"Most desirable AWI item to own?" Topic

What in your opinion is the most desirable item of military equipment that you would like to own from the AWI period?

A Brown Bess, with bayonet! (They don't like it up 'em, Captain M…)

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or General Gates's, fleetest horse

boneclones.com/sc-125.htm

How about George's wood teeth?

Nope. The all-time greatest AWI item one could own (if it were possible) would be . . .

The Turtle.

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Otherwise, I'd settle for a decent tri-cornered hat.

EDIT: Found this link to a discussion about building a paper model of the Turtle. The photos of the finished model are amazing— it's hard to believe that it's just paper! link

Hans Sprungfeld's silver tongue.

I think I would want the original Declaration of Independence.

The original Betsy Ross flag.

The Knyphausen Fusiler Miter…from the Smithsonian…

A squad of burly matrosses to move our three pounder battalion gun…

The Cerebus, I would turn it into a floating B&B.

The power to fnd Mr. Loring a good job. Elsewhere.

If we mean rare and highly important as an artifact, I should think it would be an authentic Lottery coat. There are so few existing coats, this one would really shake things up. No one I know of has ever established exactly what they looked like. Beyond that, other clothing, like a shirt would be very helpful, very very rare, but less spectacular.

either the 43rd, 76th, 80th or the 17th Foots colours. all captured during the war!

Well, as a re-enactor, who has a lovely repop Brown Bess, I'd like to have the flag from the unit we portray, the First New Jersey Regiment.

There's been a lot of research done, lots of contradiction, and I would love to be able to find the answer to the question.

Eric

A Brown Bess or a Charleville repro.

HMS Rose.

a complete kit for the 17th foot, and about 35 pards to do the same.

Mrs. Loring.

Oh my, I hope those guys weren't going to actually fire that gun. :-(

Where is that? Looks like someone's backyard.

If they were, the woman and child would have been way back and behind the muzzle as this is what happens next

The first pic is before my time but could be old town Alexandria.

Can't imagine where in Old Towne, though the buildings in the background do look kinda period. Is that the 1st VA's gun?

Although not exactly military a signed copy of the Declaration of Independence might be worth a bit.

Yes it is. The tube is a direct copy of one taken from Burgoyne's army at Saratoga; and is one of a batch made for the bicentennial and was part paid for with a grant from the city of Alexandria. You will see it's 'sisters' around the various NPS visitor centers.

It's next outing is a battle at Fort Ward in three weeks time – if you're in the area, come see us!

If I'm in the area? Last year I led the side of your God given King! :-)

It is a nice event. Good public turnout too. I remember going to Gadsby's afterwards.

We don't have a king. We're an anarcho-syndicalist commune. We take it in turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the week…..

That would explain your disorganization and slow footed movements in the field. :-)

Though to be fair, I seem to recall the NJ boys coming at me hard at Mount Harmon.

I still say Mrs. Loring is the correct answer.

Is there info on the battle at Fort Ward? Might be worth a trip out there.

Oh, I found it: link

>I still say Mrs. Loring is the correct answer.

Assuming she's well preserved…

Fort Ward--be there or be routed from the field!!!

Historygamer;
Well, it's what you'd expect from a band of Good Jerseymen now wouldn't you… Better than coming at you all limp-wristed.

That's why your side has the 1NJV's…

By the way, have HM Forces recovered from their shame at losing their sausages to a night raid by one SGT Skorka of the 2nd Jersey at Wyoming?

There's now a song we sing praising "Skorka and his plundered Pork-a" Ask Tom about it.

Eric

"By the way, have HM Forces recovered from their shame at losing their sausages to a night raid by one SGT Skorka of the 2nd Jersey at Wyoming?"

Hmmm. I'm not sure how to reply to that one. VA Tory, want to give it a shot? ;-)

I would like a momento from (Alexander Hamilton's) Company of New York Volunteer Artillery. New York is my home town and I served with that battery D 1/5 in the Jolly Green Jungle.

Is Sgt Skorka related to Theodore Marley Brooks Esq., the famous lawyer? Brooks prefers ham to sausage in pilfered pork.

>"By the way, have HM Forces recovered from their shame at >losing their sausages to a night raid by one SGT Skorka of >the 2nd Jersey at Wyoming?"

A man's sausage is is own private kingdom. I will protect it with my life…(apologies to Blackadder).

Sounds like something that happened at the Wyoming event…I was not present.

