Knit Caps and natives

Idle Apprentice by Hogarth...nice striped knit cap

Image of Coureur du bois...white shirts, red caps  no wonder Cresap dressed his guys like this

 

 

 

  So the pack write up is finished except for getting the images right to post….blah.  So did you ever start reading a trade Ledger to relax after you finished a project and next thing you know its 12 hours later? My Living room looks more like the shack of a madman trying to Link the freemasons to the tracking device in his fillings then I think my family would like. Notebooks and file folders are in piles all around the room and each section only make sense to me. Yeah so that’s what happened when I thought  “I need to write down some stuff on natives in Knit caps from the Fort Pitt stuff” to finish off my current run of hat info.


    It Turned into a giant spread sheet of info of what was sold in what quantities and has ballooned out of control. I’m not going to toss it out on here just yet I’m going to focus on the knit caps but two things of interest for folks I found NO powder horns sold at the provincial store and I found No checked shirts being sold .The powder horn thing should make sense to you if You’ve lived with either me Or Mike Burke within the past 8 years or if you go to the Fort Pitt conf in a few weeks.


     Anyhow Knit caps are something I’ve been writing about for 12 years, ( OTT Vol. 8 No. 6 - November/December, 2001 An Alternative to the Bonnet by Nathan Kobuck ) I was first interested in them when looking into information on provincial rangers In western Pa/MD during the early part of the French and indian war. Groups like Cresap’s red caps seemed to have worn them to look more like their native/French adversaries. For example on April 23, 1756,  Cresap was leading 40 volunteer rangers, "all dressed in Indian apparel and red caps."  SO why would they do this? Well the answer is pretty simple…to look like the Enemy. A few months later it was reported in the Pa Gazette:
ANNAPOLIS, July 29, 1756.
We hear from the Mouth of Conecocheague, that four Indians, dressed in red Caps, and much like Col. Cresap’s Men, came down among the Inhabitants there, and killed and scalped two people, and then made off. A Party of 46 Men were immediately sent out after them; but they have not yet been able to meet with them.

 It’s pretty simple if you look at the facts from the area. Who were Cresap’s men fighting? French Canadians and their Native allies out of Fort Duquesne. What was the common campaign dress of the Canadians/natives? Red tuques and white shirts. This may seem like an overgeneralization but in a nut shell…It’s the facts ma’am.  Before James’s smith is even captured Cresap’s men were dressing like their enemies. Smith’s Black Boy’s don’t seem so original now do they?

 In the same area Knit caps were being traded to the English’s native allies:
December 1756, Lists of Indian Goods at Rock Creek
strip'd & scarlet worsted Caps from 5\--to 12--per dozn.
Silk Han kers: from 28\--to 33\
Silk Caps--@ 40\ --
Mens worsted Hose from 24\ to 45\--per dozn.
grey, green & red yarn Do.--from 10\6--to 15\--not many left
Mens beavr: Carolina Hats from 4\6--to 6\--not many left


Their use want simply limited to the MD/PA theatre of the war. Sir William Johnson was also supplying them to Natives in the northern theatre:
July 1756
To an indian at Albany 1 pair shoes, stockings, bckles, cap & handkerchief  1/6
July 19,1756 
 To 1 bear skin cut up for covers for their guns /16/
To 1 pair womens hose & 1 worsted cap /5/
To 2 ells red shalloon for signals for fighters & a cap  /9/

A Few years after the war Caps are stiff a popular trade item being sold at Fort Pitt in the Pennsylvania Provincial Storehouse. On June 26, 1759 a “windott” purchased  “1 worsted cap  for  /2/”. A few days later on june 30,1759  “Delawares” purchased  “1 worsted cap …1/6” as well as “4 Bandanoe Handkerchiefs @ 7/6…1/10”

     Going thru the Store’s waste book I found that from June 21,1759 to June 18, 1760 that 147 caps were sold.92 listed as worsted  and 55 simply as “caps”. The price range on these are all in the same ballpark so if these were cotton “workman’s caps”  or worsted caps I cant tell. Either way it makes quite a statement on the commonality of these items in this region. I found the purchase of caps was greater than the purchase of items like “shott”  or common hats at this particular store.

    I find these same items being purchase later I the 1760’s by Natives From “Mohican John’s town”. I have however not done a detailed count of the caps in the BWM Ledgers (yet, give me time. This is a sickness) They do show up again in the 1770’s on a list of good for the Delaware:
May 10, 1779  Estimate of goods to be sent for the Delawares
50 Pair Yarn Mittens
50 worsted caps


   I haven’t done as much searching in the 1770’s lists yet (I’m pretty focused on the 1760’s) but if the trend continues it should not be hard to turn up more lists of these caps on natives. I sound like a broken record but…ya got a shaved head your gonna want to cover it. I also think folks need to get past the mental Image that the native of the 18th century was living in a vacuum of deer skin and wampum beads.
 

