The Barlow Pocketknife

 

  From the farm to the field this is probably the one of the most iconic (and my favorite) pocketknife patterns to have been carried through history. Even making its name into a song and literature most notably Mark Twains Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Hucklberry Finn.

  “There was empty dry-goods boxes under the awnings, and loafers roosting on them all day long, whittling them with their Barlow knives; and chawing tobacco, and gaping and yawning and stretching - a mighty ornery lot.”

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

  The pattern is recognized by a heavy bolster and slight tear drop handle, the heavy bolster adds to its strength and was designed to be an affordable knife built hardy enough for everyday tasks.

  The design first appeared in the late 17th century in England and attributes it’s name to its original designer. In the 19th century the John Russel Company started marketing their own version in this country.

  There was a time in this country when a man woke in the morning and along with his wristwatch, handkerchief and wallet would slip his favorite knife into his pocket to be ready for whatever came his way during the day.

Times have changed.

Stay Safe

Bob

History Around Us: Fort Loudoun revisited The Black Boys Rebellion

  The fort itself was built around December 22nd 1756 as a British supply outpost and was described by by Rev. Thomas Barton who was General Forbes chaplain. "...The fort is a poor piece of work,irregularly built & badley situated at the bottom of a hill subject to damps & noxious vapors..." (Fort Loudon on the Frontier by Gary Hawbaker) 

 November 16th 1765 a little know event occurred on the Pennsylvania frontier at a remote outpost just below Parnell’s knob along Conocochegue Creek. 

  The Western tribes (Shawnee and Delaware) would cross the mountains on a frequent basis conducting raids and killing the inhabitants of the fledgling settlements instilling fear and terror in the local population... and anger!!

  On March 21rst 1765 it was reported in the Pennsylvania Journal “...Sometime ago Capt.Calender employed several waggons to carry Indian goods to Mr. Pollan’s (Possibly Pawlings Tavern)in Conogochieg, to be carried thence by packhorses to Fort Pitt. Unhappily the head came out of one of the barrels which was full of scalping knives.....The news of this alarmed the upper end of the county, and the neighboring parts of Maryland and Virginia...”(The Black Boys Uprising of 1765 by Dan Guzy)

  In the spring of 1765 the king issued a proclamation prohibiting from anyone trading with the Indians. 

Around March 1765 eighty one pack horses arrived in present day Mercersburg and the report was not only trading supplies but scalping knive,ammunition and other implements that could’ve used against the settlers.

Some fifty armed citizens met them and implored them them not to continue but the traders made game of what they said and continued. 

   James Smith along with around ten of his Black Boys headed for Sideling Hill to intercept and stop the supplies, out of eighty one loads sixty three were destroyed, 

   After several members of the Black Boys were captured and some guns confiscated it culminated in a standoff where the armed settlers procured thier comrades back from the British but not the guns.

  Hence on November 16th 1765 James Smith and the Black Boys surrounded the fort and fired upon it as a show of force but were not trying to inflict any casualties amongst the British.

  The guns were returned and the fort abandoned to the settlers, the British left and went further west to Fort Pitt.James Smith and the Black Boys 

 

Stay Safe

Bob

Fatwood Sources from Stumps

Made it to the woods today to finish what I wanted to write about sourcing your own supply of fatwood. If you havn't already, you can find some detail in my previous thoughts on fatwood from branches and trunks https://backcreekbushcraft.blogspot.com/2020/11/fat-wood-revisited.html

Some examples of some sumps I located in my area

  

Not having an ax along in my kit as it was a short outing I used my Izula to cleave a peice off the stump. While I don’t recommend beating on your knife this way I was using moderate hits and worked my way down the ridge sticking out.

After pulling the section free I was able to shine my light through a quarter inch of it where it was highly saturated with terpenes.

Now the test

Remember the old adage pencil lead, pencil and thumbs when gathering your kindling to progressively add to get your fire going.

Stay safe

Bob

Fat Wood Revisited

    

   A recent online conversation on the topic of fat wood and bush crafting in general has brought me back to blogging and hopefully helping people identify and harvest their own but first a description.

  Typically fat wood is produced when the sap settles in cut stumps, roots and branch junctions after a tree dies some unnatural death with the root system still producing sap . The lighter volatile fractions(my conjecture) evaporate over time along with moisture and leave behind the Terpene rich resin impregnated wood which is highly flammable when shaved off.  This process could take upwards of a decade or more to happen.

  For the longest time I had trouble finding sources or identifying fat wood not knowing what to look for(expecting to find entire stumps like down south with the Long Leaf)so I hope this helps.

 Location is important, first you need to find an area where pines are are growing or where they have grown. Once you identify your source a pine sol smell of the shavings will confirm it. Old cedar to me looks almost identical either but you will not have the turpentine/pine sol smell and will not yield any.

One of the easiest sources to find get it from at least in my location in South Central Pa. is old downed trunks at the branch junctions.   

Once you think you have found a suitable downed pine start by checking by making a cut along the base of a branch. It should feel waxy and have a strong turpentine oder.

Use whatever cutting implement you have(in this case an ancient Gerber saw) and cut the branch as close to the trunk as possible.

Split it down with an ax or batoning with your knife and there you go, one of the best backwoods fire starters you can carry along with you.

Have fun finding your own source, Soon I hope to do one on using fatwood and fire steel use to start your fires.

Stay safe!

Bob

 

  

Mullien

     On the way to the farm to work on a Gehl loader I got to thinking about the plants coming on and Mullein stands at the top of the list on multi use,

both medicinal and for utility.

      Mullein prefers wasteland that is dry and has a two year cycle it appears, The first year soft leaves that lie close to the ground and the second a woody stalk, growing three to five foot in height that gets a head of small yellow flowers.

