In the fall of 1777, volunteer companies from several Virginia counties formed and elected their officers in preparation for a relief mission to Fort Pitt. An appraisal of personal arms and equipment from Captain Thomas Buck's Dunmore (later renamed Shenandoah) county company survives, ostensibly to aid in repayment should those arms be lost or damaged while on the campaign.
Thomas Buck's headstone
Although not a complete account for the entire 44 man company (the remainder may have been using public arms, although Buck's own pension application states that there were "no public stores to resort to"), several interesting things jump out, such as the ratio of rifles (6) to smooth bores (8) and the extreme high cost of rifled arms in comparison to the smooth bores (£11-8 vs £2.5). For the most part the listings are typical for militia "accouteraments" and contain guns, shot bags and horns, although a few men have a "belt" appraised as well, the belts are only listed with tomahawks. Sadly the knives are not specifically described. Many of the men also bring blankets, although Jacob Stover has "one quilted blanket" appraised at 10 shillings.
An
original smooth bore gun, knife, shot pouch, powder horn and blanket
similar to what the men in Captain Buck's company would have used (Private collection).
This is to Certify that we the subscribers have apprised Sundrie Articles as hereafter mentioned the same being the property of Capt Thomas Buck the Officers & souldiers under his Command being one of the Volenteer Companies from Dunmore County against the Indians September 17th 1777. Viz. William Huver one Rifle } gun & accouteraments 235/. }... ^11.15 one blanket for ditto 25/. ...... 1. 5 John Huver one Rifle gun }. ..... 11. ditto ditto 220/ } one blanket 20/ . ....... 1. George Millar one blanket } shot pouch, power Horn, }. ..... 1.10 tomehawk & belt 30/ } Martin Millar one blanket } Powder Horn, shot pouch tome- }. . 1.16 hawk knife & belt 36/ } John Middleton one blanket, } shot pouch, powder horn, tome- }. . 3. hawk, knife, & belt. 60/ } John Crookshank (first Leutenant) one Rifle Gun Mold & wayper 200/.. ^10. one smooth bore, shot pouch, } and powder horn 140/ }. .... 7. one Large blanket 40/ . ..... 2. 19. Carried over ^50. 6 [signed in German] Lorrantz Gapp[?]/ [signed] Alex’r Machir Amount brought forward ^50.6 Jacob Yost (second Leutenant) } one Rifle Gun shot pouch } powder horn, ¾ Ld powder, tome- } hawk, knife, & belt 250/ }. ^12.10 one blanket 18/ ..... .18 13. 8 Capt. Thos. Buck one Rifell } Gun, shot pouch & Horn 230/ }. .... 11.10 one blanket 45/ . .................. 2. 5 13.15 one smooth bore Gun 50/. ........... 2.10 George Whitsels Gun one Rifell ditto ditto 160/. ........... 8. Martin Rollers Gun one blanket, shot pouch, } & powder horn 50/ }........... 2.10 Lionel Bransons afores’d one smooth bore Gun 45/. ........... 2. 5 Jacob Stovers Gun one quilted blanket 10/ ............. .10 Martin Rollers Blankt one blanket ditto 10/ ............. .10 Jery Evan’s Blanket one smooth bore Gun 65/. .......... 3. 5 my own Gun ^96.19 Given from under our hands the date as above we being duly sworn apprisers for the same, the total amount is Ninty Six pound Nineteen shillings. [signed] Lorrent Gapp/ Alex’r Machir
