Revolutionary War Weapons Technology

Last night, the PBS “Nova” episode was about weapons technology of the Revolution. Probably familiar to most here, but it did cover smoothbore flintlock muskets vs. rifles. The best segment was about the first submarine called “The Turtle.” Even though it played a very small role, it was a very complex and well thought out device for its time. Also, it was interesting to find that the Tomahawk played such a large role in combat. The episode can probably still be accessed by anyone who wants to see it.

Saw about half of it...... would be worth your time to watch!

Very interesting. Thanks! https://youtu.be/AKCckXg0gZM?si=gapeKGqIHwgRAdao

Yes, by that time we had killing pretty well figured out. I think my next gun will be a flintlock.

My wife is the direct descendant of a revolutionary war vet. He had served as a private in the Northumberland County Pennsylvania militia unit and resettled to northeastern Ohio after the war. She does have documentation of that much but we know nothing more. And have none of his weapons.

join the DAR

@Dwalt; Have your wife contact the nearest chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution. My wife only knew from family lore that an old long gone family member fought in the Revolution but lacked any real documentation. Forgot all about it raising family...fast forward 25 years to her mothers passing in 1992 and among old paperwork in the house was a DAR certificate which proved basic lineage. It was enough for the Washington, DC Chapter of DAR to put together documentation for my wife.

Of course in todays modern digital world...the documents and $5.00 will get you a coffee wherever a cup is sold for $5.00!

On another neat note of history (for my wife and I at least), we were travelling years and years ago in the Northeast, specifically a small town of Westfield MA, and I always liked to stop, look at Civil War monuments, tour little local museums, etc. Anyway, inscribed on this monument was the name of Nicholas Finn. WOW, too much of a coincidence as my wife's relative was from Westfield MA and had fought, and died, in the Civil War. Family papers had him noted as Nicholas Fenn and had him dying at Gettysburg (June 1963). I wrote to the local museum curator and received back a historical note page showing his name (Finn) wife's and 2 children's names, and most importantly his enlistment in the 57 th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment in January 1864 and also his death on May 6, 1864.

The only battle on those days was the Battle of the Wilderness, just a few short miles from our home in Hanover County VA. Our first visit with the park ranger (incredibly helpful and knowledgeable folks) during cold, out-of-season time he was able to confirm from on-site battlefield records, that yes...Nicholas Finn of Massachusetts, Private, Co. C, 57th Volunteers, was killed the morning of May 6, 1864. At that time he was involved with an attack formation at the Brock Road & Plank Road intersection.

Subsequent visits to the Wilderness National Park have given us more data and we are pretty sure from books, articles and other historical information that we have narrowed down the area where he most likely died to a matter of square yards.

It is amazing and so much fun trying to trace this stuff, because if we don't do it.....it will be lost and gone forever. We are also trying to back research my wife's connections through DAR to see if we can get back to names and dates for the Revolutionary War man too.

Sorry for the long drift.........I'm not trying to hijack the original thread....just love the subjects and am a history buff.

cmansguns said:

...Nicholas Finn of Massachusetts, Private, Co. C, 57th Volunteers, was killed the morning of May 6, 1864...

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Small world. My grandfather's grandfather was killed the same day (@ dawn) and the same place in the Battle of the Wilderness (near Orange Turnpike and Orange Plank Road).




In addition his g/grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War and his grandfather fought in the War of 1812.



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That was a good show except when they did the Brown Bess vs SMLE ballistic gelatin comparison. The rounds for the SMLE looked suspiciously like Remington 180 gr soft points, kind of confirmed when he read the velocity. I would have been very interested to see how a military MK VII FMJ round performed in gel. For those that don't know, the forward section of that round contains fresh air or balsa wood, making the bullet tail heavy and liable to tumble on impact. Nasty when it's a 174 gr bullet.

cmansguns said:

@Dwalt; Have your wife contact the nearest chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution. My wife only knew from family lore that an old long gone family member fought in the Revolution but lacked any real documentation. Forgot all about it raising family...fast forward 25 years to her mothers passing in 1992 and among old paperwork in the house was a DAR certificate which proved basic lineage. It was enough for the Washington, DC Chapter of DAR to put together documentation for my wife

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Neither my wife nor my granddaughter (who is an Army 2Lt) has any interest in the DAR. My wife’s long-deceased father was in the SAR (that organization still exists), and we do have all of his SAR paperwork. My wife’s relative’s name is on the DAR list of RW vets and his name is engraved on the Valley Forge memorial shrine, whatever it is called. We have never visited there and have not seen it. His name was Michael Stock, alternatively spelled Stuck, with an umlaut.