October 30, 2019 The Collection of Steve & Marcy Hench
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/30/2019
This historic and identified musket is featured in an article by Alan E. Para on pages 28-33 of the January 1997 issue of "The Gun Report, Volume 42, No. 8". The musket is identified on the sideplate where it is inscribed "Tarrant Putnam ye 1775 MANSFLD Regt". According to "Masachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution" lists Tarrant Putnam, Jr. of Danvers, Massachusetts, who was listed as a private in Captain Israel Hutchinson's Company of Minute Men which marched on the alarm of April 19th, 1775. A copy of the report from the 27th Regiment dated April 19th, 1775 lists Tarrant Putnam at Dorcester Point. Almost a year after Lexington and Concord, Putnam gave his life for his newly formed country. Tarrant Putnam was born February 8th, 1743 and died April 16th, 1776. The muster roll of Captain Hutchinson's minute Company lists Tarrant Putnam, Jr. as a member. Mansfield's Regiment was organized on April 23rd, 1775 and became part of the 19th Continental Regiment in June of 1775. Because of this information, it can be assumed that the engraving on the sideplate was applied between late April and June of 1775. Tarrant Putnam, Jr. was an American patriot who took part in some of the most important events in the birth of our nation. The musket itself is composed of an early, round smoothbore barrel of English origin. The barrel is now devoid of any markings and has a bayonet lug mounted on top near the muzzle. The lock is also an early English Queen Anne lock. The flat lockplate is deeply stamped with a broad arrow beneath the pan, denoting British ownership. The tail is inscribed vertically "W. / NUTT / 04" indicating that the lock was made in 1704 by the British contractor, Nutt. William Nutt was a London gunmaker active in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The early lock is retained by three screws. A nearly identical dog lock can be seen in figure M.3 in "The History of Weapons of the Revolutionary War" by George C. Neumann. The original catch for the dog lock was probably removed at the time this musket was stocked. The brass furniture is composed of mostly American fabricated components, including the four sheet brass ramrod ferrules, foremost slightly trumpeted; a sheet brass band at the tip of the forend, a flat brass sideplate with inscription "Tarrant Putnam ye 1775 MANSFLD Regt", the trigger guard has a simple lobe finial and is from an early English musket; finally the buttplate is a thin sheet of brass, which is nailed to the stock with a series of brass and iron nails. The full length cherry stock is of attractive and familiar, early New England form with the wrist extending into the buttstock. There is a finely carved relief shell behind the trigger guard tang along with two fluted and molded lines on each side. CONDITION: Barrel retains a heavy, dark patina with some heavier corrosion at the breech. Lock is in its original flintlock configuration and shows a matching dark patina with some scattered pitting, markings only partially visible. Brass furniture retains a pleasing mustard surface with clear inscription on sideplate. Brass shows scattered marks from use and one area of loss on the buttplate. Stock shows wear to carving and scattered marks from use and age cracks, as well as an area of damage from the period beneath the lock. A sliver between the front lock tang extending into the forend has been professionally replaced, and some splintering on both sides of the forend has been secured. The ramrod is a well-aged contemporary replacement. PROVENANCE: Ex Charles D. Cook Collection; noted in a 1927 Antiques Magazine article titled "The Firearms of the Queen Anne Period" by Howard M. Chapin and Charles D. Cook. Ex Allen E. Para Collection. This musket is accompanied by a 1997 copy of "The Gun Report" featuring an article on the musket, as well as an archive of research, copies of records pertaining to Tarrant Putnam, Copies of muster rolls, and other important documents and letters regarding Tarrant Putnam from various archival sources. This musket is a National Treasure and was most certainly present when the "Shot Hear 'Round the World" was fired. CORRECTION: Tarrant Putnam responded to the Lexington Alarm as part of the Danvers Minuteman Company. They arrived at the small community of Menotomy, Massachusetts which is present day Arlington. Menotomy saw the heaviest fighting on Battle Road. The Danvers Company had the highest number of casualties next to those at the Lexington Green. Putnam then enlisted in Mansfield’s Regiment as part of the 7th Massachusetts. This regiment was in Cambridge the day the Battle of Bunker Hill took place and they acted as reserves for the Colonials on Bunker Hill. This musket has been seen by the Danvers Historical Society and thus Tarrant Putnam’s name was added on to the monument there. A booklet accompanies this musket about Minutemen from the greater area of Easton, Massachusetts.
Caliber/Bore
.79 Smoothbore
Paperwork
Archival Documents