Thought I’d also toss in a few refrences I found today going thru the Pa Gazette. The first is another runaw ad for a guy in white legging (or dirty white leggings):
September 13, 1775
RAN away from the subscriber, living in York county, near WrightFerry, an Irish servant lad, named JOHN GRAHAM, about 18 or 19 years of age, was born in the county of Armagh, and brought to this country in the year 1773 by one Samuel Wilson; he is about 5 feet 4 or 5 inches high, well proportioned, his shoulders rather broad for a person of his age and height, has a full face, with some scattering pockmarks, grey eyes, light brown hair, rather long to wear loose, which he sometimes ties behind; had on, and is supposed to have taken with him, an old hairbine coat, and old blue ditto, the skirts cut very short, old blue jacket, and old beaver hat, slouched and cut something in the maccaroni taste, hemp linen shirt and trowsers, his shoes are good, and rather large for him; he is suspected to have a pair of whitish Indian leggings and mockasons , and may endeavour to pass for a backwoods man, having lived some time with Capt. Hunter, at Fort Augusta. Whoever takes up said servant, and secures him in any goal, so that his master gets him again, shall have THIRTY SHILLINGS reward, paid by JAMES EWING.


And here is a neat little tid bit about some items a Cattawba had stolen from him:
 Charleston July 17, 1736 On Monday last, the Cataboes, mentioned in my last, left this Town, and going up the broad Path, the Head Man of them lying down to sleep on this Side the Quarter-house, he was robb'd of his Gun, Powder and Shot Pouch, an Otter-Skin bag, Shoes, Hat, and all what he had about him, which is supposed to be committed by some Run-away Negroes

  
    I’ve also added a Link to South Union Mills, They sell some great knit caps (and mittens and some killer stockings) So beat the rush and order your stuff soon. Blah I nee to get back to reading I’m writing up my talk for This Years School of the Long Hunter. Jason Melius and myself will be presenting a talk on War party camps and the gear they carried. This years school is shaping up to be a great time.
South Union Mills
http://www.southunionmills.com/
.

   Rather then Reinvent the wheel Here’s a link  Ike Walter’s write up on Knit caps. He gives some great info on knit caps and images of originals. His wife is also a maker of These caps.
http://frenchinwisconsin.com/2011/01/thoughts-on-knit-caps/

canadian caps, Pistol grip knives and traps

Original blade alongside Eric's work

 

 

 

My repro of a canadian cap

Stalking Turkey & Townsend Monument  Pistol grip knives

 

Examples of possible Canadian caps....and a canadian cap

 

 

Some of Eric's Work

Bound white Leggins and Matchcoat

Matchcoat examples

 

   Original Beaver trap

   As I’ve shown already one of the thing I obsess about is period headwear. I’ve done a number of outing with folks dressed as natives who complain about “being cold”  as the snow falls on their bald heads (roaches don’t cover a lot of surface area) It’s as if looking like the cover of a magazine has more influence on their kit choice then the period info. (As usual I’ll blame John Buxton for this…He hates all hats unless they have Steelers Logo’s…cant blame the guy. I cant wear my purple leggings this year because of the stupid ravens…)

   One hat I’ve avoided since I started the hobby is the “Canadian Cap”. I couldn’t stand them, in fact I’d say I hated them and all they stood for (no idea what that is…).  Then like the hunting shirt I have started to ease back on my hatred of them over the past few years (Turbans are the gateway drug). I cut one out and it sat in my sewing pile for a while, I’d pick it up look at it and then start sewing something else.

  This is why it’s awesome to have smart friends…Mike Galban pointed out to me a theory he had that Brant might be wearing one in the Gilbert Stuart Painting. Galban then went on to make a repro cap based on this idea…and wham, it worked. Ok so playing devil’s advocate (is there any other kind?)  I thought maybe this was Brant just “branting up” something he’d have access to from his ties to the British military…well then I came across a 1615 image of a native with what appears to be another Decorated “Canadian style” cap (maybe we should call them First Nations caps...) This also made an image that I had seen a number of times “Grand Rivers Mohawk”  make a little more sense (without the Canadian cap context the guy looks like a candidate for Ancient Aliens)

 A sweet quote on Brant wearing a Fur capin the 1790’s can be found in Mrs. Simicoe’s Diary:
“Capt. Brant dined here. He has a countenance expressive of art and cunning. He wore an English coat with a handsome crimson silk blanket lined with black & trimmed with gold fringe & wore a fur cap….”

   So here we have another style hat for native reenactors to wear and one less excuse to stay inside after September. Also now Thanx to Galban I now have yet another cap to throw on the pile (are people getting the idea yet that natives wore hats? DO I need to proceed to workman’s caps next week? I can)
   
While I was sewing I also finished myself a pair of white leggings based off the White Eye’s inventory (The “Fur Cap” prompted this…see it all ties in)
[Inventory of White Eyes's effects.
Pittsburgh 9 Nov' 1778
Inventory of Sundry Moveables the Property of the Late Col.
White Eyes of the Delewar Nation Deceased now in the Posses-
sion of Thomas Nicholas [Nicholson] of Pittsburgh Viz.
1 Breech Clout fully trim'd
1 Bundle of blue & Red Ferreting.
1 Paint Bag with some paint in it
1 Silver Medal
1 Large be[l]t Wampum 11 Rows
1 Quill Back'd Comb 1 pr. Scissars 3 yards Gartering
1 Printed Linen Jacket, 1 Bundle Sundry Papers
1 F Saddle Bags
1 Green Coat fac'd with Red with an Apatch
1 Old D" D° Cotawy [Cuttaway] 1 Crib & Bridle
1 P Old Buck Skin Leggons. 1 plain Scarlet Jacket new
1 D° Old, 1 P Scarlet Breeches. 1 P of Buck Skin d°
1 Scarlet Silk Jacket Trim'd with Gold Lace
1 small Red Pocket Book \vdth some papers & needles
1 Fur Cap 1 pair plated Buckles 3 p Shoes viz 1 new & 2 Old
1 Old blue Breech Clout 1 P of white Legons bound
1 Knife Case, & belt 1 Match Coat
              1 New Saddle & Saddle Cloth 1 Beaver Hat 1 Rifle, Pouch
&Horn
1 Broach & Ear Ring 1 pipe Tomahawk 1 P Knee buckles &
1 P Spectacles


  I went with the red binding as he had “red ferreting” in his inventory when he died (I already own too much blue stuff) I also thought it was interesting he had a fur Cap…is it a Canadian cap? Not 100% sure but now it’s at least an educated guess.

