Some Notes on Arms Racks in the Armies of the American Revolution, 1775-1782.

Steve Rayner, Researcher and Historical Advocate.

Charles Willson Peale, Colonel Walter Stewart. 1781. Yale University Art Gallery.

http://artgallery.yale.edu/collections/objects/walter-stewart-1756-1796

BRITISH ARMY.

"Fort Edward June 12th 1757...

The Piqt within ye Lines are for ye Future to Ground their Arms upon Forked Sticks, & a Sentry to Be
Plaisd Over them. Where they are to Remain with ye OfFs Fuzie in ye Front. Except it Be in Rainy
Weather That they May Upon ye Least alarm Be Ready to March emediately." p. 22.

Webb, William Seward, and Ford, Worthington C, eds.; "General orders of 1757: Issued by the Earl of
Loudoun and Phineas Lyman in the Campaign against the French." Gilliss Press. 1899. Google Books.

“Head Quarters 11th June 1778

Order

If Bows or Forks for the Arms are wanted for any of the Camps, the Quar. Master Serjt. and Camp Colour
Man are to be sent for that purpose by Order of the Commanding Officer.” p. 94.
Kelby, William, ed; “Orderly Book of the Three Battalions of Loyalists Commanded by Brigadier-General
Oliver Delancey, 1776-1778.” Genealogical Publishing, Co., Baltimore, 1972.

Journal of Lt. Governor Henry Hamilton.

“27 [November, 1778. Camp at the mouth of the Thipicono River.] Set off early and had but little
difficulty - halted a little above the coal mine to rest and warm the men... Orderd the mens arms to be
set against horses in the Streets and a walking Sentry at night in each Street of the camp, to give notice
of rain, and to take the alarm from the out Picketts-” p. 130-32.

Barnhart, John D., ed.; “Henry Hamilton and George Rogers Clark in the American Revolution with the
unpublished Journal of Lieut. Gov. Henry Hamilton.” R. E. Banta, Crawfordsville, Indiana, 1951.

43rd Regiment of Foot Orderly Book.

“Head Quarters Richmond 18th June 1781

RO...

Horses [like saw horses] to be made in front of each Company for the Arms”

Riddle, Gilbert V.; "43rd Regiment of Foot Orderly Book, 23 May - 25th August, 1781. British Museum,
London: Manuscript 42,449"
http://www.hm17thregiment.org/docs.htm

Depictions.

Below, Thomas Sandby, "A British camp in the Netherlands", ca late 1740's. Royal Collection. RCIN
914727

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/914727/a-british-camp-in-the-netherlands
Below, Thomas Sandby, "Encampment Scene", probably Flanders, Ca 1748. Yale Center for British Art.

http://collections.britishart.yale.edu/vufind/Record/3643808

Below, James Murray; "A Rifleman of the Queen's Rangers", Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

"It is believed that this is the original watercolor of a rifleman done by James Murray, an officer in the
Queen's Rangers. Based upon uniform details, it dates to the period 1780-1783. Copies of Murray's
work, created by Lieutenant George Spencer, also of the Queen's Rangers, reside in the British Library
and the City of Toronto Museums and Heritage Services."

http://cdm15933.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15933coll6/id/22

Below, Paul Sandby, "The Encampment in Hyde Park" (1780). Published 1781. British Library.
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/kinggeorge/t/003ktop00000026u006c0000.html

CONTINENTAL ARMY.

"...nothing is more necessary than to see that the men lay's their Guns upon forks..."

"Morning Orders.

Parole—Lee. Countersign—Moore.

Colonels Quarters near New York April 10th 1776. Orders for the detachment of the Lht Batalion of
Pennsylvania troops now commanded by Major Hauseggar at Revellee Beating at break of Day, all
Officers and Soldiers to be under arms at that time and remain there till sunrise.

