This is an original and very scarce Connecticut
Militia Contract Flintlock Musket manufactured by Oliver Bidwell of Middletown,
Connecticut. This musket was
manufactured sometime 1814 and is one of probably less than 200 muskets that
were made specifically for issue to Connecticut Militiamen.
The story of this musket begins prior to
the War of 1812. U.S. history prior to the War of 1812 is a fascinating and
little known period and was marked not only by the solidification of the
acrimonious two-party system in the U.S., but also by vigorous debate over the
role of a standing army as well as how the United States would or could respond
to British impressment of U.S. citizens from U.S. ships (including warships)
and the Barbary Pirates’ attacks on U.S. interests in the Mediterranean.
It became readily apparent that the state
of the armed forces of the United States was inadequate to respond to both
these global threats and those threats posed by the British, French, Spanish
and American Indians in North America.
From U.S. Navy ships to small arms, the United States was simply not
properly equipped. This led to passage
of the Militia Act of 1808 when Thomas Jefferson was president. This act was, formally, “An act making
provision for arming and equipping the whole body of the militia of the United
States,” and was enacted on April 23, 1808, after passage by the 10th
U.S. Congress. It provided an annual
appropriation of $200,000, to provide funding for arms and equipment for the
various state militias.
Specifically, the Militia Act of 1808
funded “arms and military equipments for the whole body of the militia of the
United States, either by purchase or manufacture, by and on account of the
United States.” It also provided that “all
the arms procured in virtue of this act, shall be transmitted to the several
states composing this Union, and territories thereof, to each state and
territory respectively, in proportion to the number of the effective militia in
each state and territory, and by each state and territory to be distributed, to
the militia in such state and territory, under such rules and regulations as
shall be by law prescribed by the legislature of each state and territory.”
The passage of the Militia Act of 1808
led to the U.S. Government advertising for proposals from gunmakers for the manufacture
of muskets under contract. One such
advertisement, published on May 12, 1808, specified that the proposals were to
be for the manufacture of muskets to be delivered in quantities of from 500 to
2,000 annually for five years at a cost of $10.75 or less for each musket plus
bayonet.
None of the gunmakers awarded musket
contracts under the Militia Act of 1808 were provided with any firearms
components. These contractors were
required to either manufacture the components or procure components from
subcontractors. Many of the smaller
gunmakers did not have the ability to manufacture every component for the
pattern musket so subcontracting for certain components was common.
The initial group of contractors from
1808-1810 were provided with pattern muskets from both Springfield Armory and
Harpers Ferry Armory to serve as the standard configuration under which all
contract muskets must be manufactured.
It is interesting to note, however, that the Springfield Armory and
Harpers Ferry pattern muskets were not identical to one another.
The Springfield pattern was based on its
musket as manufactured in 1809 while the Harpers Ferry pattern was based on its
musket as manufactured in 1803. Most of
the differences were in the lock mechanism and the musket furniture. Generally, gunmakers in the north received
pattern muskets from Springfield Armory while those from the south received
pattern muskets from Harpers Ferry, which is located in what was then
Virginia.
Of the original gunmaker contractors
under the Militia Act of 1808, Oliver Bidwell of Middletown, Connecticut
entered into its contract with the U.S. Government on October 25, 1808. Bidwell’s contract called for 4,000 pattern
muskets to be manufactured. Bidwell’s
pattern was the Springfield Armory design as noted previously.
Bidwell eventually delivered only 1,025
muskets to the U.S. Government as follows:
125 in 1810; 350 in 1811; 450 in 1812; and 150 in 1813.
Oliver Bidwell was born in Middletown on
April 22, 1770, to Samuel Bidwell and Iranah Hubbard. Bidwell married Joanna Winborn Foster and had
12 children. He began manufacturing
firearms in Middletown around 1805.
Bidwell built the factory where he would manufacture the majority of his
firearms in 1810 on the Pameacha River in Middletown and produced his first
muskets later that year . Bidwell died
on November 11, 1815 in Middletown.
