| 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. |  |
The only thing he would tell us upfront was how to handle each object appropriately. We would be wearing nitrile gloves to hold the musket and the powder horn, but for the paper items, we had to first wash our hands with mild soap and dry them well.
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.
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.
We removed our gloves when arriving at the paper document. This was written in French, and we had to attempt to decipher it, none of us acquainted with the language. We did catch the date - April 1, 1753. The two pages were sealed together, and we weren't about to break the seal; however, we could curl the pages back to see more writing on the inside. Mr. Keagle revealed that these were commission papers for a French soldier. When we asked about the signature, Louis, he shared that it was King Louis XIV, and that these were the commission papers for Michel Chartier de Lotbinière, Marquis de Lotbinière; that is to say that these were official papers for the man who designed Fort Ticonderoga. There are so many reasons to love the chance to hold this document.
The third item in our rotation was a 1742 British musket. We realized that this musket was in use during the period before, during, and after the French and Indian War. The workmanship allowed this musket to survive the 276-year period between then and now. Hefting the weapon, I wondered who might have borne its weight before me and how effective the gun had been. I was struck with the heaviness, the nicks and markings in the wood parts, the wear of the metal. One connector piece seemed loose, and the ramrod was clearly loose. Keagle revealed to us that this was not the original ramrod for this piece, surmising that it must have been replaced at some point.
Finally, I arrived at the book - a thick volume with a blank cover. The book plate inside indicated that it was part of Stephen Pell's library. The date on the title page said 1731, and someone noticed that it was printed in Nuremberg. The curator explained that it would not have been a bound book when published, but individual leaves. The title said something about fortification for New France. A quick look-see revealed a number of fold-outs in the back. In fact these were specs for many designed of star-shaped forts, of which Ticonderoga is only one.
I didn't want to leave the facility that houses these items, knowing there were so many more objects in preservation storage in the building. I would have enjoyed a little exploration and pilfering there...with qualified guidance of course.
