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French Muskets for the Mint
RogerB
Posts: 8,852 ✭✭✭✭✭
Got to protect all that gold and silver at the US Mint.... 
"War Office
July 24, 1798
2 Com. French muskets to be delivered to the Director of the Mint.
War Department
July 24, 1798
Mr. John Harris
Military Storekeeper
Philadelphia
Sir,
You are authorized and required, to deliver two muskets, and bayonets, to the order of Elias Boudinot Director of the Mint, who is to be accountable for the return of the same.
I am Sir, your obedient servant,
James W. Henry
Samuel Hodgdon"
[NARA RG217 Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury
Papers of the War Department 1784-1800]
3
Comments
Why French? Edit to say I know British would not do, but just 2 why not US.
France supplied large quantities of munitions to the Revolutionary Army. They were probably readily available.
Surplus, thanks.
Yep -- "War surplus" like in the back of 1950s magazines or Edmund Scientific.
Two muskets - with bayonets....
Hmmm. I guess they were protected as long as three guys didn't show up to rob the mint.
The muskets may have been requested by the Mint because the U.S. went into a state of quasi- (undeclared) war with France on July 9th, and the powers that be were concerned about the possibility of an attack on Philadelphia. It was the capital of the USA at the time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasi-War
Wasn't that about the time of Napoleon's Egyptian "adventure".
The bayonets were probably more useful as a weapon than the muskets!
Gunsmithing in the US prior to the Federal Contract System (which I think begins in 1798) was basically a craft, meaning that US gunsmiths were producing small numbers of handmade guns, without interchangeable parts. French guns would have been produced in such a way that they could be easily repaired using parts that were standardized.
All American manufacturing had been limited by the British. This wasn't only true of guns - Abel Buell, the guy who engraved the dies for the Connecticuts and Fugios (and made the first map of the independent US, and made the first type foundry in the US, etc, etc) actually went to Britain to study cotton mills (essentially 18th Century corporate espionage), so that he could establish a mill in Connecticut.
An inability to process raw materials was an essential ingredient to the mercantile system...
What is now proved was once only imagined. - William Blake
""...who is to be accountable for the return of the same.""
What does this phrase mean specifically?
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress
It means that Boudinot was responsible for returning the muskets and bayonets to the military stores when the mint was done with them.
What is now proved was once only imagined. - William Blake
Seems 81 years later those muskets got an upgrade.
12/6/1879 - The Mint got approval for 20 breech loading carbines and 1000 rounds of ammunition to replace the "Old fashioned muskets"
And 1/14/1880 - acknowledging receipt of 20 Springfield carbines and 1000 ball cartridges
NARA Record Group 104 Entry 1 Box 120
"You Suck Award" - February, 2015
Discoverer of 1919 Mercury Dime DDO - FS-101
@StrikeOutXXX
Vortex!
Great info thanks!
Nice!
Too bad there wasn't an invoice with serial numbers of the 20 rifles, I would imagine those would be collectors items today if still around.
Looks like somewhere down the road, they got a HUGE upgrade LOL
From:
https://books.google.com/books?id=4qxxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA62&lpg=PA62&dq=rifles+from+the+philadelphia+mint&source=bl&ots=KdS5NgSoSz&sig=ACfU3U3T5zhCuBn2mKPKMvAcaNyLxepfgQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjji6SR3Z7hAhUNhuAKHZDQA1k4ChDoATAFegQIBBAB#v=onepage&q&f=true
"You Suck Award" - February, 2015
Discoverer of 1919 Mercury Dime DDO - FS-101
Looks familiar -- actually I provided Joshua with many of the photos from LoC and information.
Why not AR-15's? Don't they ever think ahead?
bob
Back then, they had only AR-9s and the bullets hadn't been invented.
Yeah, got it. Those paper patches and lead balls didn't work well in magazines. Paper kept jamming, 'eh?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleville_musket
@AUandAG... No military group uses AR-15's... It is not a military firearm. Cheers, RickO
You're funny Ricko. I didn't know the Mint was a military group.
hahaha,
bob
@AUandAG.... I am probably wrong, however, I thought at that time, the security was provided by the military....I will have to check...
Cheers, RickO
LOL, don't waste your time Ricko. It was sarcasm. Just seems odd that today, in 2019, we are talking about French muskets for our Mint. On a sad note, bumpstocks are now banned (no I don't own one).
bob
@AUandAG... I do not own one either... it can be done with a rubber band anyway, exact same effect. Plus a reciprocal trigger also has the same effect - yes, I shot one at the range, not mine though. Ludicrous political action. Cheers, RickO
Yeah, shot one at the range....damn it was fun!! Several methods will do the same....and cheaper too!
Actually with a little practice I'll bet you could train your finger to come close to full auto....
Ever do full auto or close to it at night? Awesome to see the fire that gets produced!!
bob
The Mint Bureau has always had it's own security force including watchmen, armed guards, and now the Bureau police. It is only during the past 75 years that this force has had any real protective capacity. During the 1930s the officers were better trained and participated in Treasury-sponsored weapons competitions, various training exercises, and organizational response training.
Military assistance in protecting Mint buildings was provided during the New York draft riots, and Philadelphia transit strikes.
The photo of George Brown and his Gatling gun is as much wishful thinking as threat to thieves. A cartridge belt was likely locked away in another part of the building, and the "arsenal" of weapons case above Brown was locked with only the superintendent and chief watchman having keys. An inspection by Secret Service agents in 1935 found that sidearms were mostly too dirty to fire and that one guard had never fired a shot (if my memory is correct). (See From Mine to Mint for more information.)
@AUandAG....Yes... we fired the BAR on full auto at night when I was in the Navy....quite a light show...Cheers, RickO