Flooglestreet;
Well, I wasn't there, I was playing toy soldiers instead, but what happened was said Skorka (who I've known for more than a few years) managed to "comandeer" a bateaux that was in HM service to have a few drinks on the lake, decided he was hungry, "impressed" the bateaux and it's master to ferry him to the British camp, did some naughty things to a grenadier's bearskin and raided the coolers, stealing some sausages.

Needless to say, there was singing, merriment, and much alcohol involved. Obviously.

Their "Baldrick", apologies to Blackadder, was found guilty of letting a Rebel "taste the King's sausage" or something to that effect.

The back and forth between the particpants was quite good and I was hoping to join in at Mt. Harmon, but, as seems to be my lot, Uncle Sugar stepped in at the last second, and I was Tebow-ned and couldn't go.

However, the expedition and the ensuing embarassment to a Certain Regiment of HM Forces, who shall remain namesless, lest they too be gamers, has resulted in a new Regimental Song, which we gloriously sang at Fort Mifflin in November and on the March to Trenton on the 31st of December.

*wickedgrin*

Eric

Only a handful of grenadier units – 23rd, 42nd, 35th, and sometimes 64th. Oh, 10th too.

You know we are running a re-enactor only event at Mount Harmon this late October?

I will have to speak to Mr. Lance about others using his batteau improperly – me being his sponsor and all. :-)

Historygamer;
I suppose in all fairness you should speak to a certain Captain from the 35th of Foot about taking better care of his sausages. He has a Dutch like name I think.

Not that a certain SGT of the Light Company of the 10th doesn't need to beware the Jerseys if he is still on the active rolls.

If you wish, you should email me and I'll send you the lot that a certain Private Abbott of the 1st Jersey sent me notifying in various gazettes of the circumstances.

He found a lovely 18th century font and it's quite entertaining.

And he wrote the song…

Eric

I've got a Brown Bess (reproduction), and while a Charleville would be nice, I think a Ferguson Rifle would go better in my collection.

Tarleton's sword.

Not the one he murdered all those women, new-born babies and defenceless prisoners of war with?!?!?!

The very same, which also caused global warming, the recession,and the BP oil spill !

I have the bayonet that my ancestor carried as an infantryman in a Massachusetts regiment.

Interestingly, it fits both my Brown Bess and my friend's Charleville. Apparently, the exterior diameter of the weapons is the same.

I have the bayonet that my ancestor carried as an infantryman in a Massachusetts regiment

Excellent

I have the bayonet that my ancestor carried as an infantryman in a Massachusetts regiment--------------------------------An heirloom to treasure.

A Rev War era portfire cutter. Something like this, but possibly of simpler design:

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It would probably do a fine job cutting cigars as well…

The ropes used to hang George Washington and his fellow traiters. What else would a Loyalist re-enactor want

How about Banastre Tarleton's fingers?

I have had most of the repro's, including a Jäger rifle, but would love to try a Ferguson. All very cool, but I'm not a reenactor so they all moved on, the Jäger lasting the longest.

What I would really love to have are the original Congressional land grants given to my maternal ancestors, twin brothers of Scottish ancestry who settled in the Western Reserve and served with Pennsylvania State units. Their tracts were adjoining, and they acquired a third tract from a kinsman as well. My maternal Grandfather (who was named for both brothers) leased the last single acre to the State of Ohio "in perpetuity" back in 1976 in exchange for a small rest stop, a historical marker and the sum of $1. USD

The original 120 acres that the brothers held now contain a fairly large highway interchange, part of a Federal installation, and a large industrial area. Other than the historical significance, I can only imagine what the deed to that 120 acres would be worth today.

Bill
Sir William the Aged

I'd like one of them thar 3 pounders in the pictures above. That would be great to fire off every once in awhile in my back yard.

I know Major Andre was pretty good at sketching. So it would be great to come across a sketch he might have made of Mrs. Loring or of "Peggy" Shippen.

Sir William: you can obtain photocopies of your family's land deeds from the county recorder of deeds office.

I've been doing a lot of genealogical research lately and copies of the land deeds are among the easier documents to obtain.

I only wish that my ancestors had left more of a paper trail though. They were truly "off the grid", much to my annoyance.

A wax work model of Mel Gibson crossing the Delaware with Washington.

Ironwolf, Andre did do a drawing of Peggy. Just Google her and it will come up.

A Hessian Grenadier mitre.