 A few pieces of gear I’ve been looking forward to showed up this week .An English tomahawk, Pistol Grip knife and a pair of ice creepers. These were all made by Eric Schatzel  and like all the stuff I’ve seen Eric hammer out are very well made and dead on. The knife is wicked sharp and the blade has the flex in it you find in original blades (just right for skinning) The knife shape is based off an original blade I own that matches to the profile of the knife being held by “Stalking Turkey” in the  portrait. You can see the pistol shape to the handle just under the figures little finger. Another Pistol grip shape on a scalper can be seen in the Roger Townsend Monument in Westminster Abbey
 http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/people/roger-townshend

   The statue was based off a live model and nails a number of the small details down that could only be captured by someone who saw the stuff first hand. I wanted a pistol grip knife because I found references to them being shipped to Fort Pitt in the 1760’s.  I also wanted to show folks that what many refer to as “longhunter knives” really aren’t.

The Tomahawk is based off archeo. Examples from a number of native sites and are representative of a plain jane round eye trade hawk. I wasn’t sure on getting Ice creepers then I came across an example found at the Fletcher site in Michigan. I’m still looking for more examples from native sites. Hopefully I’ll have more on these later.

Also for the hell of it I’ve posted a few pics of a matchcoat I finished up (started last spring) based matchcoats found in a few period images. I’ve decided to go back and sew on a red stripe at the top of the green panel (after I looked at the images I complied for the posting…dam you Galban). I’ve also posted a few pics of an original Beaver Trap I picked up from Wil “don’t come to my rendyvous” West. I was going to post some more images of beaver traps but that blew up into a whole Thesis in itself. Since this is the new Kinder, Gentler Buffalo Trace (gotta prove we’re adults now, we’re not a punk rock band we’re new wave) I’ll be posting some stuff tomorrow on packs.

Eared cap Pattern and too many Yeungling's at Standing Stone

 Basic Pattern pieces

 inside front of the hood

Front of hood attached to side panel and front gusset

Layout of the back of the cap....3 gussets sewn in

  
   So here is the Basic "Galban" pattern for the Eared cap. Pretty simple construction, I simply did a running stitch onall the seams and used blanket weight white wool. Next is to finish My canadian cap and new mittens...Like I need more stuff stashed around the house.
      To add something historic to this Here is a quote from "Fithian's Journal" about coming into Standing Stone (present day Huntingdon,Pa)  Funny part is...This is still sounds alot like Central Pa today...
 

Monday Aug 21 1775

As I drew near I could not help thinking myself on the borders of some large town. There was a drum beating;  several antic-loud singers; every now and then a most vociferous laugh,and candles thinly scattered, shining here and there from the houses. I expected to find one of our American Bedlams. These small towns especially when they are growing fast, and a new thing go before every other plae in most sort of vice; but especially in drinking, and a few of its nearest allied attenadnts. 

I had cautiously put on my riding coat, to disguise the clerical cloth, for I was not certain that I should escape some religious or blackguard embarrassment, for too much liquor makes many “over wicked.” But it makes some “over good,” and sets them in a tune to ask more questions in divinity, especially explanations of parts of scripture that inexperienced I or indeed and docter in divinity in America could have patience, if he had the ability, to resolve…Before I came within a mile of town, I put on my surtout and cocked up my hat in the best manner. “you seem to be a stranger,” said a tall youngster to me as I put my first foot upon the porch. “Is the hostler here?” I Asked “are you from below, stranger”  “Bring in the saddle bag and let the horse cool before you give him a gallon of oats.” “are you a stranger sir?” “Yes sir.”  “A stranger,” I could hear one and another whispering about me on the porch; some thought I was one of the delegates appointed to the treaty with the Indians which is soon to be held at Fort Pitt; some thought I was a land Jobber; some that I was a broken, absconding merchant, some thought I was a tory flying from mob stick vengeance. I supped, however and soon retired.”

All I got for christmass was a lump of coal and a southern shot bag...

 Coal Mine from diderot...find the same thing near Fort Pitt

 

Dubatz Image...Strap/thong rig for horn..Is this whats going on in the commision bag?

 French Commision image...Plain and simple SE native kit

 My take on the Commision bag

Bag with Horn attached...It works despite the fact I dont want it to....

Dam you guys like eared caps! Who would have guessed that one? So as a result I’m putting up a pattern for folks all I ask is you not make it out of an army blanket for events, use red beads on it or put a roger’s rangers pin on it. I personally find that if I have an original idea to do with a reproduction it’s more than likely wrong. White heart beads are not your friend.  (I’ll post the pattern Saturday night)

                So to keep my posts as random as possible I’m now going to switch gears yet again. I started a write up about fur caps but put that on hold until I finish My Canadian cap, Like I need yet another piece of headgear. Turbans, knit caps, cotton caps, eared caps, tuques…My family think I’m nuts.  So I’ve decided to make another shot pouch!!! 

