"There is scarcely anything so little understood as a gun. The musket, in the hands of one who has studied its properties, will throw a ball with an accuracy that would surprise a large portion of those who are in the habit of using it." Yesterday I was told, by someone who thought himself well-informed, … Continue reading Exerpts from A Treatise of the Rifle, Musket, Pistol, and Fowling-piece, by N. Bosworth, 1846
Year: 2015
Pequot War: John Mason’s Special Providences
More anecdotes from the Pequot Wars, these from John Mason's account. The first demonstrates the low penetrating power of arrows: I shall mention two or three special Providences that GOD was pleased to vouch safe to Particular Men; viz.two Men, being one Man’s Servants, namely, John Dier and Thomas Stiles, were both of them Shot … Continue reading Pequot War: John Mason’s Special Providences
Pequot War: John Underhill’s Landing on Block Island
The Pequot War was a series of small battles fought between the English colonists of New England and the Pequot tribe, 1636-1638. Two of the English captains John Mason and John Underhill, would later write accounts of the war. Of the two, Underhill's is the more readable and informative. This section tells of the English … Continue reading Pequot War: John Underhill’s Landing on Block Island
A Brief Discourse by Humfrey Barwick- Modernized Transcription
Humfrey Barwick's pamphlet, full title A Breefe Discourse, Concerning the force and effect of all manuall weapons of fire, and the disability of the Long Bowe or Archery, in respect of others of greater force now in vse, is the most important single source of information concerning the bow vs. musket issue. Sir Roger Williams … Continue reading A Brief Discourse by Humfrey Barwick- Modernized Transcription
Musket Accuracy at 80 Yards
My copy of Firearms: A Global History to 1700 by Kenneth Chase has just arrived. Cracking it open near the middle, I landed on the section concerning Guns and Bows. Thankfully, Chase doesn't repeat the line, common in history books written for a casual audience, that firearms were somehow less effective than bows until the … Continue reading Musket Accuracy at 80 Yards
History Channel: Bows vs Crossbows vs Guns
This is a pretty silly pop history demonstration- just what one would expect from the History Channel- but still entertaining to see the power of a heavy matchlock musket. The narrator claims that his longbow can penetrate the final suit of armor at 60 yards, but we won't know, since he never actually hits any … Continue reading History Channel: Bows vs Crossbows vs Guns
Sir Roger William’s Briefe Discourse of VVarre: To prooue Bow-men the worst shot vsed in these days.
Sir Roger Williams was a celebrated veteran of the 16th century wars in the Low Countries. In his book Briefe Discourse of Warre, published 1590, one discourse is titled "To prooue Bow-men the worst shot vsed in these days." In an earlier discourse, Williams details why he considers the musket to be the best shot, … Continue reading Sir Roger William’s Briefe Discourse of VVarre: To prooue Bow-men the worst shot vsed in these days.
Baron Marbot’s Encounter with Mounted Archers at Dresden and Liepzig, 1813
Some people suppose that the only reason muskets replaced bows was the musket's superior ability to penetrate armor. It is often suggested on various history and video game boards that a line of Napoleonic musketeers, lacking armor, would be annihilated by an equal number of archers, were the two ever to encounter one another. The … Continue reading Baron Marbot’s Encounter with Mounted Archers at Dresden and Liepzig, 1813
Bow Vs. Musket 