Long live the United States and confusion to their enemies...

   

1st Virginia Regiment's battalion gun crew beneath the fireworks.

  "...the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. . . . It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”


                                                                   -John Adams to his wife Abigail, 1776.

Firing demonstration on the lawn

   

The Line Companies form for the feu d'joie

Loafing...one of the many specialties of the First Virginia

      General Washington expressed to well wishers that this 4th was happier than the last he spent as LtCol of the First Virginia at Fort Necessity.  That one started a war.

                                                               -Cincinnatus

My shotte pouch and horne

My pouch, horn, blanket roll and tumpline.  I have made them all except for the
blanket.  It was woven by my great-grandmother in Slovakia in the twenties on the family loom.
It is two pieces sewn together with wool yarn, remarkably similar to those made on
colonial looms.  Yes, they spun their own wool from their own sheep.  My Great-Uncle,
her son, was the family's shepherd. 

JULY 1775 - - INTERREGNUM

AT a Convention of Delegates for the Counties and Corporations in the Colony of Virginia; held at Richmond town, in the county of Henrico, on Monday the seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five.
ORDINANCES, &c...


...That the soldiers to be enlisted shall, at the expense of the publick, be furnished each with one good musket and bayonet, cartouch-box, or pouch, and canteen; and, until such musket can be provided, that they bring with each of them the best gun, of any other sort, that can be procured; and that such as are to act as rifle-men bring with them each one good rifle, to be approved by their captain, for the use of which he shall be allowed at the rate of twenty shillings a year...

The bag is inspired by a Virginia pouch on page 44 of Mullin's Of Sorts
For Provincials...which I highly recommend.  My bag is 6x8, larger than the original.
I think I just need to start carrying some tools in my waistcoat pockets.

...every militia man so to be enlisted shall furnish himself with, a good rifle, if to be had. Or otherwise with a tomahawk, common firelock, bayonet, pouch, or cartouch-box, three charges of powder and ball, and appear with the same at the place appointed for mustering, and shall constantly keep by him one pound of powder and four pounds of ball, to be produced whenever called for by his commanding-officer...

Contents of my bag:  Loose ball, bird shot bag, tow, patches, main spring vise,
turn-screw, worm, lead ingots, and spare flints.  The pan brush and vent pricker are
my own creations as well as the bird shot bag.  See it...make it (after a few trials and errors).

...That each minute-man so to be enlisted shall be furnished with proper arms at the publick expense, and until such can be provided shall bring into service the best gun that he can procure; and for every good rifle, to be approved by the respective captains, there shall be allowed to the owner making use of the same at the rate of twenty shillings a year, and moreover, there shall be provided at the expense of the public, for every minute-man not already furnished, one hunting shirt and pair of leggins...

My day horn

A feeble attempt at scrimshandery

 
      So when it comes to horning, get the book by Scott and Kathy Sibley, Recreating the 18th Century Powder Horn.  This horn is about two years in the making, because it took that many trials and errors.  It got scraped down and got rescribed, a new plug and spout after I read their book.  The spout is turned oak and screws off to refill the horn.  I'll post more later, as I am working on a 1760's horn now.


                                                               -Cincinnatus.


      "Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.  He who keeps this commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die.  He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, and He will pay back what he has given."

                                                                -Proverbs 19:15-17

Completed waistcoat

Early 1770's style, pewter buttons.

            So its a happy day for my five year old...or it will be soon.  He's a small fry and finally grew out of his brother's jacket and waistcoat.  So he'll be getting his own for his birthday in a few weeks.  The waistcoat is my own pattern (boys 5-7, roughly).  I make my own on brown paper since it seems store-bought patterns are becoming cost prohibitive.  If there ever was a talent I don't mind boasting of it is this.  My mother has told me that she used to bring my grandmother pages ripped out of Vogue...and got the dress a few days later.  I hope that they are not lost, those people who see and make for themselves.  I find that there are few satisfactions like figuring it out with the mind God gave you.   Dyed the linen outer shell and left the lining the natural tow color.  I'm working on the jacket now...more of a sleeved waistcoat, bottle green, again dyed myself.  He chose both colors, and I can't wait for him to see them.  He was a little disappointed when his older brother got a musician's regimental for Christmas and he didn't.

Laced back...because otherwise I'd be making new clothes for
the boys every six months.

I'll post the jacket when that's finished as well.  The good thing about kids, is that you don't have the scraps from your own projects laying around for too long.  Just enough linen left over from my last justacorps for this.
                                                                    -Cincinnatus


      "Train up a child in the was he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."

                                                                     -Proverbs 22:6