                I decided to make a copy of the pouch from the image found on a French Commision for a SE Native. This is one of a handful of images of Cherokees from the 18^th cent and when looking at a good copy of the image some really nice details come to light.  I’d put off making the bag because well….I have to make other stuff.   I’ve been making a lot of stuff lately for a number of Cherokee folks and the lack of extant artifacts is always a problem.  I’ve already done a write up on a possible version of the “otter shot pouch” mentioned  in Adair and other sources so I’ve made a number of those  but the “commission” pouch was something well I guess I needed to make to show ppl what it “could” be. (make sense?)

To make the bag I took the image and blew it up to roughly life size to come up with a rough estimate for dimensions.  I then cut out a simple D shaped pouch sewed it up with Linen thread and knocked out a plain red oblique woven strap. I went with the oblique weave as it pops up in a few quasi dateable SE pieces.  For the strap another easy fix could be red wool tape but since I’m a weaver and all the red tape in my house goes on blanket coats this was an easy fix for me.

                The bag is roughly 8 inches wide by around 7 deep. I attached the strap to the bag with thongs punched thru each side. Now comes the speculation part I’m not 100% on. I used the thongs that attached the strap to attach the horn to the bag…and it works nicely. I didn’t want it to…but it does.  Wallace Gusslar has surmised over the years that this was an example of an attached bag/horn set and is the basis for the later bag/horn combo’s.

                Personally…I don’t know.  It’s a big jump from this image to the commonalty of this process you see in the 19^th cent. Could this be a SE thing?  If you examine the DUbatz images you can see an odd ball rig being worn for a powder horn. Is this bag rig a variation on this style?  I have a horn strap like the one pictured in Dubatz and I’ve found a slit pouches rides awesome in this set up….but are slit pouches common in the SE?  ARe the mentions of “otter shot pouches” all shoulder rigs like vonreck  or  are they skinned out otters that can be used like a slit pouch…….SOOOOO MANY QUESTIONS!!!!

                Ok my point from this….This is my take on the pouch in the image. To me this is an educated guess at what might be going on in the image. No more no less.  I’ve seen a lot of fads tossed out there about SE stuff over the years ( twined bags are common in the SE…the guy who spread this one also made and sold twined bags, He also used Ben hunt books as the basis for all his twining,  Quilled SE turkey foot bags…despite geographic range of porcupines and the origin of the Moc the design was taken from)   Pretty simple design, pretty simple materials….I’m also gonna be extra crazy and NOT decorate it (is your mind blown?)  No paint, no cones, no beads…nothing.

                So with pretty basic materials you can knock out a SE shot pouch for little cost. Honestly for around $140 you could buy a hide and some wool tape  (Ike waters has a nice how to on making mocs similar to the Aberdeen moc) and have a nice pair of SE mocs, garters and bag (wool tape is nice gartering…looks like the guy in the image may be wearing some huh) Take the extra $  you didn’t spend on weirdness and buy a book.

                To keep the randomness going Here is some kewl info on Coal mines around Fort Ptt in the 18^th cent.  Yes they used coal to heat stuff around the fort. If you’re from western Pa this shouldn’t surprise you since your house is probably built over an abandon coal mine.  A neat detail to my geek eye the diagram in Michael’s  Journal (not posted here but you can find the whole journal in google books ) is dead on for the Diderot plate diagram.

Robert Kirk

“Our business being finished we decamped, and began our march for Fort Pit, where we arrived in the middle of November 1764, and remained there all winter, and the better part of next summer. During our stay here, we were employed in bringing coals into the garrison, over the ice, in bags made of cowhide. The pit from which they are extracted is on the other side the river Maninghally, where it is supposed there is a very large mine there."

 

David McClure  Aug 21 1772…The village is about ¼ mile distant & consists of about 40 dwelling houses made of hewn logs & stands on the bank of the Moningehala; opposite on the south side** of the river is a hill of several miles in length, running parallel & extending to the bank, which appears to be a body of stone coal. It took fire accidentally a year past, & has formed a small by the caving of the earth. The coal is used by the inhabitants.

** Note from BT : It’s spelled South Side but you say it ”Sahside”   say it right Ya Jagoff!!!

 

 

“a Journal of the whiskey Insurrection”

William Michael 1794

Nov 17th  “I then Proceeded until I came to a stone cole mine through a strange woodland, the phenomena of which I had several times heard of. I went into the mouth thereof and called into it, if they would admit me; which eched and rolled for a minute nearly seemingly as an huge hollow vessel and was answered from within; which I could not comprehend, but thought they forbid me entering. I waited a moment, much disappointed; at length there came one of them out of the cave, and I then asked him to take me with him, which he seemed willingly to comply. He then Hallooed to some within to bring him a candle to light a stranger in, in French, and soon came one with the candle and black as the devil, enough to frighten one. He then ordered me to follow him in broken English, through a long entry, seemingly strongly smelling of sulphur, and yellow fat liquid running along the walls and under foot which they have laid with planks to make it more easy to wheel the cole out. They Then led me along gangways that intersected or run across the first. I was soon lost within it and suppose I could have with difficulty found the way out again. To give a more plain description of the cave will be by illustrating it as below. They were all French men that worked in it; They appeared as so many beings from the bottomless pit; they looked consumpted and emaciated”

 

                So that’s my random weirdness for the week.  Did the Cherokees scouting for the English fill their D shaped pouches with coal?  Not a clue….But I do know it’s snowing out right now so Rather then drive to Niagara I’ll be spending the morning hunting. Who knows I may even take out the new Shot pouch…or the blue plush one…or the otter one….or the one I rigged up based on Doddridge and Alders descriptions or….I’ll just stick stuff in my pockets.  I need help.  Before I forget  Mike Galban has started a really sweet blog  called "Edge of the woods" http://edgeotw.blogspot.com/   He's been posting some really great stuff. For example I learned he's a middle aged man...didnt see that one coming. His fire arrow craze is no older then 16 at the most....

