© 2 0 1 8 T H E K E N T U C K Y R I F L E A S S O C I AT I O N . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D.

e have all seen representative map horns or horns with names, forts, soldiers, and/or dates of battles from owners who participated in American conflicts from the French and Indian War

to the War of 1812. While these are often an invaluable source of historic documentation – and in many cases, are also outstanding works of art – occasionally a horn comes to light that provides

insight into the personal events and activities of its owner’s life. The James Lakin horn – the subject of this article – is one such example. The horn surfaced five

years ago at the Bushy Run show; it was purchased and passed through several hands before I finally obtained it in 2013. In looking it

over and seeing the complete embellishment of a myriad of motifs, it spurred me to research the horn in order

to learn the “Who, What, and Where” of this man’s life.

A “Folksy” Powder Horn: James Lakin o f Pepperell,

W

i i i

By Phil Lucas, KRA

V o l u m e 4 4 N u m b e r 2 • W I N T e r 2 0 1 8

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President

David R. Geiger, PA

Vice President

David Powers, VA

Secretary/Treasurer

mark Wheland, PA

Sergeant At Arms

Craig bell, VA

Past President

Hank Nowak, PA

Directors

edward Fish, PA

Carl landis, PA

rex reddick, TX

Frank Slyker, mD

mark Tyler, PA

horn

Kentucky Rifle Association Bulletin articles express the opinions and research of their authors and are not necessarily the opinion of the Association, its officers or directors.

The horn is eighteen inches around the outside curve and three inches wide across the butt. It has sawtooth edges at the throat and butt plug, reminiscent of horns from the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War periods. The plug is soft pine with a centered glass window to allow the user to see how much powder remained in the horn. Overall, the horn has a pleasing patina with appropriate dark etching.

Early Pepperell, Massachusetts

Before we get into the life of the owner James Lakin, Jr., it would be good to understand the history of the town of Pepperell, Massachusetts, where his family originated. The following information was graciously provided by the Pepperell Historical Society:

On the 12th day of April 1753, by act of the General Court, Groton West Parish, upon petition by its inhabitants, was made a district, and named Pepperell, in honor of Sir William Pepperell, the hero of the memorable capture of Louisburg, in 1745. Rev. Mr. Emerson, who had been a chaplain in that expedition, probably suggested the name of his old commander as appropriate for the new district. Sir William acknowledged the compliment by the

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Detail from Osgood Carleton (1742-1816), Map of Massachusetts Proper Compiled from Actual Surveys made by Order of the General Court, and under the inspection of Agents of their appointment, 1802. Courtesy Library of Congress, Geography and Maps Division. Pepperell is located in the upper-left quadrant.

The

KRA Bulletin 3

Details of some of the wild animals featured on the James Lakin horn. Note also the beehive near the butt in the upper image. Photo by Nick Powers.

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customary present of a bell, which, however, was never received by those for whom it was intended.... Sir William always spelled his name with two “r’s,” and for many years the name of the town was so spelled. [I]

As the quote suggests, Pepperell first formed in the 1720s and 1730s from Groton, Massachusetts, nestled between scattered farms and crossings on the Nashua and Nissitissit Rivers. The community was given separate identity as Groton West Parish in 1742, with its boundaries described in the petition for the new community. It became a district in 1753 and a town in 1775. [II]

Pepperell has a rich colonial history from those early years, and being only approximately forty miles from Boston, it was at the center of the American independence movement. Several men from Pepperell fought at Old North Bridge in Concord on the morning of April 19, 1775. Colonel William Prescott of Pepperell was the American commander at the Battle of Bunker Hill, and while attributions vary among historians, Prescott is often credited with the famous command: “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.” [III] Pepperell’s Bunker Hill Memorial commemorates the many men from the town who fought alongside Prescott at the battle. Not to be forgotten, the town’s women were just as patriotic as their husbands. The most notable example was Prudence Cummings Wright, whom legend claims led a local all-women militia unit that successfully captured two Loyalist spies at nearby Jewett’s Bridge shortly following the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The women purportedly dressed in their husbands’ clothes and carried anything that could serve as potential weapons, including pitchforks. [IV]

