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LOT 1201
Historic American Flintlock Fowling Piece Signed by Serajah Stratton, a French and Indian War Colonial Soldier Killed
in Action - NSN, 60 cal., 56 3/8 inch round bbl., brown finish, cherry stock. Long smoothbore hunting guns were popular in the northern
colonies during the late colonial era and into the American Revolutionary War and doubled as service weapons for many militiamen. This fowling piece, or fowler, is signed “Serajah Stratton” on top of the barrel. Serajah Stratton (March 7th, 1705-July 30th, 1758) of Hartford County, Connecticut was an early Colonial American settler who was a farrier, blacksmith, and gunsmith. He enlisted on May 1st, 1758, as clerk of the Connecticut militia company organized by Captain Nathaniel Holcom under commander in chief Phineas Lyman of the provincial British Army. Serajah Stratton died on July 30th, 1758, at age 53, just shy of three months after his enlistment, likely in combat or from wounds received in combat. The time of his death indicates Stratton was very likely involved in the Battle of Carillon, also known as the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga, between July 6th-8th, 1758, considered to be the bloodiest battle of the American theater of the war, with the British Army suffering over 2,000 losses after a failed attempt to overrun the French occupied fort and approximately 400 losses suffered by the French. The signed barrel dates to around the mid-18th century and is fitted in a cherry stock with a later mid-19th century replacement “W. PARKER” marked engraved pistol sized lock that has been reconverted from percussion with a replacement cock and frizzen, iron ramrod, and replacement brass fittings including the ramrod ferrules, trigger guard, small sideplate, and buttplate. Absent end cap. Includes research documents on Serajah Stratton. CONDITION: Good as reconverted to flintlock configuration with a replacement lock assembly as mentioned above, with dark brown patina overall, scattered light pitting, and clear markings in the metal. Mid-19th century replacement brass fittings retain an attractive golden aged patina. Stock is also good as lightly sanded and re-oiled with some scattered light scratches, some chips/absent sections on both sides of the forend, repaired and spliced sections around the lock and left flat, and a chip at the undersized toe. Mechanically fair, the cock releases intermittently. Three absent barrel retaining pins and the end cap are absent as mentioned above. Estimate: 3,500 - 5,500
LOT 1202 Revolutionary War Era “Libertas” Flintlock Musket - NSN, 75 cal., 42 1/4 inch round bbl., brown finish, walnut stock. This Brown Bess musket’s banana shaped lock has a “GALTON” maker’s mark at the tail and a “crown/LIBERTAS” marked at the center. The stock has an “X” carved in the left side of the butt and “GC/NN” carved into the right. The right side also has a faded marking that appears to read “VRHost” or something similar. The barrel has an unclear mark on top at the breech and a small stud for a front sight and bayonet lug. A similar example of a “Libertas” New England attributed musket (without a crown or makers marking) is described and photographed on p. 167-168 of George D. Moller’s book “American Military Shoulder Arms, Volume I.” Moller states, “This latinization of the word ‘liberty’ was a popular theme during the American Revolution... Similar examples have reportedly been found in New England.” One of the captions states, “This British-style musket was assembled using American-made components and a lock that may have been imported from one of Europe’s Low Countries, such as the Netherlands.”The Galtons were gunmakers in Birmingham and London in from the mid- 18th century to 1818. This appears to be an earlier 1st Model British “Brown Bess” musket that was modified in its working life and had “LIBERTAS” engraved over the original “GR” marking on the lock. CONDITION: Fair with mix of old applied finish and dark brown patina on the lock and barrel along with heavy oxidation and pitting, some modern replacement components, damaged buttplate, and heavy overall wear. The shortened stock is also fair and has gaps, chips, and cracks mainly by the lock as well as general scrapes and dings. Mechanically needs work (cock hangs up). Estimate: 2,500 - 3,750
LOT 1203
Engraved Powder Horn
Particularly Ornate and
Likely from the American
Revolutionary War -
Larger antique horn with
“DAVID THOMSON/ISAAC VAN
ARENEMs HORN” inscription, the year “1773”
(added later in place of a different marking), a merman,
birds (possibly two peacocks or one peacock and one turkey), a cat, and floral patterns. Isaac Van Arenem (1745-1829) is recorded as a member of the Albany
Committee of Correspondence in the committees records during the American Revolution. His name is also seen spelled Arnhem, and community historian Stefan
Bielinski indicates he was listed in records as a hatter and a fire-master for the third ward and probably the fence viewer for Lansingburgh. There were many men named David
Thomson active in the late 18th century and early 19th century, including several men who are identified as fighting in the Revolution, a man that served as a clerk to the assembly in the lower counties in Delaware in 1775, a Scottish shipbuilder in Philadelphia that sided with the British, and a resident of Kentucky who was a major under Colonel Richard Johnson and claimed to have been the one that actually killed Tecumseh during the War of 1812. CONDITION: The horn is very good with mostly clear engraving and moderate overall wear including some insect damage, small chips, and flaking of the wood.
Estimate: 5,500 - 8,500
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