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Type of weapon native Americans fighting with the French use?

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I am reminded of a thread from years back where it was pointed out that the Indians left the Brown Bess muskets lay on the field after Braddock's defeat in the Battle of the Monongahela...they much preferred rifles, even then.

Richard/Grumpa
Once read an account that on the Pike expedition in the West, they ran into an Indian family who still had a full British uniform and maybe a Brown Bess from Braddock's Defeat brought home as trophies. Anyone else ever find this citation as I never found it again?
 
I wonder how a British uniform and a Brown Bess got from French Fort Duquesne (downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania today) half way across the United States to the areas where Pike was exploring? That almost seems like a stretch of the imagination to me.
 
I wonder how a British uniform and a Brown Bess got from French Fort Duquesne (downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania today) half way across the United States to the areas where Pike was exploring? That almost seems like a stretch of the imagination to me.
I could see something like that turning up in an Osage village. According to historian John Joseph Matthews, there are tribal memories of that battle. But much farther west than modern northeastern Oklahoma.....yeah a bit of a stretch.
 
I wonder how a British uniform and a Brown Bess got from French Fort Duquesne (downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania today) half way across the United States to the areas where Pike was exploring? That almost seems like a stretch of the imagination to me.
Pike conducted two expeditions. The first in 1805 to locate the source of the Mississippi River in what is now Minnesota; the second a year later to find the headwaters of the Arkansas River.
I would tend to believe that any artifacts of Braddock's Defeat might have been with the Chippewas in the region of Pike's first expedition in the North.
 
I wonder how a British uniform and a Brown Bess got from French Fort Duquesne (downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania today) half way across the United States to the areas where Pike was exploring? That almost seems like a stretch of the imagination to me.
There supposedly were Indians from the west that were involved. Not sure I would have transported such trophies home at that distance for having them. Billy-by-gosh may have it right as I do not now recall the details.
 
Just to clarify, the Battle of the Monongahela (Braddock's Defeat), took place at what is now Braddock, PA, 10 miles east of Fort Duquesne, (Pittsburgh).

Richard/Grumpa
 
Just spent a couple of hours "researching" back through the Forum..."Indian pickups of Besses" April 09, 2012, thread started by Colmoultrie. And there is more to be found....

Richard/Grumpa
 
Thank you just purchased! :thumb:

You must have missed my earlier post. "Amazon has something screwed up or are playing bait and switch? " It says in small print by Kevin Smith (Author) while everything else is about Kevin's book; By Kevin Gladysz - The French Trade Gun in North America 1662-1759. Even the pic of the cover is wrong.


.
 
Based on museum specimens, Native Americans are often found with cut down military muskets. They also preferred guns with larger but stocks and Roman nose Designs that could be double as a club type of weapon. Ironically Roman nose guns are like Tulles are very delicate at the rist and many are repaired on display, Ive seen cut down Springfield muskets, Charlevilles.. You dont see too many Brown Bess muskets that were used by Indians on display, probably just too large and bulky for their tastes.
 
I am reminded of a thread from years back where it was pointed out that the Indians left the Brown Bess muskets lay on the field after Braddock's defeat in the Battle of the Monongahela...they much preferred rifles, even then.

Richard/Grumpa

Richard,
Would you happen to know where the orig, source for that info came from, if you please.
 
Richard,
Would you happen to know where the orig, source for that info came from, if you please.

most of the brown bess muskets used in the earlier years of the french and indian war were older brown bess muskets models 1720 and 1730/40, dutch contract muskets And these guns were and older and obsolete. disregarding them would have been likely but i think the indians were inclined to take what could be traded for value
 
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