The Lakin Family of Pepperell

The Lakin family lived at the center of these extraordinary events. James Lakin, Sr. – the father of the horn’s likely original owner – was born in Pepperell on June 2, 1749 to father Robertson (or Robinson) Lakin (1720-1796) and mother Hannah Dodge (1720-1807). James, Sr. was documented as a drummer in Captain John Nutting’s Company of Minutemen, Colonel William Prescott’s Regiment, which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775; his duration of service was noted as twelve days. He married Elizabeth Shattuck with whom he had eight children, including James, Jr., who was born in Pepperell on July 24, 1776. It is interesting to speculate that James, Jr. may have been the result of his father returning from

Detail of the pine plug with

the glass view window on the James Lakin horn.

Photo by Nick Powers.

Detail of the checkerboard pattern along the butt of the James Lakin horn. Photo by Nick Powers.

KRA Bulletin 5

Detail of the Masonic symbols on the James Lakin horn, including (from top to bottom): a compass and square, a level, and a plumb line. Photo by Nick Powers.

Detail of the cartouche on the James Lakin horn. Photo by Nick Powers.

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war just one year earlier. This might possibly be an early instance of a “baby boomer” following a war. James, Sr.

was a farmer and resident of Pepperell until his death in 1821, and was described as a pillar of the community. [V]

James, Jr. was likely the first owner of the powder horn, as he would be the right age – thirty-six – during the War of 1812 (although I have yet to find any military records indicating his service in that conflict). He died in Pepperell on January 18, 1861, and records list his occupation as a stonemason. While details of his childhood are absent, keep in mind that he was raised on a farm and had daily contact with both the domestic animals (goats, horses, and dogs) and wild animals (deer, foxes, snakes, fish, turtles, and birds) featured on the horn. We also see a beehive that was essential to a farm for crop fertilization. And what boy doesn’t enjoy fishing in a creek?

Masonic Symbolism

Also present on James Lakin’s horn are a number of symbols associated with Freemasonry, including a compass and square, trowel, and level, among others. Lakin joined his local Masonic Lodge when he was thirty-eight years old, a natural affiliation for someone employed as a stonemason. Found in the Massachusetts Grand Lodge of Masons Membership Cards, 1733-1990, is James Lakin, Jr. of Pepperell, who was initiated into the St. Paul Lodge in 1814 and held membership there through 1840.

Recently and for safe keeping, St. Paul Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Gardner (formerly Groton), Massachusetts, deposited their lodge’s charter on extended loan with the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library in Lexington, Massachusetts. The St. Paul Lodge charter – dated January 15, 1797 – was signed by Paul Revere, Jr. (1734-1818), Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts, and Samuel Dunn (b. 1757), Deputy Grand Master. Other prominent signers included Isaiah Thomas (1749-1831), Senior Grand Warden; Joseph Laughton (1746-1808), Junior Grand Warden; and Daniel Oliver (b. 1750), Grand Secretary. The twenty-four charter members of St. Paul Lodge round out the signatures on the document. St. Paul can be included among the twenty-three lodges Revere helped charter while serving as Grand Master from 1795 through 1797, doubling the number of Masonic lodges in that state.

KRA Bulletin 7

Details of the natural symbols, like vines and trees, on the James Lakin horn. Photos by Nick Powers.

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As stated, James Lakin joined the Masons in 1814, two years later than the 1812 date shown on his horn. This is not unusual, as the horn illustrates events, objects, and meaningful symbols from across his lifetime. The horn could have been made anytime up to his death in 1861. Suffice it to say, that James’ membership was of sufficient importance that he included many of the symbols we associate with Freemasonry on his horn.