Adventure time, beaver trapping and a Balanced Budget

 Cap in CMC 

                                                        Cap In NB  

                                  Back view of my hood

                                   Front view...Yes it looks a little goofy but it works

        So happy new year!!  This is the part is I gripe about being a slacker but you know the drill so lets move on. I’ve been really busy over the past few months hunting, reading and trying to learn skills and ever tweeking my gear.  First off the winter gear I’ve been amassing over the past 3 years has spent more than a few days in the woods and I’m glad to report that the guys who wore it knew what they were talking about (who would have guessed it). chausons, blanket coats, underjackets and the like WORK!!!!  

        I have however found I am lacking a pair of good ice creepers . A fact I found out while chasing a squirrel  at dusk during  a full moon. Let’s just say when he stopped and posed in the moonlight for the perfect shot…my feet kept going forward.  My back found a great piece of limestone to break my fall.  As I lay there writhing in pain and cursing the moon the phrase “look into ice creepers” passed through my skull.  So like many Kobuck hunters have done before me  I stood up shot a stump in anger and limped my way back home (the stump got away too)

                One item I am always messing with is new head ware.  Fur Turbans, Scarves, hats, knit caps I’ve got them all.  It’s one Item I revisit every few posts and the reason is simple. There were a lot of options in the period.  I’m still surprised at how many Native reenactors I know that do nothing in the winter or fall.  To me it seems many folks are more focused on stuff to tie to their scalplock (turkey roach bushes as far as the eye can see!) then they are at well…thinking.

              We all know that you lose heat thru your head (your mom probably spent years telling you this) You spend time in the woods in the winter and your going to get cold. You have a shaved head…your head is going to get…come one…You got it it’s going to get cold. So I’m going to spend some more time on yet another piece of headgear. The Eared Cap.

                Many folks are familiar with the wool “peaked” or “Micmac” hoods worn by natives during the 18^th-19^th cent. I’ve talked a little about these in the past and this will cover them a little as well. One variation of these caps is the “eared cap”. This is a cap made from 2 or  more pieces of wool That are sewn together and the top of the cap from the front gives the appearance of two upright “ears” (Think Fin from Adventure time…don’t know who that is ask the nearest 12 year old)

                Many people are familiar with these in the context of the western Trappers of the 1820-30’s period especially from the images done by Alfred Miller (Shawn Webster put out a nice article on these in “on the trail a few years ago) they do however show up in the east as well. The earliest example I am away of the depiction of an eared cap is from a possible Late 17^th century Maskette found in western New York. The figure clearly shows a head with what looks to be an eared  cap (sorry but I’m not going to post images of a maskette or mask out of respect for  my Haudenosaunee friends the item is in the collection of the Rochester Museum)

                An 18^th century example of an elaborately decorated eared cap can be seen in the collection of the New Brunswick Museum. The cap is part of a suit that was owned by a chief (great chance to see an original clout, matchcoat and leggings as well) The suit is dated from the 1760’s to 80’s

 http://website.nbm-mnb.ca/collections/online/search.asp?txtsearch=stroud

           The cap also appears on a doll collected during the 18th century and is currently in the collection of the Musee de neuchatel. This tiny cap is killer it’s made from greenish wool and has both ribbon work and beading on it. (ok before I go on I’m sure you are noticing the lack of images of some items well I’m providing the site they are located at  If so if you’re really interested in getting the images  contact the site. When I have them I’ll post the collection #  After the past few months I got tired of repeatedly seeing images resurface all over the web and being posted as the research of others. I’ll lead the horse to the bucket but you need to find the water)

        In the Ohio country there is some anecdotal evidence of them being worn as well. In his narrative Isreal Donnelson mentions: “I made signs to him that one had taken my hat…took down and opened his budget and took out a sort of blanket cap, and put it on my head”

 This could be a peaked cap as the description doesn’t really nail down what this “blanket cap” looked like. Then I came across this reference and BINGO.

          “ A very Nice Indian cap and a gun stick were found where they camped. The cap was made of two pieces of white colored cloth with two red tassels hanging down, one on each side of the head, at the corners that stuck up” June 1790’s in Kentucky James Wade

 To my mind this is clearly describing an “eared cap” And what I find really killer about it is that’s it’s in Kentucky!   A cap similar to this description is located in the CMC ( artifact  III-x-270 ). This cap is attributed to the Micmac   but clearly has the same characteristics as the other caps shown/described. (multiple views on their website to get an idea of how to make a pattern)

http://collections.civilization.ca/public/pages/cmccpublic/emupublic/Display.php?irn=37001&QueryPage=%2Fpublic%2Fpages%2Fcmccpublic%2Femupublic%2FQuery.php&lang=0

                The pattern I based my cap from what drawn up by Mike Galban and was based upon the NB cap as well as  images of northern hunters (check Ike's blog for more ideas).  If I was doing this cap again I would opt to simply use the two piece construction described in the narrative. I was a little doubtful of how useful this thing would be in the woods but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked wearing the cap.  The hat did shade my eyes enough to see in bright sunlight in the snow as well as when I was scanning treetops for the one that got away. I didn’t notice the height of the ears (I thought it would feel like wearing a top hat).

