The Fergusson Rifle
Graham Priest takes a look at an experimental rifle that went overseas to the war with the Colonies
Graham Priest takes a look at an experimental rifle that went overseas to the war with the Colonies. Could it have made a difference in the outcome?
Due to its role in the American Revolutionary War (17751783) it was in the USA that the reputation of Major Patrick Ferguson's Rifled Gun was most enhanced. Thousands of words have been written about his invention and how the outcome of the rebellion might have been altered if it had been adopted by the British Army. In fact, although an interesting idea at the time, contemporary thought was not that impressed and the weapon was retired very quickly. The more robust and reliable muzzle-loaded Land Pattern musket (Brown Bess) and its later India Pattern development continued to serve for another half a century.
Patrick Ferguson (1744-1780) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 24 May 1744. He was made Ensign by purchase in the 15th Foot at the age of 12. However he never actually served and in 1759 he was bought into the Royal North British Dragoons (Scots Greys) as a Cornet. Even then his actual attendance only began in 1761. Prior he had two years in the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich to study the design of fortifications. Early in 1761 he was shipped to Germany to join in the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763). Less than a year later he was disabled by a leg problem and returned home to recover. By August 1763 he was back in Britain on garrison and policing duty until 1768. Perhaps bored, he joined the 70th Foot as a Captain, again by purchase, and headed to the West Indies. Here he explored breech-loaded weapons, particularly the John Wassup design. After acquisition of a sugar plantation on Tobago the unhealthy climate unmanned him once more so he was in London by 1773 and studied Light Infantry tactics. When the 70th
returned in 1774 Patrick was employed to train men in a new role as Light Infantry.
Designs for his rifle were developed from extant examples by French engineer Isaac de la Chaumette, a British Patent for which was taken out on 12 August 1721 (No. 434). Another Frenchman Michael Bidet of Warwick Street, Spring Gardens, London (1710-1733) was also busy with copies of this screw plug weapon, and English gunmakers like James Barbar, Joseph Clarkson and
James Freeman followed suit. By 1774 more continental gunsmiths had made similar versions so the load method was well known. A threaded bolt fixed to the front of the trigger guard penetrated
through the breech vertically. Ball and powder were inserted into the opening when the rotated guard dropped the plug. When re-screwed, priming powder and a flintlock ignited the charge in the conventional manner.
Patrick had perfected and commissioned a model by early 1776 so began to tout for a potential buyer, the Board of Ordnance (BO). By 27
April reports in various journals, such as Scots Magazine, noted a Woolwich trial observed by Viscount Lord Townshend, Lord Amherst and several senior officers. The Annual Register of 1 June was amazed that Captain Ferguson had excelled himself with four shooting feats despite heavy rain and high winds. With a target at 200yd (183m) he had fired an average of four shots, a maximum of six rounds static or four discharges in a minute when advancing. He even resumed normal practice after half a minute, despite poured water in the chamber to dampen the powder. In addition it was reported that he had hit a bullseye at 100yd (91.5m), via a prone stance, with his feet as a rest.
The demonstration was a success as, on 3 June, the BO (WO5/270:195) paid gunmaker 'William Egg' £31-10-0 (£31.50) for a sample rifle and an additional copy. 100 more were in production a day later. A firearm numbered ‘2’ on the guard and breech (Morristown National Historical Park) and one with ‘15’ were identified. The latter was purchased by the Royal Armouries from a Christie’s sale in 2000. These were both engraved ‘D.Egg’ in flowing script on the lock plate and barrel so ‘William’ was in fact ‘Durs’. The provenance suggested that the second one was the inventor’s own example as it had been preserved in the Ferguson family at Pitfour, Scotland until the 1960s.
All 100 'Rifled Guns with Plugs and Bayonets' were completed and the Birmingham originated bills (WO51/270:354-355) for 25 each, at £100 total, from Matthias Barker, Samuel Galton and Son, William
Grice and Son and Benjamin Willetts, honoured on 31 December 1776. The price had dropped from £15.75 to £4 per item by this date. Private orders, such as 18 for General Simon Fraser, who also wanted more for his troops in 24th Foot, ensued. Ferguson took out patent No. 1139 for a refinement to the plug and other details on 2 December 1776. However the anti-fouling grooves and special back-sight of the drawings were not used on the BO specimens.
