texas underhammers

[Burnt Leg]

Hi folks,

I am still trying to find documentation of the Texas Rebublic's purchase or agreement to purchase underhammer rifles from a Vermont gunsmith. There were a couple fo articles in Muzzle Blasts alluding to such purchases. Can anyone help me on this? Thanks.

 

[lanedh]

I believe the gunsmith you refer to was Nicanor Kendall of Windsor, VT. He had a contract to deliver approximately 1000 underhammer rifles to Texas. Somebody else in the Forums (sorry, don't recall who, if he sees this post maybe he'll jump in) emailed me a number of jpg files of an article that appeared in Muzzle Blast magazine some time back, about Kendall and one of his contemporaries/successors D. H. Hilliard. Unfortunately the image quality made it very difficult to read the text.

 

[torn moc]

It is Walruskid who is the underhammer man....
he know all bout em....but where is he when you need him????????

 

[walruskid1]

i do love my underhammers and i am flattered to be associated with fine rifles BUT fw is the historian AND a texan to boot. :thumbsup: i don't have any info on the texan underhammers but do believe i saw it here in the past. fred, jump in when you can.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Have never seen a record about underhammers for the Republic of Texas but they did order side-hammer Jenks carbines for the Navy and Hall breech loaders for the Dragoons. Colt went broke supplying pistols and carbines and Tryon almost did supplying M.1816 muskets. Texas red-backs weren't worth the paper they were printed on...the paper itself was probably more valuable.

 

[gmww]

Yep FW is the fella you who has a lot of information. Bluejacket that was me who sent you the information a while back. If I recall it was the stuff FW (Fred sent me). By the way Bluejacket how you feeling?

In Muzzle blast Sept. 1999 check out the article by Ken Aiken about the sale to the Republic of Texas. In page 65 it says,

...At the end of 1835, a company agent in New Orleans learned that the newly formed Republic of Texas was in the market for rifles. The company agreed to supply the new republic with several hundred underhammer rifles and deliver them in 1836 in exchange for 1,920 acres of Texas Land. During the years of 1835 to 1841, N. Kendall & Co.-Nicano Kendall, William B. Smith, and Asa Story- established a system of mass pruduction for all parts of their rifles except he barrels, which were contracted to Eliphalet Remington of Ilion, New York.
The financial reports of the prison September 30, 1835 to September 30, 1836 list only thirteen convicts employed by the N. Kendall & Company during the time they were producing rifles for the Republic of Texas. The production of several hundred rifles in less than a year shows how quickly a manufacturing system for these firearms was established...

I hope this helps you and also dispels the notion that the Underhammer was a johnny come lately after 1840.

 

[gmww]

I hope this helps you out. If you are serious about finding the documents, I'd contact the author. At the end of the Article he footnotes a lot of information. Much of it came from the Prison Museum I believe. I'd like to take credit for finding this stuff but FW actually found it and has been sending me all sorts of great historical information. :thumbsup:

 

[gmww]

In doing a little research on Kendall County, it does not look like it was named after the Kendall owners of the gun company. It's named after George Wilkins Kendall.

 

[faw3]

Our 2 year or so long PT got killed before I got your info off of it Glen. Saying that, about a year ago maybe a bit longer someone put on one of your post the land,and deed ect for that trade, guess you could jump back about a yr on here and ck yours out? Whoever posted it really nailed whoever it was that said "aint no underhammers sent to Tex" :rotf: Have a good one guy! Fred :hatsoff:

 

[faw3]

Even better ck out our PT if you still have it about 4 pages on back we talked about the guy posting it(wasnt he from Sam Houston State?) you can narrow the date down. It was one of those and the same guy as always about the uh not being PC ect, hope that helps more. Fred

 

[gmww]

Fred,

Victory, Tx. paper August 30, 2006 had an interesting article about Juan Linn a Texas revolutionary. His Underhammer was being put on display. Was that the one you were talking about. At anyrate, they paper no longer has the article up and I can't find it in the archives.

The paper by the way is the Victoria Advocate.

 

[lanedh]

Hi GMWW:

Was it common to find Kendall gun barrels with the E. Remington stamp? I've had a few other originals which had barrels the gunmaker purchased from Remington, but I've never seen a Remington stamp on a Kendall....curiouser and curiouser.

Kind of you to inquire after my health (man, you have a great memory!). The cancer has spread to the point that the outcome is well-estalbished fact, it's just a matter of when. But my oncologist is doing a bang-up job of maintaining my quality of life, so I can't complain (yet, anyway). Some days are better than others, but for the moment I'm "upright and breathing". I'm still working full time and my current project is a flint GPR from a kit I got for Christmas. My first rock-lock, and I am looking forward to striking sparks.

The thing I appreaciate most about Muzzleloading Forums is the willingness of all members to chip in their findings and observations about all manner of M/L topics. I've been in and out of the sport since 1955 and I'm still learning.

What a great resource!!

Best, Bluejacket

 

[davy]

A fave picture of a Kendal underhammer! :hatsoff:

BTW what was the final outcome on the KendalUH contract with Texas? Was it fulfilled or not?

Davy

 

[lanedh]

Wow, what a peach!!

Looks identical to my specimen, except mine has a brass capbox (different shape) and is stocked in curly maple. This one looks like cherry, another traditional New England wood for stocks.

 

[davy]

Got any photos of yours BJ? I would like to see it for sure! :hatsoff:

Davy

 

[gmww]

Hi Davy, I'm assuming the final outcome was the guns were delivered because FW says he recalls seeing someone post the deed. Also that article that was in the Victoria paper had a picture of an underhammer believed to have been part of the deal if my memory is correct.

 

[gmww]

As far as the stamp, I couldn't give you an answer on that. I did find it interesting that the Remington played a role in all this.

 

[faw3]

Hey Davy I think you could pull the org up,(if ya had time) it was on the TMA web site at the time and I think glen can give you the time frame when one member said "the wheels are really starting to fall off" ect about it and a member from TMA he knows I guess they had it going on too put it up, he sent me a PM copy (the guy from TMA but it's long time back. FRED :hatsoff:

 

[lanedh]

Sorry Davy, I'm too "old school" ”” don't have a cell phone or a digital camera. If I can borrow my son's camera and download images to my computer I'll try to post them here.

My rifle is very plain and it's a delight to see such a well-figured piece of curly maple show up on an otherwise "field grade" rifle like mine. Nature was kind in placing an unending store of sugar maple in the New England woods. Unfortunately the previous owner(s) gave little attention to cleaning the bore, else I'd shoot it.

Brgds, Bluejacket

 

[Runner]

By the way, I am the guy FW seems to think it was so funny that I had been taught that the underhammers were post 1840. I was wrong by about ten years.
The conflict started because underhammers are not allowed at any of the shoots around here. The rest of the discussion was an attempt to say underhammers should be allowed on the line at gatherings. They still are not allowed and that is not going to change anytime soon.
They look like a nice hunting gun. The underhammer flintlocks are certainly interesting. The one in this thread even looks pretty nice. I am just not interested in underhammers.
So I am guilty of being wrong. I hope FW enjoys that.