The Great Comet of 1811Another event of significant importance that took place in 1811 was the appearance of a great comet, the last of the three designs motifs found on the Lakin horn. The Great Comet of 1811 (formerly designated C/1811 F1) was discovered March 25, 1811 by French astronomer Pierre-Gilles-Antoine-Honoré Flaugergues. It was visible to the naked eye for around 260 days, a record it held until the appearance of Comet Hale-Bopp (formerly C/1995 01) in 1997. In October 1811, at its brightest, the Great Comet displayed an apparent magnitude of zero (how bright it appeared in the sky), with an easily visible coma (the

“fuzzy” appearance of a comet that helps distinguish it from a star when viewed through a telescope). [VI]

The Great Comet of 1811 had a significant impact on the culture of the time, prompting James to include it on his horn and numerous others to emulate his example. The English artists John Linnell (1792-1882) and William Blake (1757-1827) both witnessed the comet and incorporated it into their work. The former produced several sketches of it – titled “Three sketches and diagrams of the comet of September 17, 1811” – along with a few drawings of an eclipse that took place five years later. The latter probably incorporated the comet in his famous panel painting The Ghost of a Flea (ca. 1819-1820), now in the collection of the Tate Gallery in London, England. [VII] At the midpoint of the novel War and Peace, Russian author Leo Tolstoy described the character of Count Pierre Bezukhov observing this “enormous and brilliant comet…which was said to portend all kinds of woes and the end of the world.” The comet was popularly thought to have foreshadowed Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion of Russia, the coming of the Shawnee chief and prophet Tecumseh, and the War

“THE COMET OF 1811, As seen at Day break the 15th Octr from Otterbourne Hill, near Winchester,” engraving by H. R. Cook after a drawing by Abraham (1756-1812) or Sebastian (1790-1844) Pether, London, England, ca. 1820. Courtesy Wellcome Collection.

KRA Bulletin 9

of 1812, among other events. [VIII] On the lighter side, the year 1811 turned out to be particularly fine for wine production; merchants marketed “Comet Wine” at high prices for many years afterwards. More detailed information on this comet is available on the internet for those that may be interested.

Conclusions

In conclusion, please remember that the events recorded on James Lakin’s horn present a pictorial history of his life from his childhood until his death, or at least his later years. It is impossible to say if the horn was something he engraved himself or if he commissioned it from someone else. I would speculate that the horn was completed in a short period of time due to the consistency of the scrimshawing. There are only two animals that look like they were done by another hand, at some other date, which do not detract from the overall effect of the horn. This is a beautiful horn to study, and with the documentation of Lakin’s life, it is easy to interpret the symbols and animals depicted. I hope you have enjoyed this narrative as much as I have enjoyed “opening the pages” of the life of the man, James Lakin, Jr. v

A c k o w l e d g e m e n t s

[I] Lorenzo P. Blood, “Pepperell,” Pepperell Historical Society, http://www.pepperellhistory.org/whispers/history-of-pepper-ell-1880/ (accessed January 12, 2018), as quoted in in Samuel Adams Drake, History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Containing Carefully Prepared Histories of Every City and Town in the County, by Well-Known Writers; and a General History of the County, from the Earliest to the Present Time, 2 vols (Boston, MA: Estes and Lauriat, 188).

[II] “History of the Town,” Pepperell, Massachusetts Town Website, http://www.town.pepperell.ma.us/131/History-of-the-Town (accessed January 12, 2018).

[III] Some historians ascribe the quotation to General Israel Putnam (1718-1790) of Danvers, Massachusetts.

[IV] History of the Town.

[V] William Richard Cutter, American Biography: A New Cyclopedia, vol. 5 (New York, NY: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1919), 338 (available online: https://books.google.com/books?id=x2UUAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA338&ots=uIEjoG9qsu&dq=james%20lakin%20pepperell%20massachusetts&pg=PA338-IA1#v=onepage&q=james%20lakin%20pepperell%20-massachusetts&f=false [accessed January 12, 2018]).

[VI] Gary W. Kronk, “C/1811 F1 (Great Comet),” Gary W. Kronk’s Cometography, http://cometography.com/lcomets/1811f1.html (accessed January 12, 2018).