As previously discussed, contractors in
the north were provided patterns from Springfield Armory. The Springfield pattern initially provided to
Bidwell was based on the Charleville pattern Type II flintlock musket as
manufactured at Springfield Armory in 1808.
Springfield pattern contract muskets are more scarce because of 42,702
muskets delivered under the 1808 contract, 28,193 muskets were based on the
Harpers Ferry Pattern with only 14,511 based on the Springfield Armory pattern.
Bidwell is known to have provided muskets
not only to the U.S. Government, but he also provided muskets to state of
Connecticut specifically for militia units. When the War of 1812 began, the federal
government sent a demand for mobilization and use of the Connecticut
militia. This demand led to the calling
of a special session of the Connecticut legislature in August 1812. A legislative committee then reported that
the federal government’s request for the militia was unconstitutional and recommended,
instead, that the state defend its coast from British invasion.
This rift during time of war did not
encourage the US Government to continue to fund muskets for the state of
Connecticut. As a result, Connecticut
let contracts for the production of locally manufactured and funded muskets for
its militia forces. The manufacturers of
these muskets were Oliver Bidwell, who made this particular musket, Elisha
Buell of Marlborough and Hebron, Connecticut, L.B. & Co of Ashford, Connecticut,
Simeon North of Berlin, Connecticut, Ethan Stillman of Burlington, Connecticut,
Ard Welton of Waterbury, Connecticut, and J. W. White of Hebron,
Connecticut.
The number of muskets manufactured for
the militia during this period is not precisely known, although a reasonable
estimate can be made based on annual returns.
The number of privately owned militia muskets was 14,523 in 1809, and
this number decreased to 12,943 in 1815.
The number of muskets increased slightly to 14,932 in 1820. As a result, and considering that some of
this increase was due to federal contracts to the states, the number made for
militia was probably only around 1,000 muskets.
Given that there were seven manufacturers of state militia muskets
during this period, it is estimated that Bidwell manufactured only 100-200
muskets, of which this is one.
This Bidwell musket, and the Springfield
Armory pattern musket on which it was based, is a .69 caliber smoothbore musket
that is 59 ¾” long. All components were
finished in the national armory bright finish and the only brass component on
the musket was the front sight blade.
The original Lockplate and lock mechanism
is present. The lockplate measures
approximately 5 ½” by 1 ¼” and has a flat surface with the rear end projected
into a point, which was designed to engage a recess in the stock to prevent the
lock from rotating during firing. The
edges are slightly beveled. This
particular lock plate has the federal eagle looking forward in front of the
cock over serif “O. BIDWELL / MIDDLETOWN,” without any U.S. stamps
present.
The Top Jaw and bottom integrated Jaw
both have raised, dimpled edges to secure the leather encompassing the striking
flint. The tightening screw has the hole
through the top ball and it adjusts perfectly upwards and downwards. The hammer spring is still very strong, and
it secures correctly and releases on tripping the sear. The integral steel flash pan is present and
has the rounded lower surface. It is
correctly mounted horizontally to the lock plate and a small fence. The Frizzen has the correct straight upper
leaf and the Frizzen Spring is present and is still strong. The lower leaf of the frizzen spring has a
teardrop shaped finial and is tightly secured by the frizzen spring screw. The exterior surfaces of the lock and
lockplate all exhibit a pewter patina over small areas of minor pitting.
The interior side of the lock plate has “II”
assembly marks and the inspector initial “B,” which is probably Oliver Bidwell’s
own stamp. The bridle and tumbler both
have “II” assembly stamps. The Tumbler,
Bridle and Sear Spring Screws also have “II” stamps. A.W.A.” and various other internal lock parts
have a “3” assembly stamp.
The Hammer or Cock measures 3 ¼” tall
with a flat surface and beveled edges.
It has the characteristic heart-shaped hole near the reinforced
throat. The straight rear tang is the
correct Springfield pattern straight profile with the top rounded. The Cock is secured by its original convex
head, single-slot screw.