    So with the cap appearing in different forms  from the maritimes to the great lakes to Kentucky this opens up this style over a broader area (east coast thru the great lakes and the plains….Ike will cover the rest) and  for those folks looking for regional “styles” there are a few examples out there (or be kewl and go with simple)

So in keeping up with the Fur trade feel to this post  in honor of the Red Leg Mess’s recent scout and Beaver trapping foray (BTW RLM it’s awesome to see a well dressed and read group of folks getting out there and doing stuff like it was done…and not bursting into flames) I thought I’d post some trapping info for those of us from the Anglo side of things:

 “ I was aquainted with several men who were called longhunters…The longhunters usually set out the first of October, each man carried two horses, TRAPS, a large supply of powder and lead and a small hand vise and bellows, files and screw plate for the purpose of fixing guns..”  John Redd

“we had 4 beaver traps or steel traps, about 8 inches across in the jaws, when extended…our bait was from the belly of the animal itself.” James Wade

“About two feet above the trap, a stick, about 3-4 inches in length was stuck in the bank. In the upper end of this, the trapper excavated a small hole with his knife, into which he dropped a small quanity of the essence, or perfume, used to attract the beaver to the spot. The stick was attached by a string of horse hair to the trap. And with it was pulled into the water by the beaver. The reason for this was, that it might not remain after the trap was sprung, and attract other beavers to the spot…..The trap was connected by a chain of iron six feet in length to a stout line made of the bark of the leatherwood, twisted into a neat cord ,of fifteen or twenty feet…the end of the line was secured to a stake drove into the bed of the creek underwater”  From Biographical sketch of Issac Williams (reprinted in Payne “narrative of pioneer life and border warfare”)

“beaver skins were stretched within hoops, generaly of grapevine, and dried”

“ A chain is attached to the trap, which if not long enough is lengthened by a cord, together making twelve or fifteen feet, and the other end fastened to a stake on shore.” Nathan Boone

 And finaly to help you think about sunny days and warm weather  an account of a native commando raft to cross  rivers in July:

“The Indians would often have a dried deer skin with small holes plentifully inserted along the edge by which to fasten it on a hoop to use as a canoe. In these little boats they would put a gun and budget and swim behind, pushing it over the stream. When Dry, they would use it as a blanket at night. This was quite customary.” Nathan Boone

        I am so on trying one of these out this summer…or maybe in april at the school of the longhunter…but  probably july. I’ve been digging up more and more on the use of small rafts for keeping your stuff dry. But that’s a whole other post . Also to quote Mike Galban and Ward Oles when working on this “ don’t quote me on this but Eli is dumb”

 

Here is some more info On hoods put together By Ike Walters….great minds think alike and sometimes we do too.   http://frenchinwisconsin.yolasite.com/my-blog/hunters-hoods

 Also being a super genius of Wiley Coyote esque status Ike has also started a new Msg board that is more focused on the research/DOING side of the hobbie:

  http://councilfire.freeforums.net/index.cgi

 Well I should be off to Bed I'm heading to the Bushy Run Antique gun show in the morning with a few friends. If this snow doesnt let up I may be heading to the woods instead to scare animals in my white devil hood. Ok I'm back to writing please stop all the death threats geesh...

Both Ben West and I are from the Keystone state...but I dont think He wore Doc Martens...

