The carvings on this powder horn read:
Steel Not This Horn for Fear of Shame for on it is the Onours name
James Garthwait His Horn made at Fort Edward September the 15 1759
Other carvings include geometric and floral designs, a line of fish, and a solider smoking a pipe.
Born in 1737, James Garthwait was from Elizabethtown (Elizabeth), New Jersey. He served as a private in the Jersey Blues, the only regiment of troops raised by New Jersey during the French and Indian War. When Garthwait was carving this horn, the fighting had moved north into Canada, meaning James was one of the troops left to hold Fort Edward.
After his service in the Jersey Blues, Garthwait returned home and married Ann Crane in 1761. They had one son, Jeremiah C. Garthwaite, who enlisted into the Continental Army when he was only 13.
Image Gallery:
Ownership History:
- Museum Purchase
