This is a section from the biography of the frontiersman and Texas Ranger, William "Big-foot" Wallace. These are Wallace's opinions on archery. While they are a bit after the musket era, Wallace was a veteran Indian-fighter and his comments are interesting. One caveat: these may not be Wallace's exact words. They were "written out from … Continue reading Frontiersman Big-foot Wallace’s Thoughts on Archery
Archery
Bow Vs Musket in East-Central Africa- Henry Stanley
From the explorer Henry Stanley's book, "How I Found Livingstone". In 1871 Stanley, with funding from the New York Herald, launched an expedition from the city of Zanzibar on the east coast of Africa with the goal of discovering if the missionary Dr. Livingstone was dead. Stanley caught up to Livingstone at Lake Tanganyika. Stanley … Continue reading Bow Vs Musket in East-Central Africa- Henry Stanley
The Book of the Crossbow by Ralph Payne-Gallwey; Crossbow, longbow ranges compared
https://archive.org/details/Book_of_the_Crossbow_The_by_Sir_Ralph_Payne-Galloway/ Ralph Payne-Gallwey claimed that his Book of the Crossbow, published 1903, was the first to examine the use of the medieval crossbow in detail. He is probably correct. He was able to examine a large number of extant medieval crossbows and provided diagrams along with descriptions of their context, construction, and point-blank and maximum … Continue reading The Book of the Crossbow by Ralph Payne-Gallwey; Crossbow, longbow ranges compared
A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia – Thomas Harriot 1590
Thomas Harriot was a multi-talented associate of Sir Walter Raleigh, the founder of the Roanoke colony (known as the "lost colony" because all of the colonists mysteriously disappeared). Harriot learned the Algonquin language from a pair of Croatan who had been brought back to England by an earlier expedition. Harriot spent a short time attached … Continue reading A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia – Thomas Harriot 1590
Battle on the Ice – John Knight, 1606
The explorer John Knight was shipwrecked off the coast of Canada. Upon going to shore with three men, Knight and his party were killed by natives. A member of Knight's crew, Oliver Browne, took over composing Knight's journal for the remainder of the expedition. While in the process of salvaging supplies from the wrecked ship … Continue reading Battle on the Ice – John Knight, 1606
The Amazons of Cartagena – Antonio de Hererra, 1601
From the chronicles of the Spanish historian Antonio de Hererra, a passage describing "Amazonian women" who fought with poisoned arrows and one who slew eight Spaniards with her bow. The first that saw Carthagena, in the year 1502. was Roderick Bastidas, & the year 1504. Juan de la Cosa or John of the Thing went … Continue reading The Amazons of Cartagena – Antonio de Hererra, 1601
John Colman slain- Henry Hudson, 1609
Another post from Henry Hudson's 1609 expedition. This is a rare examples of bowmen defeating musketeers. The natives outnumbered Hudson's crew twenty-six to five. Firearms were frequently enough of an advantage to overcome such odds, but in this case rain disabled them. The sixth [day], in the morning was faire weather, and our Master sent … Continue reading John Colman slain- Henry Hudson, 1609
A stolen pillow causes a skirmish and slaughter – Henry Hudson, 1609
This account from the memoirs of Henry Hudson is one of the most vicious bow vs. musket battles I've found. The people of the Mountaynes came aboord us, wondring at our ship and weapons. We bought some small skinnes of them for Trifles. This after-noone, one Canoe kept hanging under our sterne with one man … Continue reading A stolen pillow causes a skirmish and slaughter – Henry Hudson, 1609
Thieves at Shamakhi, 1580
From the travels of the explorer Chrisopher Burrough, a small skirmish with thieves. Not a real battle, but bow vs. musket nonetheless. Robert Golding desirous to understand what might bee done at Shamaky, which is a dayes journey from Bachu, went thither, from whence returning, he was set on by theeves, and was shot into … Continue reading Thieves at Shamakhi, 1580
A battle against a prince and forty thieves – Anthony Jenkinson, 1558
Anthony Jenkinson, an English explorer, is known for the memoirs of his several expeditions to Russia. On his first expedition, Jenkinson sought to enter Russia by way of the Tatar lands north of the Caspian sea. He traveled in a caravan of mixed company, both Christian and Muslim. The caravan captured four suspicious men on … Continue reading A battle against a prince and forty thieves – Anthony Jenkinson, 1558
Bow Vs. Musket 