Blaize de Montluc, 1500?-1577, a French soldier serving 50 or 60 years. He gives some accounts of battles which will embarrass English archers, and lend more credence to Humfrey Barwick and Roger William's opinions that the longbow was by that time obsolete. This battle takes place just a few days after the sinking of the … Continue reading The Commentaries of Messire Blaize de Montluc, Mareschal of France
Year: 2015
John Smith battles Indians
This is an excerpt from chapter VI of John Smith's third book. That is, Sir John Smith the explorer, not to be confused with Sir John Smythe, who wrote a treatise, Certain Discourses (transcription linked), praising the bow over the musket (though the two men have a surprising amount in common). p. 65: This gaue … Continue reading John Smith battles Indians
Jacopo di Porcia: The Preceptes of Warre
A military manual by Jacopo di Porcia. Some of the advice is obvious, some silly. This is a text transcription from EEBO. Translated 1544 by Peter Betham. 32. ¶ Of gonners on horsebacke. It shal not be vnprofitable to acquaynten and wount your horses, as the duchmen do, to suffer the sytter whyche is a … Continue reading Jacopo di Porcia: The Preceptes of Warre
16th Century Prices of Weapons
https://play.google.com/books/reader?printsec=frontcover&output=reader&id=DAkHAAAAQAAJ&pg=GBS.PA112 Great factoids in this book. The Social History of the People of the Southern Counties of England in Past Centuries George Roberts Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, & Roberts 572 pages Page 105: Bow, best sort- 3s. 4d. " second- 2s. 6d. " third- 2s. Sheaf of livery arrows- 5s. Sheaf of arrows, 8 or … Continue reading 16th Century Prices of Weapons
Alonso De Contreras Witnesses the Accuracy of a Greek Archer
"I put the Greeks ashore, and went on my way with the caramuzal to the Arm of Mayna, which is not far distant. This Arm of Mayna is a district of the land which is in the Morea, a barren land, and its inhabitants are Greek Christians. They have no houses, but exist in grottos … Continue reading Alonso De Contreras Witnesses the Accuracy of a Greek Archer
Ming vs. Qing
This is a short excerpt from a report by a Ming commander in 1646. Lynn A. Struve, Voices from the Ming-Qing Cataclysm, page 139: "When our troops are beaten, it is because they covet the enemy's horses; instead of hacking at the horses to bring the riders down, they hack at the [mounted barbarians], who … Continue reading Ming vs. Qing
Battle of Tai Bay, 1661
In April 1661, Koxinga sailed into Terrace Bay, Taiwan, with 25,000 soldiers. As the military leader of the Ming, Koxinga was so hard pressed by the Qing forces that he was forced to flee mainland China and establish a new base in Taiwan. The only problem: the Dutch already had a colony there, including two … Continue reading Battle of Tai Bay, 1661
List of arrow wounds suffered by US soldiers, late 19th century
https://archive.org/stream/areportsurgical00otisgoog#page/n158/mode/2up Here is a rare opportunity to get hard numbers of the lethality of arrow wounds. This book is A Report of Surgical Cases Treated in the Army of the United States from 1865 to 1871. In reports of 83 arrow wounds, 26 are fatal, or 31%. Excluding men who suffered multiple wounds, 21 out … Continue reading List of arrow wounds suffered by US soldiers, late 19th century
200 year old musket vs Olympic archers
Musket using undersized ball fired at 97 yards. https://youtu.be/rJ-UazWAOSk Archers shooting a target at 70m (76 yards). https://youtu.be/5M4-hB9t3kY
Musket Vs Rifle: “A letter on the defence of England by corps of volunteers and militia”, 1852
A Letter on the Defence of England by Corps of Volunteers and Militia by Sir Charles James Napier, Lt. General, is a short essay advocating for the retention of the "tried" musket, rather than the adoption of the "untried" minie rifle. The subject is not strictly related to Bows Vs Muskets, but we do get … Continue reading Musket Vs Rifle: “A letter on the defence of England by corps of volunteers and militia”, 1852
Bow Vs. Musket 