American Life: Military Laboratory, Arms and Supplies

Democratic Thinker ^ | April 22, 2015 | Democratic Thinker

[OK Sun]

Military Laboratory, of Philadelphia, lists military arms and supplies available to the public in the new republic. Clayton Cramer notes that all these arms and supplies were protected by the just written Second Amendment.

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Military Laboratory, At No. 34, Dock Street, near the Drawbridge, PHILADELPHIA: 1789

Where Owners and Commanders of Armed Vessels may be supplied, for either the use of Small Arms or Cannon, at the shortest notice, with every species of

MILITARY STORES. V I Z.

Rammers, sponges, worms and ladles, with or without spring worms, ready covered, of all sizes, of superior quality Copper gun ladles and double worms for every bore Gunner's handspikes, plain or shod, and crowbars Windlass and capstern handspikes Best saltpetre and common match rope Cannon priming horns, with screw bottoms Cannon priming wires, bitts and augers Lint-stocks, port-fire and false-fire stocks Boarding pikes ready fitted, cutlasses and poll-axes Musket's and pistol's Musket and pistol balls and cartridges, with or without buck shot, either empty or filled Musket cartridges in blank, for the exercise of the militia

Musket, cannon and pistol powder & flints Cannon provers, tryers, searchers and relievers, to discover any defect in the bore Magazine, side, battle, poop, tin and other lanthorns, with directions how to fix the magazine lanthorn to prevent accidents Hand cuffs and leg shackles Port fire, flow fire, quick match, flambeaux, stink pots, fire balls, carcases, and composition for signals for convoys made up, of every description, & every species of fire work prepared at the shortest notice Fuzes, tubes and powder chests, with full instructions for fitting them for close quarters to prevent being boarded Sky rockets and colors of every description for signals; also fire arrows

Read the rest

[OK Sun]

Interesting list of arms and supplies available to the public at the time of the writing of the Second Amendment. Image of flyer and source at the site.

[PROCON]

Very interesting post, thanks.

Welcome to Free Republic.

[PROCON]

FYI

[JRandomFreeper]

LOL! When I first started reading this, I thought it was modern.

And then I ran across the first worm.. I thought... ? ok maybe they use that today to get bullets out. and then I read the rest of the list and got my dates straight.

For a minute there I was getting ready to get angry about how long they keep stuff around.

Of course, I'm not sure that there isn't stuff that can be ordered that Sec. Stanton put on the list.

/johnny

[centurion316]

Armed Vessels operated under Letters of Marque that authorized them to attack and seize enemy vessels, including commercial bottoms, and where they were found on the open seas. They operated on Admiralty Laws. They had nothing to do with Militia and would not have been considered to be part of the 2d Amendment.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Oh now all I need are Letters of Marque and Reprisal!
A pirating we will go with my Privateer!

ALL LEGAL!

[OK Sun]

You seem to be implying that the items on this flyer could only be purchased (or sold) with a Letter of Marque. Is there a reason why you think so?

[centurion316]

I don’t know, but I would be very surprised if any government authorization would have been required. These items were quite expensive, private citizens were unlikely to buy anything from this list.

[archy]

Interesting list of arms and supplies available to the public at the time of the writing of the Second Amendment. Image of flyer and source at the site.

Interesting too to note that Henry Knox, hero of Fort Ticonderoga and first Secretary of war, celebrated as the Father of the United States Navy and Combined Arms units for the Army, was a hobby artillerist who turned his enthusiasm on the British as the war against them commenced.

Fat Henry Knox

"We loaded with canister shot and let them come nearer. We fired altogether again and such destruction it made, you cannot conceive – the bridge looked red as blood, with their killed and wounded and their red coats. The enemy beat a retreat."

[Billthedrill]

Henry Knox, my man! Bookseller, fistfighter, and an amateur artilleryman turned pro. His movement of the cannons from Ticonderoga was one of the most incredible feats of logistics in the war. BTT

[archy]

Oh now all I need are Letters of Marque and Reprisal! A pirating we will go with my Privateer!

The current term is *Private Military Contractor*

ALL LEGAL!

Depends on who you ask. But it's best to be certain that you're on the winning side.

[archy]

Henry Knox, my man! Bookseller, fistfighter, and an amateur artilleryman turned pro.

I have resided, on and off since around 1965, in Knox County, Indiana. We have a Henry Knox Society here, if you'd care to join. No fees, at least yet.

[Billthedrill]

I'm in! Let me know.

Knox's wife had a similarly romantic story. Her Tory parents were chased out of Boston due to the cannon Henry brought, and she chose to stay with her love and her country. It's quite a story.