The original barrel is round with a
tapering, decreasing diameter to the flat-crowned muzzle. This particular barrel is in its original
length of 44 ¼”. The barrel retains
considerable remnants of its original bright finish with the balance on the
exposed, upper portion of the barrel exhibiting a largely plum patina from age. The original touch hole is present and is
clear to the chamber. There is pronounced
corrosion at the rear of the barrel from firing. The top, left, rear of the barrel has the
large, deeply stamped “B” Bidwell inspection stamp. The bottom of the barrel has a “VI” assembly
stamp adjacent to a witness line that aligns with the corresponding witness
line on the bottom of the breech plug.
The bottom of the plug has a matching “VI” assembly stamp. The bottom of the barrel also has the “II”
assembly stamp. The original Anti-Rotation
Lug is still tightly dovetailed into the bottom of the barrel. The correct Springfield armory designed
bayonet lug is present and is a low, square lug brazed on top of the barrel 1
¼” behind the muzzle. The bore of this
particular barrel measures .693” at the muzzle and the barrel is clear to the
touch hole. The original tang screw is
present and its flat head, single-slot is slightly marred. The barrel of this screw has the “VI”
assembly stamp. There is wear on the front
portion of the barrel, which is indicative of a bayonet.
The Trigger and Guard Assembly is the
correct Springfield pattern type that is 10 ¾” in length with rounded ends on
the front and rear portion of the guard.
The Guard Bow is integral to the guard itself. The Lower Sling Swivel Lug is in front of the
bow extends down through the guard. The original
sling swivel is secured to the lug by a single-slot screw and the swivel moves
freely. Both original rear, convex head,
single-slot wood screws are present. The
Guard Assembly generally exhibits a pewter and plum patina throughout. The original Trigger is present and is
suspended from the lateral pin that passes through the stock.
The original Butt Plate is present
and generally exhibits a darker plum patina, thinning more to pewter on the
tang. The tang is approximately 2 ¼”
long and has a rounded end. The convex head,
single-slot screw is present with an unmarred slot. The back of the butt plate measures 4 ½” by 1
7/8” and has a straight rear profile with a slightly convex surface. The back convex head, single-slot screw is
present with minor marring to the slot.
The original Side Plate is present
and has a flat surface that measures approximately 4” in length. The shape of the side plate is the modified
“L” shape and it exhibits traces of the original bright finish with the
majority of the plate exhibiting a plum patina.
The side plate is secured with the original side plate screws, both of
which have “VI” assembly stamps on the barrel of the screws.
The Upper Barrel Band is present
and has the original two barrel rings on top that measures approximately 2 ½”
at the top and extends rearward at the bottom approximately 3 ½”. The brass front sight blade is correctly
riveted and brazed to the top of the rear barrel ring and it exhibits a nice
aged patina.
The Middle Band is present and
measures approximately 1” wide and it contains its original upper sling swivel,
which moves freely. The swivel is
secured by a single-slot screw that runs through a lug that is integral to the
bottom of the band. The lower Band
measures approximately ¾” long at the top and approximately 1 5/8” at the
bottom as it extends towards the front of the musket. All three bands are retained by their
original band springs with round lugs in the stock. All three bands also exhibit generally a smooth
plum patina.
The original Ramrod is present and
measures approximately 44 ¼” in length with a trumpet head. The end of the ramrod is crudely threaded the
last 3/8” of its length to accommodate a ball screw and wiper.
The original black walnut stock is present and measures approximately 56 ½” in length with the comb approximately 8” long and 5/8” high. Flutes extend to the rear on both sides of the comb’s nose for approximately 5 ½”. As noted previously, all three barrel band springs remain secured to the stock. The stock shows dings and scratches but no cracks are noted. This stock is still solid and, despite being over 200 years old, it appears to retain is original oil stained walnut finish.
This is a very rare Oliver Bidwell
manufactured Connecticut Militia flintlock musket from around 1814. Few of these muskets are known to exist today
with the total number probably only in the low two digits. This musket still functions perfectly.