Patty Fergusen's Pistols

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Rick

I couldn't lift those images either, Jim. I certainly hope that one of our wizards can lift them for fair use here.
Ferguson's rifle was a weapon that allowed for a much quicker reload time than the Brown Bess, a great advantage in those days. I understand there was one drawback to the design. Black powder is quite dirty and leaves residue after use. The loading mechanism tended to get fouled after a certain number of rounds were fired causing the system to jam.

Good points, it seems issues with powder caused a lot more problems than many realize, another of those dynamics seldom touched on in military history. The fouling of gun barrels by powder was a real problem, not to mention overcharging. There were probably more men killed by explosions of their own guns than we might imagine. It seems I once read that the guns often were more of a threat to the shooter than those being shot at.

[M ELEY]

Thank you, Jim, for that thorough and exciting account of the battle and the intricate details of the encounter! Makes me want to go to the battle site immediately! I was thinking that Ferguson's pistols had been accounted for and began to do a little research of my own. Turns out I was thinking of another Scottish officer, Major Pitcairn, who lost his pair of beautiful metal (Scot-style) pistols when his horse bolted from the battlefield. This one seems like an amazing mystery and perhaps the buyer might score big if he or she can prove the provenance someday. I've enjoyed this discussion very much!