  Given the current state of affairs we are in a natural toilet paper comes to mind. Given it's soft velour like surface it has the ability to hold water making it useful for hygiene when dipped in water as it has an almost sponge like ability.Also this ability to hold fluids make it a natural dressing for wounds in a pinch.

 
   From the book Indian Herbology Of North America by Alma R. Hutchens. The smoke is inhaled from the leaves to relieve chest congestion as is mentioned in Tom Browns book guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants which also includes the steam from the boiled leaves while making tea relieves nasal congestion and the tea when drank relieves stomach cramps.
   Culpepper's Complete Herbal and English Physician from the early 17th century uses a small quantity of the root given in wine for for stomach issues as well. There are numerous other uses which are not mentioned here.

   By and far my favorite use of this plant is using the woody stalk in primitive fire making using the stalk as a hand drill along with a suitable hearth of Basswood or Sycamore.

  This article is for entertainment and historical purposes only and not to be used as medical advice.

Stay safe
Bob

History Around Us: Fort McDowell (McDowell's Mill)

   Located in the village of Marks is the site of the Pennsylvania frontier fort at McDowell's Mill.

    From the marker
    This strong marks the sight of the fort at McDowell's Mill. Erected by John McDowell before 1754 it was used as a base of supplies and as a magazine until the erection of Fort Loudon in 1756. The military road from Pennsylvania connecting with the Braddock at Turkey Foot was built from this point in 1755 under the supervision of Col. James Burd. During the period of Indian hostility the fort at McDowell's Mill was the scene of many thrilling events.

From the book The Indian Wars of Pennsylvania by C.Hale Sipe
Pg.292
Massacre Near McDowell's Mill 
Early in November, 1756, the beautiful valley of the Conococheague, in Franklin County, was again devastated and many of 
its inhabitants were killed by the hostile Indians. Robert Callender, writing from Carlisle, on November 4th, thus informed Governor Denny of these atrocities: 
"This Day I received Advice from Fort McDowell that, on Monday or Tuesday last, one Samuel Perry, and his two Sons went from the Fort to their Plantation, and not returning at the time they proposed, the Commanding Officer there sent a corporal and fourteen Men to know the Cause of their Stay, who not finding them at the Plantation, they marched back towards the fort, and on their Return found the said Perry killed and scalped, and covered over with leaves.
 Immediately after a Party of Indians, in Number about thirty, appeared and attacked the soldiers, who returned the Fire, and fought for sometime until four of our People fell ; the rest then made off, and six of them got into the fort, but what became of the rest is not yet known; there are also two families cut off, but cannot tell the Number of people. It is likewise reported that the enemy in their retreat burnt a Quantity of Grain and sundry Houses in the Coves." 
(Pa. Archives, Vol. 3, page 29.) 

Four days later. Colonel John Armstrong wrote Governor Denny, from Carlisle, giving the list of the killed and missing in this bloody raid, as follows: 
"Soldiers Kill'd — James and William McDonald, Bartholomew McCafferty, Anthony McQuoid. 

ATROCITIES IN THE SUMMER AND AUTUMN OF 1756 293 
"Of the Inhabitants Kill'd— John Culbertson, Samuel Perry, 
Hugh Kerrel, John Woods, with his Wife and Mother-in-law, 
Elizabeth Archer, Wife to J no. Archer. 
"Soldiers Missing — James McCorkem, William Cornwall. 
Of the Inhabitants Missing — Four Children belonging to 
John Archer, Samuel Neely, a Boy, James McQuoid, a Child." 
(Pa. Archives, Vol. 3, pages 40 and 41.) 

Within sight of the location exists the remnants of an old cemetery with stone markers in the corner. I can only wonder if the remains of some of the mill inhabitants lay here.

Stay safe

Bob

History Around Us:THE GREAT COVE MASSACRE

On a outing several weeks ago for a BCUSA Bushclass I was lucky enough to find the location where the settlers from the massacre at Great Cove are buried and took some pics.


This is from the document
The History of bedford, Somerset and Fulton Counties, Pennsylvania




FALLING SPRINGS, Sabbath Morning, Nov. 2, 1755.
To the Inhabitants of the Lower Part of the county of Cumberland:
Gentlemen, - If you intend to go to the assistance of your neighbors, you need
wait no longer for the certainty of the news. The Great Cove is destroyed.
James Campbell left his company last night and went to the fort at Mr. Steel's
meeting-house and there saw some of the inhabitants of the Great Cove, who gave
this account, that as they came over the hill they saw their houses in flames.
The messenger says that there are but one hundred, and that they are divided
into two parts; the one part to go against the Cove, and the other against the
Conolloways, and that there are two French among them; they are Delawares and
Shawnees. The part that came against the Cove are under the command of Shingas,
the Delaware king. The people of the Cove that came off saw several men lying
dead; they heard the murder shout and the firing of guns, and saw the Indians
going into their houses that they had come out of, before they left sight of the
Cove. I have sent express to Marsh Creek at the same time I send this; so I
expect there will be a good company there this day, and as there are but one
hundred of the enemy, I think it is in our power, if God permit, to put them to
flight, if you turn out well from your parts. I understand that the West
settlement is designed to go if they can get any assistance to repel them. All
in haste, from
Your humble servant,
BENJAMIN CHAMBERS.

Sacred Ground.

Stay safe
Bob

Thinking about writing again.

   "Is anybody out there" From a Pink Floyd song if I remember right.
It's been a long time, five years maybe but I'm thinking about writing the blog again which I enjoyed a lot. I'm still going to do bushcraft and history but may branch out.
If anybody is still out there let me know, what you liked, disliked or what you want to read.
I take all criticism as constructive.

Stay Safe
Bob