Ohio History Journal

COLLECTIONS AND EXHIBITS     THE POWDER HORN   by WILLIAM G. KEENER and DONALD A. HUTSLAR           OUR COUNTRY MUST AND SHALL BE DEFENDED WE WILL ENJOY OUR LIBERTY OR PERISH IN THE LAST DITCH   In a parlor game these ringing phrases might be attributed to a Samuel Adams or a Patrick Henry. They belong, instead, to one Tim Tansel. Together with a running deer, the arms of the United States, a young lady vaguely representing Liberty, four equestrian military figures, and a tribute to "A: Gin: Jackson," they com- prise the decorations engraved on his powder horn in the year 1836. The carrier of this message was the most utilitarian of objects. It was an essential piece of equipment for every arms-bearing soldier in the first three major conflicts fought on American soil, and served as the almost constant com- panion of hunters, trappers, traders, and settlers during the same period. Powder was precious. Some colonial officers even

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detailed a sergeant to pull the charges from the muskets of guards going off duty, so that the powder might be re- turned to the magazine rather than ex- pended by discharging the weapon. Civilians took similar precautions. The reason was simple: There were few powder mills of any size in the colonies and only a meager supply was imported from England. This last source was closed off in 1774, and throughout the Revolu- tion Washington complained of serious shortages. Thus Americans learned early in the colonial experience to conserve their powder. Dampness is the natural enemy of gun- powder. Every user of firearms in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries faced the problem of complying with the timeless adage "Keep your powder dry!" Europeans discovered that ivory or horn containers had many ad- vantages over metal or glass flasks, and the idea quickly spread to the New World. Ivory was not, of course, a practical ma- terial in the colonies, but horn was easily obtained. Powder flasks made from horn were waterproof; indeed, many would float. Horn would not burn and was not, therefore, susceptible to the most dis- astrous of accidents. Horn was light and easy to carry. It would not break if dropped. Perhaps most important of all, given the raw material, making a powder horn fell within the limits of skill of almost everyone. Both steer and cow horns were con- sidered acceptable for the making of powder horns. The most desirable came from Spanish stock, known to frontiers- men as "Longhorns," which were im- ported from the West Indies and South America. The horns came free with hides bought by tanners and leather dealers, though costing about one penny each for freight. The dealers conducted a brisk business with both royal and provincial

governors, who purchased the horns for the regular troops and militia at four to sixpence each. In making a powder horn, the animal residue was removed by boiling the horn in water containing potash. Next, the large and small ends were cut off and the small end bored through. The large end was fitted with a wooden plug, usually held in place with pegs and calked with tallow or beeswax. The horn was then scraped and shaped with a knife and rasp. Often the light outer layers were cut away near the tip, exposing the dark inner layers; this not only made the exterior design more interesting but also eliminated some excess weight. The entire surface of the horn was then pol- ished with pumice and oil and was ready for use or further decoration. While many perfectly serviceable horns remained undecorated, most of the so- called military horns, and certainly some sporting types, were embellished with scratched decoration. The technique was not unlike the method used by sailors in their scrimshaw work: A sharp instru- ment, ranging from an amateur's knife point to the professional's graving tool, was employed to incise the design on the horn's surface. The lines were filled with a variety of dyes, including the green verdigris from the bottom of the camp kettle, soot, gunpowder, india ink, and a host of vegetable dyes furnished by nature. The result was limited only by the skill of the maker and the size of the horn. The largest group of eighteenth-century horns that have survived is associated with the period of Anglo-French rivalry over Canada and the Mississippi basin. Many of these have elaborate cartouches based on the English royal arms and often employ maps of the Hudson-Mohawk Val- ley and the Lake Champlain region. Sim- ilar variations illustrated the plans of forts

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and other military features. Several writ- ers have suggested that some of these map horns were professionally made and were used by their owners as guides in the roadless wilderness. This contention seems a little absurd, since conventional maps were readily available. It is more probable that the maps, forts, and other military features represented to the indi- vidual a record of his service--a memento of experiences not unlike the diaries kept by many soldiers of all ranks during the Civil War. One item of importance on almost every decorated horn was the name of the owner. Frequently the name occupied the most prominent position in the design, and many were accompanied by bits of doggerel such as this:   Steal not this home for fear of a fight As the owners name is fair in sight   Due, perhaps, to a lack of poetic genius on the frontier, there were many virtually identical variations on the same theme. Soldiers were seemingly captivated by slogans. Israel Putnam's horn, for ex- ample, proclaims;   When bows and weighty spears were used in fight Twere nervous limbs declared a man of might But now gun powder scorns such strength to own And heroes not by limbs but souls are shown   On a horn that traveled to Ohio is this:   My horn and I have wandred far For lobsters [British], redskins, der & bar From Mass to here in Ohia We kept ye powder dry   This masterpiece accompanies a sketch of Fort Washington, now present-day Cin- cinnati.

It is perhaps easier to understand these verses, and the occurrence of military and political heroes on horns, when one con- siders the almost reverent regard in which an individual held his powder horn. When on military duty in the wilderness, it was, next to the rifle, his most precious possession. He lavished care upon it, and the slogans and images scratched in the surface must be considered very close to his interests. As emotional symbols, they were morale builders and not literary or philosophic cant. They were the symbols of men at war with men, or with nature. The horns illustrated are from the col- lections of the Ohio Historical Society. The curators in the department of history are conducting an extensive investigation of horns in the Midwest. They will ap- preciate receiving information and illus- trations of horns in both public and private collections.   THE AUTHORS: William G. Keener is cura- tor of history and Donald A. Hutslar assistant curator of history of the Ohio Historical Society.

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