tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post1242723083665809672..comments2024-03-28T04:26:30.557-05:00Comments on Boston 1775: “A young Lad (belonging to the Office) fir’d a Gun”Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post-25674256224383090142019-11-03T16:21:36.676-05:002019-11-03T16:21:36.676-05:00One possibility is that the "young Lad" ...One possibility is that the "young Lad" loaded and pulled the trigger on all three guns, then ran away. That would account for one shot and two snaps, plus two guns found loaded. That would mean Mason's account left out a crucial detail.<br /><br />Another possibility is that the <i>Boston Gazette</i> report of three guns was exaggerated. I certainly can't rule that out.<br /><br />I'll look more closely at descriptions of guns snapping to see if they offer any further detail. J. L. Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15405157000473731801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post-7420190396764063502019-11-03T15:17:44.579-05:002019-11-03T15:17:44.579-05:00Good points, you've got me on the other period...Good points, you've got me on the other period uses of "snapping," John!<br /><br />Although I thought it was interesting that in one of the accounts you cited two still-loaded weapons were seized from the printshop. That would accord with their having been failed to fire for some reason, e.g. dull flints that failed to strike a spark, hence the kind of "snap" to which I was referring...Don Carletonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06977791775241034849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post-28306391382229223842019-11-02T23:42:11.289-05:002019-11-02T23:42:11.289-05:00I've seen period sources refer to a gun "...I've seen period sources refer to a gun "snapping" or someone "snapping" a gun both when it doesn't go off as the shooter wanted and when it's not loaded to shoot a ball, to either scare or warn people or to test the mechanism. That word shows up in the Newport <i>Liberty</i> riot, the Seider shooting, and minutes before the Massacre, among other places. <br /><br />When Mason wrote about how the printer's apprentice "fir’d a Gun loaded with nothing but Powder with a view to intimidate," that's clearly what we'd call a blank shot. Reports differ about the day's previous shot on King Street; Mein said Fleeming shot a pistol loaded with a ball, but the ball went into the ground, while others thought Mein shot a pistol and weren't sure whether it was loaded with a ball or simply wadding. <br /><br />In the case of the two guns the <i>Boston Gazette</i> said were “snap’d” from the print shop during the procession, I’m not sure anyone really pulled those triggers. Mason didn’t mention any other shooters in his confidential report. I guess the Whig press were probably happy to suggest other people in the shop wanted to shoot at the crowd but failed. J. L. Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15405157000473731801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post-38326816108450681872019-11-02T07:45:34.976-05:002019-11-02T07:45:34.976-05:00A trivial point, John, but I would question whethe...A trivial point, John, but I would question whether by "snap'd" the firing of a blank was meant. As a recovering reenactor who owns a (now rather rusty) Brown Bess, I can tell you that that's just the noise the weapon makes if the flint strikes the frizzen without striking a spark...no discharge, no "flash in the pan," just a loud"click" or "snap" that denotes "fail" to all within earshot!Don Carletonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06977791775241034849noreply@blogger.com