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A Southern Pouch and Horn

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Joined
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I was looking for information on South Carolina longrifles, and happened upon the website for the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, or MESDA. If your interest is mainly in shooting, that title might not get your attention, but I found they have a very extensive collection of longrifles and powderhorns with southern provenance. They also have a searchable online collections database. Well, that got my attention.

Apart from the horns, I didn't see a lot in the way of accoutrements, but they did have this wonderful set from North Carolina:

Carolina Pouch and Horn.jpg


There is a lot to like here, and a lot to ponder. They give the dimensions as 6-1/2" by 7", which is a pretty small pouch by today's standards, and the strap may not really be as wide as it looks. I thought it was clever, the way the pouch and horn are attached to the wide strap with narrow billets that are buckled on. This leaves the main strap in one piece, but the height of the pouch or horn can be individually adjusted or they can be removed altogether as needed. The powder charger appears to have a staple for attachment to its strap. You see lots of powder horns with staples (including this one), but I don't think I've seen a charger suspended this way before.

The horn has some nice carving in the butt, and the neck or spout carving is simple but both practical and attractive. I'm betting any one of us would like to have a horn like that!

Carolina Pouch and Horn 1.3.jpg


This set of accoutrements accompanied a very nice rifle:

Carolina Pouch and Horn 1.2.jpg


I was also interested in the fact that this set includes two bullet moulds. Assuming they were both for the same rifle, I'm wondering if they might throw different sizes of balls. Captain Dillin mentioned in The Kentucky Rifle that many of the old-timers carried two sizes of balls, one tight-fitting ball to be loaded with a patch for accuracy, and the other sized for quick and easy reloading.

Here are some links for more information on this rifle and the kit that accompanies it:

George Foltz Pouch and Accoutrements

George Foltz Powder Horn

George Foltz Long Rifle


Best regards,

Notchy Bob
 
Nice find, I am wondering if the 2 different molds are 1 for round ball and one for conical. Just looked at the bag and accountments up close on the links you provided I noticed the mention of a eagle button used for a closure on the pouch looks like union civil war button. if so the dates on the providence could be wrong or maybe the button had been replaced at a latter date. Perhaps a Mexican war era button?
 
Nice find, I am wondering if the 2 different molds are 1 for round ball and one for conical. Just looked at the bag and accountments up close on the links you provided I noticed the mention of a eagle button used for a closure on the pouch looks like union civil war button. if so the dates on the providence could be wrong or maybe the button had been replaced at a latter date. Perhaps a Mexican war era button?
Thanks for the observations and comments! I don't know about the moulds. One does have a larger head than the other, but it's hard to say about the cavities.

I know almost nothing about military buttons. I did see that about the eagle button, but can't say where it might have originated. Maybe some of our military reenactors on the forum can advise us.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob
 
And the upper strap and one horn strap is a replacement, as is the stitching on the bag flap for some reason. She’s a doozy of a bag though. And the horn plug is lovely. Thanks for sharing. The bag pattern is super.
 
I have been a civil war reenactor for 25 years hence the question on the button, things like this have a tendency to acquire fixes from what is available over their life span to continue usage, either way it is a very nice set up. For me it adds to the questions where have you been and what did you see, if only these unique items could talk I bet there would be some very interesting stories told.
 
Here is something else from the same museum, The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts. This is a painting of young John Seabrook (1768-1844) of Portsmouth, Virginia, done circa 1780 by an unknown limner:

Seabrook 1.1.jpg


It was customary to do these portraits showing the subject with objects that interested him or her, or, in the case of adults, objects associated with their trade. Young Mr. Seabrook was evidently an avid hunter. In addition to the hound, the gun, and the squirrel on the side of the tree outside the window (!), you see his pouch and horn on the table by his left side:

Seabrook 1.2.jpg


It is hard to make out a lot of detail, but you can get an idea of the general shape of the pouch body and flap, the width of the strap, and the relative size of the horn and charger.

Another southern pouch and horn, this one from the 18th century, for those who are interested.

Notchy Bob
 
Again, thanks guys for an education. I have two bag molds but did not know that a sprue cutter indicated a more recent mold. My 'old mold' is larger and in much better condition, but does not have a sprue cutter. Polecat
 
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