally removed during the period of stocking. The Irish manufactured brass furniture includes the buttplate with four-stage tang engraved with "53 / D / 17" for 53rd Regiment, Company D, musket number 17. Flat Short Land Pattern sideplate. Signature Irish trumpeted ramrod ferrules. Shortened Irish manufactured trigger guard of Land Pattern style. The musket is professionally stocked in tiger maple in the British style. Complete with a later iron ramrod. CONDITION: Barrel has been cleaned and retains a peppered patina with some pitting towards breech, "US" marking heavily worn. Lock retains a matching patina, cock is a period replacement. Lock is in its original flintlock configuration and functions well, some filing on top edges of pan due to heavy corrosion. Brass is mostly polished. Sling swivel is a replacement. Stock shows scattered age cracks, marks from use and some thin splinters along barrel on both sides of forend. A very important and historic American captured and stocked regimentally marked musket. PROVENANCE: Tom Grinslade Collection. Featured on pages 65-68 of "British Military Longarms of Colonial America" by Bill Ahern and Robert Nitollo. DMG
Caliber/Bore
.76 smoothbore