The 46.5in (1.18m) long weapons weighed 7lb (3.18kg) and had a 0.615in (15.7mm) calibre carbine bore. The special trigger guard was steel and the walnut stock had three brass ramrod thimbles and a nose-cap. The barrel had a fixed back sight and foresight. Unlike the presentation or similar survivors the extension to the trigger guard strap was almost cylindrical rather than teardrop. The wooden wrist was slim and many rifles fractured at this place. The muzzle was cut back some 4.25in (108.5mm) and had a block on the lower side that acted as a stanchion for a sword-socket bayonet. This was of the common type with a 4.25in (108.5mm) long collared socket and three-step mortise. The unusual feature was a very short shank and the parallel-sided 24.625in (628.9mm) fullered flat blade with a spear point.
This was arranged to project in front of the ramrod instead of to the side, as was normal procedure. The short offset was
gained as the barrel was loaded at the rear and so no hand-clearance at the muzzle was necessary.
Only three examples are known at present, one in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington USA, one in Humphries Hoard and the other formerly in the Brian Cavill collection. The latter was marked ‘Harvey’ so was the work of Samuel Harvey, High Street, Birmingham, listed as a ‘Swordmaker 1767-1787’. He and George Harvey only became BO contractors from February 1779 to April 1781 so the bayonet may have been a commercial item. BO records (WO51/275:16) noted that Sir Peter and James Esdaile provided, 'scabbards for Rifled Gun Bayonets 100 @ 1/4 (1s-4d or 6p) each' by 29 March 1777. The rifles and bayonets (WO51/284:18) were numbered on butt plate, trigger bow and socket at the cost of £3-1s-5d (£3.07) by the end of that year. None of the known bayonets were numbered.
With weapons under production Patrick trained users from the 25th
Foot at Windsor. This was observed by King George himself. On 19
February 1777 Ferguson was given
command of: 'A detachment of one hundred men' who were asked to volunteer from the 6th, 14th and 16th Regiments, then serving in North America. It was made clear in the orders that this was a temporary arrangement (WO4/99:138) and that the troops were: 'To be considered as part of the Strength of their respective Corps.' He himself was seconded from the 70th Foot with the proviso (WO4/99:217) that he was: 'To return to the Regt at the end of the Campaign.' Practice began at Chatham and, by 26 March 1777, he and his men with 67 firearms and 33 bayonets were on the transport Christopher at Portsmouth. Another 33 rifles and 40 bayonets left England on 22 June. Also in the hold of the first vessel (WO4/273:227228) was: 'A Quantity of Green Cloth...(for) a particular Clotheing.' if required.
The detachment was in New York on 24 May and left for New Jersey after 12 June. Nine days later it was instructed to join BrigadierGeneral Leslie’s troops at
Right: Ferguson rifle by ‘Durs Egg’ (SAS 1639)
Far right: Ferguson rifle owned by the de Peyster family.
Note the repair at the wrist (Division of Military History and Diplomacy, National Museum of American History, Washington)
Bonham Town. During the transit to Amboy the unit was in action alongside Hessian jägers at Short Hills on 23 June. By the end of the month 'Ferguson’s Rifflemen' were back at base in New York. A campaign towards Philadelphia on 20 July found the detachment on the transport Juno heading towards Turkey Point, Chesapeake Bay. They landed on 27 August and skirmished in small patrol groups, together with some of General Howe’s Light Infantry, towards Head of Elk. By 11 September, after a friendly fire incident with Light Dragoons, they were with Lieutenant-General Knyphausen’s Division near Welsh’s Tavern on Brandywine Creek. This was to be the rifle’s only battle and when Ferguson was wounded in the right arm. On withdrawal he claimed his troops had slain or captured about 30 opponents. The campaign was a success as Washington was forced to retreat and Philadelphia was duly captured on 26 September. After the battle Patrick was surprised to discover that his detachment was to be disbanded and the men returned to unit. An order of 13 September 1777 stated: 'The British Riflemen are to join the Light Companies of the Regiments to which they respectively belong.' Without Ferguson’s leadership during his recuperation the authorities obviously decided to abandon the experimental formation. Despite an assertion that the
weapons were withdrawn to stores in New York it seemed possible that at least some continued in use. At the Battle of Paoli on 20 September the 2nd Light
Infantry Battalion was engaged in a night attack on General Anthony Wayne’s encamped army. The sentries were killed by, the: 'Riflemen’s Swords' and at this time the Ferguson weapon was the only British user of such a blade. A painting commissioned in 1782 also appeared to show several soldiers with green uniforms and long bayonets at the action. By 21 February 1778 a return was circulated that asked:
'To be given in... of the Number of Rifles belonging to Captain Ferguson’s late Corps now in the Possession of the Different Regiments.'