The Camp to be left clean, and if any man is found to make any nastiness anywhere else but at that
place, that man shall be severly punished. The Rolls to be called twice a day, in the morning & in the
evening, & it any man be absent of roll calling he shall be severly punished. No noncommissioned Officer
or Soldier is to leave the Camp without leave of the Officer commanding the detachment; no fences or
trees to be cut down or damaged on any account what ever; if any man be found guilty he shall be
confined and punished accordingly. No man shall fire his gun without leave of the Commanding officer
of the Compr; if any piece Should be loaded & the lead could not be drawn, the officer commanding the
Compy to which he belongs is to be acquainted immediately therewith. The tents must be taken care of,
and nothing is more necessary than to see that the men lay's their Guns upon forks & particular carefull
that the sticks touch not the tents." p. 475-76.

"Orderly Book Fourth Pennsylvania Battalion, Col. Anthony Wayne, 1776". In "The Pennsylvania
Magazine of History and Biography." Vol. XXIX. No 116. October, 1905. Historical Society of
Pennsylvania. Philadelphia. 1905.

"Racks or Forks are to be fixed in front of each Regt to bear the arms against."

Gen'l Wayne's Orders, Totaway, July 9th, 1780. As soon as the tents are Pitched and the Bowers made,
the Troops will attend to Claning and repearing their Cloths & Arms.

Racks or Forks are to be fixed in front of each Regt to bear the arms against. Vaults must be Imedetly
dug, and bushes Placed round them, at a proper Distance from the tents, and 6 inches of fresh Arth
thrown into them every morning, and every kind of offawls buried, to the end that the camp may be
kept Clean and wholesame. The Q. M. will be acountabel for the strick obsarvance of this and every
order respecting the Internal Pollice of the Camp within the line of their duty." p. 572.

Egle, Wm. H. and Linn, John B., eds.; "Orderly Book, First Pennsylvania." In "Pennsylvania Archives",
Second Series. Clarence M. Busch, State Printer. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. 1896. Google Books.

"...each company places its fusils on a wooden horse..."

Camp of Lafayette's Corps of Light Infantry, near Paterson New Jersey. Ca October, 1780.

"The tents, agreeably to the American custom, formed only two ranks; they were in regular lines, as well
as those of officers; and as the season was advanced, they had good chimneys, but placed differently
from ours; for they are all built on the outside, and conceal the entrance of the tents, which produce the
double effect of keeping off the wind, and of preserving heat night and day. I saw no piles of arms, and
was informed that the Americans made no use of them. When the weather is good, each company
places its fusils on a wooden horse; but when it rains, they must be removed into the tents, which is
undoubtedly a great inconvenience: this will be remedied when the means of doing it are more
abundant, but I fear much, that this will not happen the next year." p. 105.

Chastellux, François Jean de Beauvoir, Marquis de; "Travels in North-America, in the years 1780, 1781,
and 1782." G. G. J. and J. Robinson. London. 1787.

"Horses or cross-trees for the arms..."

"Camp Near New Castle, August 18, 1781.

Field Officers for To-morrow. - Lieut. Col. Gaskins; Capt. Virginia Batt.; Brig. Maj. Williams.

The whole of the Troops are to parade at 10 o’clock to-morrow in as soldierly a manner as possible.
They will be reviewed, and then form in the Wood near the Church to attend Divine Service. It is
expected that no trifling excuse will prevent any from attending. The Officers to which any Delinquents
belong, will be Judges of their ability or inability, and will excuse or punish them accordingly. The new
Guards will remain with their Regiments until Service is over. Horses or Cross Trees for the arms to be
laid against must be fixed in front of Tents, to prevent the injury which the arms receive by frequently
falling after having been stacked." p. 255.

Egle, William Henry, ed.; "Notes and Queries Historical and Genealogical chiefly relating to Interior
Pennsylvania." Reprint First and Second Series. Two Volumes. Volume II. Harrisburg Publishing
Company. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. 1895. At Google Books.