In Memoriam: Dave Bender

It is my sad duty to report that New Jersey Frontier Guard member Dave Bender was killed in an auto accident last Sunday morning, as he and another member, Adam, were on their way to go fishing.


Dave, below left, and Bobby (behind table) share information with a visitor at Quiet Valley in August...

A pickup truck crossed over the median as they went around a curve and struck them head-on.  Dave was killed, and Adam suffered multiple injuries. Luckily, Adam will recover, but our hearts are heavy at the loss of Dave, and our prayers are with both of them and their families.

I will remember Dave as a talented craftsman and a nice guy, a man who immersed himself in our past and gladly shared his knowledge with others.

(Unfortunately, this is the best photo of Dave that I have, as he joined the Frontier Guard this year, and no one thinks in terms of a memorial.  Should anyone have another photo, please let me know, and I will post it promptly. )

Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm

Quiet Valley Farm, near Stroudsburg,PA, is a working 18th century farmstead in a beautiful setting.  This past weekend, August 23 & 24, they held their annual craft festival and invited the NJ Frontier a Guard to demonstrate.  A blast from the swivel gun let visitors know of our presence near the 19th century schoolhouse building, and we had a steady stream of visitors.  In fact, I was only able to get out my camera at one slower point.

Our junior member was there to demonstrate 18th century children's' games.

Adam worked on his horn, beginning the process of carving it into a work of art.  If it comes out anything like the fowling piece he built, it'll be a beauty.

Whispering Pines

This post is not directly related to the Frontier Guard, but Whispering Pines was my first introduction to the world of re-enactments, living history, and rendezvous.  This rendezvous, held each August in Cherry Flats, near Wellsboro, PA, is a great event that's lots of fun.  I've gone back each year, making a lot of friends, shooting (usually badly), and singing in the evening with friends like Rose and Steve.

Friends like Shep and "The Old Man" welcomed me the first time I was there, treated me to dinner, and made the experience great.  While my family has gone for the day the past few years, this year we all went and camped for the weekend.

While in past years I've camped in a 6x6 wedge tent, last year a friend sold us a monster 20x20 marquis tent at an amazing price, so this year we camped in style.

My wife sewed divider curtains, so we could separate the dining/sleeping area from our bedroom, and I built some folding benches and a table.

Liz looked superb, as always.

There were games for the young ones, like sack races.

They found friends almost immediately, and spent the entire weekend playing and exploring.

I even shot well, at least for me.

At the last minute, I picked up a little something from Shep...

This will mean a lot to me, not least because it was made by Robert Pollack, the "Old Man," and owned by Shep, so it's a connection to friendship and good times.  Plus, it's simply beautiful.  

All in all, it was a great experience.  If you have are within driving distance of Tioga County, PA, and you have time in August, I hope to see you there next year.

Dixon's Part 2

There were some beautiful entries in the competition category - fewer than in some other years, but the quality was high.

Here's my favorite, a seventeenth-century fishtail piece.  Everything from form to inlay work was superb.

There were also some beautiful entries in the accoutrements category.

One of the nicest features of the Gunmakers' Fair is the opportunity to meet with friends.  Renowned period artists Robert Albrecht and Kevin McDonald were there.

Bob Albrecht's website. - http://www.albrechtart.com

Kevin McDonald's website - http://www.kjmcdonaldart.com

My friend Gus Tabor entered  a really nice, macabre horn, complete with skeletons.  It won best folk art carving and judges' choice.

The scrimshaw is based on the Danse Macabre of the late Middle Ages.  All in all, this is one of the nicest horns I've ever run across.

Long-time friends Chuck and Lori Beasley, of American Heritage Clothing, had a nice booth.  Lori has done clothing for a lot of historic sites and living history units, as well as for films like Witness, The Patriot and The Rough Riders.  I own a pair of rifleman's overalls Lori made for me back in 2005, and I wear them at Revolutionary War events like Washington's Crossing and to other 1770s-1790s events.  They are both comfortable and durable.

Lori Beasley, American Heritage Clothing - http://www.colonialuniforms.com

All-in-all, Dixon's is a can't miss event.  I go every year, and I hope to see you there next year!

Dixon's Gunmakers' Fair

Every year the last weekend in July is a paradise for muzzleloading enthusiasts, as Dixon's muzzleloading in Kempton,PA holds it's annual Gunmakers' Fair.  Gunbuilders, suppliers, clothiers, and makers of accoutrements converge on Kempton to show off their goods, greet one another, and share the love of 18th and 19th century firearms.

Allen Martin is one of my favorite makers.  I have a beautiful Bucks County rifle that he made for me nearly a decade ago that remains one of my prized possessions. 

As always, he had beautiful pieces on display.

He was far from the only maker with beautiful firearms to show, however.

Eric Von Anschwege also showed nice pieces, as did many others.

Kenneth Gahagan had some really impressive Hudson Valley and Mohawk Valley fowlers, complete with barrels over 50", fantastic inletting and beautiful engraving touches.

One More from Easton

Early on - before the crowds arrived...

Easton Heritage Day 2014

The weather was hot, muggy, and thunderstorms threatened.  Yet they failed to materialize, and Easton's Heritage Day festival drew thousands of attendees.  The NJ Frontier Guard had an exhibit at the central square and we were busy all day.

Lehigh Valley Express Times Article

Video from Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation

Here is the video from the day's second skirmish, in which the Crown forces repelled an attack by the Regiment de la Reine, its Lenape allies, and a French Coureur de Bois:

Link to Youtube Video: Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation F&I War Skirmish #2 2014

Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation June 2014

On June 21, the Colonial PA Plantation held its annual F&I War skirmish.  This is the second one I've attended with my children, and it was a fun event, as it was last year. There were two separate skirmishes: in the one the French and their Lenape allies won (and I "died"), and in the second, we were victorious and annihilated the French, while the Indians melted back into the woods to lick their wounds.

The Plantation is a working farm dating back to the 1740's, and it's simply a beautiful location for a visit or skirmish.  It is open each weekend during the summer, with a multitude of events.  Most events are focused on the American War of Independence, but the F&I skirmish is a nice mix of action and education.

The British Provincials were a mixed lot, with the majority serving in the Chester County Militia. There were also several members of ranging companies, including one traveller from the Province of the Jerseys (me), traveling together with his children.

Our French opponents were far more cohesive and professional: the Compagnie de la Reine. The unit served in most of the engagements in North America.  Their mixture of European uniforms and and makeshift blanketing uniform coats speaks to the difficulty the French Monarchy had in supplying its soldiers in the face of the British navy, but the quality of the soldiers was superb.

The French were accompanied by a Coureur de Bois and four members of the Lenape tribe.  These warriors terrorized the inhabitants of Pennsylvania and New Jersey between 1755 and 1758, until the signing of the Treaty of Easton, which largely ended hostilities between the Lenape and the British, at least until Pontiac's Rebellion broke out in 1763.