[VII] Roberta J. M. Olson and Jay M. Pasachoff, Fire in the Sky: Comets and Meteors, the Decisive Centuries, in British Art and Sci-ence (Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 1999), 120-121.

[VIII] Ibid, 138.

Detail of Masonic symbols and the Great Comet on the James Lakin horn. The comet appears on the left-hand side. Photo by Nick Powers.

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by Randal Pierce, KRA

Kentucky Rifles of the Great Smoky Mountains

You are invited to examine over twenty-five southern mountain rifles and pistols at an upcoming exhibit sponsored by the Kentucky Rifle Foundation and the Great

Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend, Tennessee, from May 1 to October 25, 2018.

The Southern mountain rifle fully evolved in the last quarter of the eighteenth and the first quarter of the nineteenth centuries, as pioneers and settlers moved into what is now Eastern Tennessee and Western

North Carolina. While in the original colonies the Kentucky rifle was becoming an art piece in its Golden Age, the Southern mountain rifle became an unadorned, iron-mounted utilitarian piece for the “Kentucky” frontier.

This new-style Southern mountain rifle was generally smaller in caliber than a standard Kentucky rifle, seldom as large as .40 caliber, with the length of the barrel remaining very long (often close to 48 inches). The stocks on mountain rifles became very slender –

KRA Bulletin 11

Kentucky Rifles of the Great Smoky Mountains

12

seldom exceeding 1¼ inches in width at the center of the deeply crescent butt plate. Mountain rifles had such slender wrists that the breech plug tang was usually extended for support. The silhouette lines of the stock were usually straight with a gently curved wrist.

“A signature characteristic was iron mountings with the only

adornment being a simple cigar-shaped patchbox. This

unassuming style worked in the mountains and saw little variation

throughout the era.”

KRA Bulletin 13

One of the gunsmiths whose work exemplified the typical southern mountain rifle was Baxter Bean, a third-generation Bean family gunsmith. We do not know Baxter’s date of birth, but we know that in 1812 he worked in a gunsmithing partnership with his father, Russell, in a Jonesborough, Tennessee shop. In that year, he also enlisted to serve in the War of 1812 in East Tennessee. This probably made Baxter between sixteen and twenty-two years old in 1812. Following his enlistment, Baxter came home and continued in the gunsmithing trade in the Jonesborough area. It is estimated that the three-box Bean rifle illustrated here was likely built after Baxter’s military enlistment and before the beginning of the percussion era of the early 1830s. The rifle measures 64½ inches overall with a 47½ inch swamped barrel; it is approximately .40 caliber. The double-opening, 7-inch-long, cigar-shaped box has full-width hinges, and the box in the toe was intended for cleaning jags and/or a ball puller. v

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With the Regional ShowsThe Kentucky rifle Association is not affiliated in any way with the planning or presentation of any regional longrifle gun show. Neither the name Kentucky rifle Association nor any of that association’s logos may be used in any form in connection with any regional show.

D a t e 2 0 1 8 S h o w s L o c a t i o n C o n t a c t P h o n e

February 2-3 18th Century Artisans Show Lewisburg, PA Mark Wheland 814-832-2785

February 9-11 Lake Cumberland Show Jamestown, KY Mel Hankla 270-566-3370

February 16-17 25th MD, VA, WV Show New Market, VA Sam Koontz 540-828-2971

February 23-24 Prairie State Longrifle Show Princeton, IL Curt Johnson 815-537-5495

March 17-18 Maryland Arm Collectors Show Baltimore, MD Frank Slyker 410-879-3576

March 30-April 1 PA Antique Gun Collectors Oaks, PA Carl Landis 610-264-7991

April 6-7 Old Bedford Village Show Bedford, PA Bill Vance 724-327-1680

April 20-21 40th Tennessee Kentucky Knoxville, TN Randal Pierce 865-982-6538

April 21 Pony Farm Trap and Gun Club Kittanning, PA Stanley Kalinowski 412-874-0187

May 1 Smoky Mountains Exhibition Townsend, TN KRF/Randal Pierce 865-982-6538

*If you would like your regional shows listed in the KrA bulletin, please contact the editor with the show information.

