The Arte of VVarre, by William Garrad, d. 1587, published posthumously 1591. Page 2-3: He which seekes to attaine and attribute to himselfe the honourable name of a Souldier, must first employ his time in practice of those armes wherewith he means to serue, and so apply his time, that when any enterprise shall call … Continue reading William Garrard – The Arte of VVarre
Lethality
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
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
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 