Beschreibung:

These horns are featured and discussed in an article by John O. Luke on pages 40-42 of "Man at Arms" Magazine, volume 18, No. 3 from June, 1996. Three of these horns were originally acquired from the auction held at Eglinton Castle in Ayreshire, Scotland. This historic event was held for five consecutive days beginning on December 1, 1925. They are cased in a period lidded brown leather covered box measuring 19" x 16 1/2" x 4 3/4". The lid is embossed with gilt scrolls and florals. The fitted interior is of beige linen. Two of the horns bear the royal arms and one bears the arms of the Earls of Eglinton. The crests of the Earls are worked into the design of the horn and therefore must have been requested by Earl Archibald Montgomerie (1726-1796) when he commissioned them. At the advent of the French & Indian War Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Montgomerie raised a regiment of Scottish troops later to be designated the 77th Regiment of Foot. This regiment was in service with Montgomerie as its commanding officer from 1757 to 1763. Montgomerie arrived in Charleston, South Carolina with 1,465 men in 1757 and was quickly shipped to Philadelphia to join the command of Brigadier General John Forbes In 1758, he and his 77th Regiment fought with George Washington and Henry Bouquet in the Fort Duquesne Expedition. They returned to Philadelphia for the winter before joining with General Amherst's troops in 1759 to lay siege to Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point, which were both later abandoned by the French. At the end of 1759, Colonel Montgomerie proceeded to New York City with 600 troops of the 77th Regiment. By June 1, 1760, he was back in South Carolina fighting the Cherokee Indians at the Battle of Etchocy, with mixed results. After marching to the coast, he returned to New York. It is at that time that he probably commissioned these powder horns. The travels of Colonel Archibald Montgomerie, from one campaign to the other place him in New York in 1760. He probably procured these horns while there, as a souvenir of his adventures in America. He likely was aware that the war was ending and he would soon be returning to Scotland. (A) This is a beautiful and exceptionally detailed horn. It is a well decorated horn with a 3" silver buttcap engraved with the coat of arms granted specifically to the 11th Earl, Archibald Montgomerie. It shows a cartouche with motto "Garde/Bien" which translates to "Guard Well". The basic coat of arms, which was granted to the first Earl of Eglinton, displays a shield quartered with a fleur-de-lis, which has always belonged to the Montgomeries since their arrival to Britain with William the Conqueror. The family arms and Earl's crown are supported on each side by two griffins. Above the crown, a female figure is holding an anchor in her right hand and in her left hand the severed head of an Indian. This horn also has another slightly different crest engraved on the body depicting the unique arms of all of the Earls of Eglington. Later in its useful life, it had this silver buttcap and probably a mechanical powder measure added to it. The powder charger is now absent. This polychrome engraved horn depicts places including "Schnchdy", "Ston Rabby", "Rinars The Vermont Settler", "Wm. Johnson's", as well as many forts and other sundry locations of the period. Also engraved in a cartouche is "MAP OF THE / COUNTY OF / ALBANY DON / BY A SCALE / EIGHT MILE / TO A INCH / 1760". Length 13 - 1/4". CONDITION: Excellent with minor dings, there is a small indentation of worm damage 1/2" below the silver cap. All images are very clear. (B) Another beautifully detailed polychrome engraved powder horn. The 3" wooden butt plug, made of North American Eastern White Pine has remnants of brown and red paint. At the base of the plug is engraved "PLAN OF CITY AND HARBOUR OF NEW YORK ANNO 1760". It has a royal coat of arms above a panoply of arms, as well as a view of New York Harbor with several well-detailed ships. Engraved are cit