Ok ya I’m a slacker (insert slacker jokes here) But something I saw today really pissed me off. Ok so lets go over the do’s and donts of historic research or at least of making stuff. So today I learned I’m a primary source.  Man was I surprised sine I was born in 1976. To my mind this put me at least 200 years past the point when I should be used as a primary source (who knew).  Dave Hassler at “woodland Wampum” posted images to Face book of his copy of a pair of garters from the Benjamin West collection and he posted an image of the item he was copying…and it was a pair of garters I posted here on my blog (complete with my foot).
 Ok SO Benjamin West was a Pennsylvania born artist (born in 1738 ) who is known to have used period native artifacts in his artwork  and while I am in some ways an artist and born in Pennsylvania (best dam state in the union BTW)  and have used West’s collection as a basis for my reproductions the similarities end there.
 Whats the big deal? Well while I did post my copy here to show off my work (hey I think I did a good job) My reproduction is not to be the basis for something someone else make for a customer (remember the game of telephone as a kid) On some pieces I clean up the originals as I’ve found that in many cases the non-symmetrical  basis for a lot of 18th century native art is looked down upon by a modern anglo customer base ( to put it plainly honkeys don’t like mistakes…even if they show up in period objects)
 So let’s go thru what most “artists” of native objects go thru making a piece. First let’s discount the hours and hours spent learning a craft (I’ve been weaving for 14 years at least at this point) So an artist wants to make item “A”. ok so first step is usually to go and look at Item “A” ( so add on gas/time to the equation)  Second step is to look at items similar to item “A” in other collections ( More time/more travel)  Then add in time to nail down Item in the artists skill set. Add in books with objetcs in it artist can’t make time to see (a lot of $ and time) and then add in more time for research on said object(s)  providence (either by the artist or from outside source) and then add in costs for looking for dead on materials and then Bam item ready for sale (after 40+ hours work in most cases)  So now you have an item ready to sell.
 Now some of this stuff translates to other objects to sell but….see where I’m going here? Most artists put in years of research to finish items you want in a few months (or days in some cases) and then on top of this ya want a good deal right? Time in museums, time spent finding objects in museums, money spent on images of items in museums, time spent bothering friends for images of items in museums, empty promises to never share images from friends of said objects, time spent trading these images from friends to other friends for new images (but don’t tell you bastard) etc. etc….
 Add to this more money spent on more books/articles/images did I mention money spent on images? (And payoffs to Eli for his Google fu skills) and travel…now you have an idea of what many of us do to pursue the sickness that is making reproductions. So to balance this out we do talks at historic sites/conferences and then bother each other some more. (Do you think I didn’t see all the images my friends showed at the EWC at Fort Pitt beforehand?  It would have been cheaper to give Conde a few bottles of wine at an event to pick his brain on weaving but I believe in the EWC so fuck it)
 Is this me crying about the rough life of an “artist”? fuck no.  but it is me yelling about the fact that some folks feel like this info is free to the world. I post stuff to this blog on a regular basis, skills, objects etc  Free of charge and I feel it’s moronic for some guy to take an image of an object I made to base a piece of “Cherokee” beadwork off of (what the fuck makes it Cherokee?  Get your facts right slappy) Do your own research, share info but don’t Golem ™  ppl  (Hint objects from the Pacis collection can be found in the Philippines or West Virginia)
 And for the love of god don’t think for a second the small community of artists that make a lot of this stuff don’t talk (We skype and text each other like teenage girls…we don’t have coworkers to gossip with) so the same way ppl spread crap on msg boards we bitch about customers ( think of that when you try and shop for the best prices or shit talk an artist to an artist…we are concerned with your fixation on black stuff as well…get help)
 My point? If you are going to make an object do your homework first (not someone else’s homework) ask questions most are willing to share info but don’t be surprised when the answer leads to more questions…it’s supposed to. For me the only ppl I share all my research with anymore are Native folks (white guilt? Maybe or maybe Russell Means would have wanted it that way… and it wasn’t my art form to start with) Oh and if you’re an anglo (or Portugese) artist that tosses around the label “Native made” or “Native artist”   there are a lot of “The  People” paying attention…

Shooting a boom stick and shopping at S mart: Hot dip tin product review

Burke Shooting in his riflegun...more time shooting less time on msg boards always a good thing

The weather has been awesome. Kewl nights and warm days with a constant breeze nice to hang out in and great for sleep.  It’s been A killer early summer…A few days ago My friend Horn Smith  Mike Burke Stopped over for a few days to chill out and shoot in his rilfle Gun. SO we spent a killer afternoon doing nothing but shooting and talking history. Honestly I wish more events were that focused. Live fire and history….yeah it makes ren fair rat catchers and buck teeth that much weirder.
SO to stay on my camp life focus I figured id talk about camp gear.A big Part of camp life is cooking. Lets face it ya gots ta eat. For most of us in the woods we either carry a kettle of some sort or a skillet (From what I understand Bacon is now the foundation of the food pyramid…Bob Browder told me that once in a bacon induced haze)

      So part of this odd journey for me has been a steady evolution of cooking gear.  When I started reenacting at 13 the first group I fell out with good old Fort Roberdeau had a slightly odd idea of camp cooking…we ate sandwiches a lot. Yeah around noon you went to the camp kitchen and made yourself a cold cut sandwich. Camp cooking gear was a giant enamelware coffee pot for coffee, donuts in the morning, cold cuts at lunch and you needed a wooden bowl, fork/spoon (of any sort) and plate (all from townsend and son btw) for a diner of some oven cooked meat dish.  At 13…I knew something was wrong.
      I started my break away from the norm at this point…Hardtack, store bought jerky and brick tea for me. Make horrible tea in a tin cup over a fire I made myself with a smoke and fire flint and steel kit. I was the MAN! Of course after this I followed all the new info….Personal corn boiler, Learned to make my own Jerk, Learned to make “ash cakes”, Tea was always horrible…. A lot of this info I picked up from Baker’s articles in copies of Muzzleloader magazine my friend/mentor Pete Dobbs had lying around his Log Cabin/shop. He loaned me his copies of Baker’s videos and the volumes of books he had on the shelves in his home. Pete was the first person to help me translate what I was reading in narratives into skills I could use in the woods. He never discouraged my drive into getting better at anything from clothes to skills.