No contemporary list of the
100 longarms and 73 bayonets in North America was ever discovered. Seven unserviceable arms were noted in a New York ordnance depot as late as 10 March 1783. Only two BO examples are known in the USA, one at Morristown
National Park and the other in Milwaukee Public Museum. An additional trigger guard was excavated by Charles Salerno from a campsite on Long Island, New
York in 1986. This had the same cylindrical guard extension but was too corroded for any markings to be seen. As stated, the first example was numbered ‘2’ but the other had had all the markings removed.
Patrick Ferguson continued to serve his country in North America, despite a disabled right arm. He had
various roles and an active career from October 1778 until his death in action at King’s Mountain on 7 October 1780. He was commissioned as a Major in the 71st Foot on 25 October 1779. At that time he led a Loyalist Militia, mainly armed with captured French muskets and bayonets. No rifle was found in his effects and it seemed that he had ceased to pursue the development during his later service.
The United East India Company trialled a full-stocked version of the rifle in 1776-1777. Some 60 were supplied by Henry Nock and a third of these issued to each of the three presidency armies. The project was not followed up.
The well-known firearm in the Division of Military History and Diplomacy, National Museum of American History in Washington was most likely to have been owned by Captain Abraham de Peyster of the King’s American (Grenadiers) Regiment (KAR) who was second-in command at King’s Mountain. Various references mention Captain ‘Frederick’ (1731-1874) and his grandson ‘General John Watts de Peyster’ (1821-1907) as the recipients. It was the only recorded example with its original bayonet and was claimed to have been a gift from Ferguson. It was made by Durs Egg, listed as ‘Gunmaker and Sword Cutler’ at 24 Princes Street, Leicester Fields, London 1778-1786. The prototype firearms showed that he had worked for Ferguson earlier in 1776, before he became a British citizen. He did not gain BO contracts until 1784-1820. Another, in the Weapons Collection, Land Warfare Centre, Warminster, England was presented by the late John ‘Jac’ Weller (1913-1994) in March 1972. Egg also made several Volunteer versions and a silver mounted example is now in the Royal Collection.
One elaborate half-stocked firearm in the West Point Museum collection even had a sliding bayonet beneath the muzzle. If Patrick’s own weapon, used at the Windsor demonstration to the King, was numbered ‘15’ it was a temptation to assume that Egg made at least this number. The Warminster Ferguson was not numbered but does have the crowned ‘GR’ royal cipher on the lockplate. Other prototype versions also had private proof marks of a ‘crown PF’ on them but this example lacked any visible stamps. An official military purchase would have been thoroughly proved and so given the requisite markings. Commercial products received similar checks but perhaps this weapon was for another unrecorded trial so had missed the process? If, as asserted during donation to Warminster, it was Patrick’s own rifle the bronze trigger guard might have been a deluxe feature.
Despite modern hindsight it was felt unlikely that Ferguson’s rifle would have changed the political landscape of North America if it had been a general British issue. The fate of the returned weapons was unknown, but even the suggestion that they were not kept as curiosities indicated that they had no value at the time.
With such a limited number of weapons made originals were thought to be 'hens' teeth', although a bayonet surfaced in 2020. The Royal Armouries rifle, Lot 69 from Christie’s Sale 8934 of 9 November 2000, made £27,025. Numerous replicas can be purchased from the USA. An S. Skanly rifle fetched $2,350 at Cowan's in 2014. The Rifle Shoppe had bayonets for $395 in 2020.
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Acknowledgement: Particular appreciation to John Humphries and the Trustees of the Weapons Collection, Land Warfare Centre, Warminster.