{"id":52586,"date":"2024-10-02T12:52:45","date_gmt":"2024-10-02T12:52:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crazycrow.com\/site\/?p=52586"},"modified":"2025-03-01T19:10:58","modified_gmt":"2025-03-01T19:10:58","slug":"fountainhead-of-the-lake-george-school-of-horn-engravers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crazycrow.com\/site\/fountainhead-of-the-lake-george-school-of-horn-engravers\/","title":{"rendered":"Fountainhead of the Lake George School of Horn Engravers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"John<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
SHOP NOW<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
CALL NOW<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n
\"John<\/span><\/div>
\n

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John Bush, Fountainhead of the Lake George
\nSchool of Horn Engravers<\/h1>\n

Colonial American Powder Horn Craftsman & Engraver<\/h2>\n

Photo Credit: Powder Horn of John Mahard | The Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/a>, CC0 1.0 Universal<\/a>, via Metart Open Access<\/h3>\n<\/div>

John Bush, Fountainhead of the Lake George School of Horn Engravers<\/h1>\n

Colonial American Powder Horn Craftsman & Engraver<\/h2>\n

Photo Credit: Powder Horn of John Mahard | The Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/a>, CC0 1.0 Universal<\/a>, via Metart Open Access<\/h3>\n<\/div>
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John Bush, a Black American provincial soldier, and one of the first of the Lake George school of horn engravers, became renowned for his intricate and artistic powder horn engravings. His contributions to the craft were significant, though his life was short and tragically ended after being captured in 1757 at the Battle of Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Bush’s work remains a testament to the artistry and functionality of powder horns in colonial America. He is the only known Black American to have decorated powder horns of that era [1]<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

In colonial America, the gunpowder needed to load and shoot a rifle or musket was typically stored in a container made from the keratin sheath of cattle horns. These powder horns, carried at the hip or against the chest, were light, durable, and waterproof, making them ideal for keeping gunpowder safe and dry. The natural conical shape of cattle horns allowed them to taper to a point at one end. By cutting off the tip and carving out some material around it, the narrow end could be fashioned into a spout, enabling the user to conveniently pour gunpowder into the muzzle of a gun’s barrel. The broad end, or base, was fitted with a wooden plug, secured in place by nails to prevent the gunpowder from escaping, while the spout was fitted with a removable stopper.<\/p>\n

While a finished powder horn typically had a plain surface, the need for its owner to distinguish it from others and claim it when necessary led to the practice of engraving the owner’s name on the body. This task could be performed by the owner or by someone more skilled in the craft. John Bush was one such skilled craftsman. Like many early horn engravers, Bush decorated blank horns during his spare time while holding another job. Engraving horn was not his primary profession, but his work left a lasting legacy.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Early Life and Background<\/h2>\n

John Bush was born into a free, literate, and landowning Black family that was established in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, by 1731. As a Black man in colonial America, he was free, not enslaved, but that did not mean he had freedom of movement and rights of any white person. There were serious restrictions on movement of black persons from state to state until after the Civil War, especially in Southern slave states, but also in Illinois and other Northern states, particularly in the Midwest. Charles W. Thayer and Melinde Lutz Sanborn have studied Bush\u2019s life and family and published their findings and analysis in 2007. [4]<\/sup> John’s father, George Bush, moved to Massachusetts Bay during the 18th century and was a farmer in the North Parish of Shrewsbury (now Boylston). His mother’s identity remains unknown [14]<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Military Service<\/h2>\n

Bush joined the Massachusetts provincial militia by no later than 1747, when he was about 22 years old. He was stationed at Fort William Henry, a strategic British stronghold on Lake George, by November 1755 where he served as a private in Major James House\u2019s company. By March 14, 1756, Bush had transferred to Captain Joseph Ingersoll\u2019s company, where he served as a clerk. This position required literacy and bookkeeping skills, indicating that Bush possessed certain skills that other lower-ranking men did not [18]<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Plan<\/a><\/span><\/div>

Click image to enlarge.<\/h4>\n<\/div>

Photo Credit: Heath, Joseph; Eyre, William<\/a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons<\/h3>\n<\/div>
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John Bush & “The Last of the Mohecans” (Movie)<\/h3>\n

While researching this article, John’s initial capture by the French, and then subsequent capture by their Inidan allies had me confused. With some research about the battle that resulted in his capture, the name General Munro stood out, that in conjunction with the attack and massacre of evacuating British troops and civilians, I recognized the scene from the Oscar-winning movie, “The Last of the Mohicans”.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Importance of Fort William Henry:<\/strong> Fort William Henry was a British fort located at the southern end of Lake George in the province of New York. It was constructed in 1755 under the orders of Sir William Johnson during the French and Indian War. The fort served as a staging ground for British attacks against the French position at Fort St. Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric. Its strategic location made it a key point for controlling access to the Hudson River and the interior of New York, which were vital for both military and trade purposes [9]<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Events Leading Up to the Battle of Fort William Henry:<\/strong> In the summer of 1757, the French, under the command of General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm, decided to target Fort William Henry to disrupt British defenses and supply lines\u00b3. Montcalm assembled a force of approximately 6,200 regulars and militia, along with 1,800 Native American allies. The French forces began their siege on August 3, 1757, by blockading the road to the nearby British-held Fort Edward8. The British garrison, led by Lieutenant Colonel George Monro, was poorly supported and outnumbered [10]<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Result of the Battle of Fort William Henry and Aftermath: <\/strong>After several days of bombardment and increasing casualties, Monro surrendered the fort to Montcalm on August 9, 17576. The terms of surrender included the withdrawal of the British garrison to Fort Edward, with the French military promising to protect them from their Native American allies6. However, as the British forces began their withdrawal, they were attacked by the Native warriors, resulting in the deaths of approximately 185 British soldiers and civilians [8]<\/sup>. This event became infamous and is often referred to as the “massacre at Fort William Henry” [10]<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Although part of the garrison was massacred, contrary to the terms of the capitulation that guaranteed that all of the fort\u2019s occupants could leave unharmed, Bush was not killed. According to a letter from his father, which is based on hearsay, he had been taken by Native Americans to Canada, information that proved to be correct. While Bush\u2019s life was spared by his captors, he died shortly thereafter in the fall of 1757, on a ship from Quebec to France, along with many other prisoners of war. He was about thirty-three years old [13]<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<\/div>

The True Story of the Siege of Fort William Henry: History Documentary<\/h3>\n<\/div>