     This along with constant reading and trial and error (also the support of the guys in my Boy Scout troop…troop 103***personal editorial   If you have a son I cant say enough good things about the boy scouts. This is coming from a dyed in the wool godless liberal.  Support your local Scout troop just giving a demo on how to build a fire with flint and steel at a meeting can be the spark a kid needs to show them history in a way school never can)
      So along with early realization that sliced turkey was not the common food of a Pennsylvania ranging company I learned that correct Camp gear is super important to nailing down the right tools of the past. One maker that has come to the forefront of this in the past few years is Shay and Kelly at Hot Dip Tin. I first became aware of their company while I was on a powder measure kick. As I’ve stated before I become fixated with an esoteric subject then jump into it as deep as humanly possible. I’d seen that they started making tin measures so I ordered a few along with a snuff box and Ligonier tin cup (btw its pronounced Lig-on-ear   quit trying to French it up)

     All the items were made with detail in mind. The cup itself blew away a lot of crappy makers I’ve seen. Over time I had to pick up a second cup as I used one as a spittoon and after the first month I was very aware Even I wasn’t gross enough to ever drink out of the cup again(for the record I thought using a period cup made spitting in the living room less gross….my family informed me that it did not…I now plan on buying one of his 19th century spittoons…Yeah I’m retarded)
       Anyhow….The canteens, kettles and other items I have had the chance to handle from HOT DIP TIN  have all been sweet.  I’ve spoken to a number of friends who have purchased items from the company and have had nothing but good things to say (the Fincastle militia folks, Fort Dobbs Garrison, Va regt.) For me the thing that sets them apart is the use of period materials as well as period construction techniques. Come on folks why do you drop 1200 on a gun and $300 on a quilled knife sheath only to put a crappy knife in said sheath, buy a mass produced shirt and use tin items made in….china a few months ago. Shop smart, shop S (as in Shay) Mart!

   So Shay being the good sport he is put up with my weirdness for a few questions about his products:
BT :So what made you do the jump from 19th cent to the 18th?
Shay:  I was offered a job at an 18th century historic site as their tinsmith.  That meant I had to demonstrate for the public making everything with hand tools.   Most manufacturers of tinware today are actually modern sheet metal workers using 20th century equipment. If you use a machine made in 1945 to make a cup It will look modern.  I am willing to go to all the extra effort to make all my items unique. 

BT:  What’s your research process when coming up with a new product?
Shay: Almost everything I make is based on archaeological excavated artifacts.  Someone will say “Have you seen that cup they found at site X.”  That leads to an internet search to find research reports or a visit to university or museum.  Then there is the layout to determine if it can be made using 18th century techniques.  And finally make several to work out the bugs to make sure it looks exactly like the original.

BT :What’s your favorite 18th cent project so far?
Shay:  The Tin Kitchen/Meat Hastener/Roaster/Dutch Oven. Experts used to think they were 19th century but then we found the 17th century painting by Gabriel Metsu. http://www.gabrielmetsu.org/The-Cook-1657-67.html

BT: Tell me about the binder of death?
SHAY:   That binder is just the abridged version of all the images and text on my laptop.  It is easier for “show and tell” at an event or historic site but on occasion the computer has to come out to verify that I am making the item exactly as it was found.  It makes a difference whether the handle folds in or out, or if the rim has wire in it or is plain.  It helps me pay attention to details.

BT : tin fiddle, you gonna hook a brother up or what?
Shay:  Put your money where your mouth is…

BT: Tin trumpets from SE trade lists….Jason wants to know…ya gonna make them?
Shay:   I have been making the little short versions for the Lewis and Clark re-enactors.  Does Jason wear those Tallio sleeve links from ATED if so he should have a really long Tally Ho trumpet to match.

BT: What sets your stuff apart from other 18th cent goods?
Shay: Hammer marks!  Aside from the fact that I use Hot dipped tin (sheets of iron or steel dipped in molten tin to prevent rust) instead of Electroplate (tin  grown on the base metal in an acid bath using electricity, which was invented in 1890), I make each item by hand. Doing this 8 hours a day 5 days a week I am to the point where I can hammer a cup into shape as fast as the guys with the rotary machines, but theirs all look too uniform. All tin working machines were invented after 1804 and they leave linear marks on the worked surface. 

BT: What goods that you make would you like to see more ppl carrying?
Shay: Snuff boxes aren’t just for snuff.  They show up in New York at the Dann site 1650, the SouthEastern Native site Chota and Fort Ligonier army dump.  They are all the exact same size.  At Chota it was found full of silver earbobs and at Gandichiragon it had a mirror. 

BT : Based on research what is the most common item you make? 
Shay: Straight side cups.   Those tapered mugs or tankards you see at reenactments are way over represented.  Tinsmiths were frugal with a sheet of tin since it all had to be imported from England or Germany. You can only make one tapered mug with same amount of tin it takes to make two tall cups. 

BT : So whats on the drawing board for future projects?
Shay:  Rogers Island artifacts.  After 14 years of inaccessibility all the artifacts will be available to study this summer so that means the Fort Edward Canteen and Mess Kettle can be further researched.

BT: Mullets…hair style of the future for living history? If so should Ward Oles regrow his?
SHAY: Someone needs  to make that call quick.   I have been growing out my buzzed head and I am in the really awkward 1970’s Little House on the Prairie stage.  It is 5 inches in length,  all around, which means now I can pull it into a queue in back but I also have it long enough to curl my sidelocks.  If I wear a hat I look like I have wings. 

BT: No really Tin fiddles? When is it gonna happen…I could be the Dave Mathews of 18th century music…it could be the copper canteen of our generation.   Do you want to go down in history as the first one to start a trend?
Shay:  I will start working on it.


     So in closing if your looking for a High Quality camp kettle, common powder measure,Cup Etc etc….Check out Hot Dip Tin www.hotdiptin.com. These folks make high quality items at very reasonable costs. I cant say enough good things about their goods. Plus they are the first person who I have not known in person to survive a Q&A….so ya know they are easy to deal with.  Plus…snuff boxes…the smart mans shot pouch….