The flintlock blunderbuss.
Keeping a journal is worthy of anyone’s time. Oh, how I wish that my grandmother kept one, because I would so like to know her better. Otherwise, there are official records out there which provide descriptions and events. Reading a revolutionary war pension, for example, is almost like reading an exciting novel! We can imagine exhausting marches through the wilderness terrain, battles won and defeated. Even the soldier lying on the ground, facing death by sword. Of particular interest is the great gathering of militia from Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina which occurred after Sir Banastre Tarleton “gave no quarter” to a white flag in a battle. This event caused men to leave their homes and catch up with other soldiers, to fight the impending battle of King’s Mountain. The British were waiting, confident of the win, because they arrived first, and overlooked the approaching army. However, the rebels were determined to get revenge. They were natural hunters; their weapon of choice was the blunderbuss, a firearm which is flared at the muzzle and used with shot and other projectiles. This victory turned the war away from the Carolinas, into Virginia, and the ultimate defeat of the British at Yorktown.
The story of George Washington, crossing the Delaware river in the dead of winter, is another example of great sacrifice. There are many, many stories in the pensions.
What kind of people were our ancestors, that they gave up everything for the sake of freedom? Today, there is much back-lash against this period in our history. I wonder, if the opposition actually read some of these pensions, or did a little research in the true history of their ancestors, if their attitude would change?