O t h e r 2 0 1 8 D a t e s o f N o t e

June 29-30, July 1 56th KRA Annual Meeting Pittsburgh, PA David r. Geiger 814-720-6889

Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center is located

approximately forty-five

minutes southeast of

Knoxville, Tennessee.

make your plans now to see

this significant gathering of

Southern longrifles, many of

which are on public view for

the first time.

The

KRA Bulletin 15

Buy, Sell, Trade, InfoIn answer to a number of requests from our members we include this buY, Sell, TrADe column to our bulletin. until the volume of these items becomes a problem, we will include them free of charge. This column can not accept ads for items you would not be allowed to display or trade at our Annual meeting.

LooKIng FoR LongRIFLeS And oTheR InFoRMATIon

I am looking for information and longrifles signed by or attributed to George Kreps of Hagerstown, maryland for an upcoming article in the KrA bulletin.

nick Powers(540) 247-8177kraeditor@gmail.com

necrologyWe are sorry to report the passing of KrA members, John maike of bellevue, oH who joined in 2006, Walter J. o’Connor of lyon Station, PA who joined in 1977, and robert roughton from Virginia beach, VA who joined in 1989. We offer our sincere condolences to their families and friends.

Welcome new Members

The following candidates for membership were listed in a

previous newsletter. No adverse comments having been

received from the membership-at-large, they have been

invited, and have accepted our invitation to join. We extend

our congratulations and a hearty welcome to these, our new

KrA members.

Candidate State

Newtown G. Quantz III Georgia

John C. Schippers Indiana

ralph F. Howell Texas

Craig Ingram Pennsylvania

Paul D. mahaffy Pennsylvania

Prospective new Members

In accordance with our membership requirements, names of prospective members must be circulated via the newsletter to the membership-at-large for comments.

If no adverse comment is received within 30 days after their circulation, the secretary will automatically send the candidates an invitation to join our association.

Potential members who have been invited to join shall have 30 days to accept, after which time the invitation will be considered withdrawn.

I am pleased to list the following new candidates for membership along with the names of their sponsors.

Candidate Sponsor

mary Scanlon Henry bishop

Allan Scanlon Don bryan

CoPYRIghT 2018 BY KRAAll rights reserved, reproduction of this publication or any part thereof prohibited without written permission of the Kentucky rifle Association.

KRA Committee Chairmen

membership ................................................ David Powersbulletin editor ..................................... A. Nicholas Powers bulletin layout/Design ......................... Kevin J. mcDonaldlibrarian ....................................................... Andrew Tisler Archivist .................................................. ronald G. GabelAdministrative Assistant ............................. Helen HodgesGunroom Security .............................................. Craig bellAwards ............................................................ Carl landisKrA Foundation President ………................… Van Pitman

www.kentuckyrifleassociation.org

The Golden Age of York County Longrifles 1780-1825

May 17, 18, & 19, 2018in Hellam, PAat Historic Hellam Preserve

Featuring over fifty Pennsylvania longrifle masterpieces assembled from the finest collections, and capped by a two-day symposium with lectures by noted authorities. Register now: https://www.hhpreserve.com/events/the-golden-age-of-york-county-longrifles

THE KENTUCKY RIFLE ASSOCIATION1389 Apple Pie Ridge RoadWinchester, VA 22603

The KRA Annual Meeting will be

held June 29-July 1, 2018 at the

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, 910 Sheraton

Drive, Mars, Pennsylvania 16046. Have you

made your reservations yet? If not, call

the DoubleTree at 1-724-776-6900. Make

sure to mention your KRA affiliation for the

discounted room rate, and please call early

before the price increase.

REmINdERKRA 2018 Annual Meeting