Matthew Keagle, the curator overseeing Fort Ticonderoga's extensive collection of artifacts, displayed four items for the members of the teacher institute class of 2019 to peruse. Sitting before us on a long table were an old gun, a powder horn, a piece of paper of some sort, and a thick book. Keagle did a great job of not telling us anything about the objects, allowing us to bring our own observations into play and attempt to determine information for ourselves before he would reveal their real stories. |
I have a great appreciation for the fort's scrimshawed powder horn collection, and I had seen this particular one on the fort's online collection before visiting. Imagine my surprise to see the real thing lying on the table in front of me. This was Surgeon Daniel Dwight's horn, with intricate depictions of Fort Ticonderoga and its surroundings. Included is a key to the map and symbols of the surgical trade. The questions that may arise include whether or not this horn, owned by a healer, actually held gunpowder, or did he use it for something different? And did he use it as an actual map, perhaps passing it to others? It is definitely a piece of art.