Military Collector and Historian

FURTHER NOTES on the KING HOWITZER by Donald W. Holst
One of the lesser known pieces of ordnance that have seen use in this country is what has been come to be known as the King howitzer. These guns have been named for Daniel King, a brass founder who practiced his trade in both Philadelphia and Germantown, Pennsylvania. These howitzers are known to have been cast in two sizes, but both had the same bore, which was 2 ³/₄ inches. The smaller and lighter of the two is undated, but most are identified by the names D. King and Germantown which are engraved in the reinforce. In 1961, Company member Donald H. Berkebile published an excellent article which dealt primarily with the larger and later model, all examples of which are dated Philadelphia, 1793. (MC&H: XIII, 1-7.) The following few notes will deal solely with the smaller and what is presumed to be the earlier of the two models. While both models were apparently mounted on some sort of light field carriage, the lighter model was also sometimes mounted on yokes and used as swivels. In this latter form they appear to have seen service on both land and sea. As we shall see, they were also known by another name and may have had a British origin. On 11 July 1776 Daniel King and Captain Benjamin Loxley were ordered by the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety to "take immediate possession of Morgan Bustead's Air Furnace, ...."¹ This takeover would appear to have been made in order to provide a larger facility for the casting of heavier ordnance. King had been working in Philadelphia for some time previous to that date, for on 26 September of 1775 the Council of Safety ordered that "two brass Howitzers, which were made by Mr. King" be delivered to Lieutenant Gibbs Jones of the armed boat Ranger.² As early as 10 June 1775 John Adams wrote from Philadelphia that they were "casting Pateraras, and making Amusettes in this City, ...."³ On 31 August of that same year the Pennsylvania Council of Safety resolved that each of the armed boats belonging to the state's navy were to "be provided with two brass Pateraroes, ...."⁴ These "pateraroes" (actually pedreros) could have been either the light howitzer or a light cannon that was to be used as a swivel, both of which may have been cast by Daniel King. It is possible that some of these lighter King howitzers may be dated as a result of their having been marked as having been cast in Germantown, PA. Throughout the earlier part of the war and at least as late as November of 1776 King is known to have maintained a foundry in Philadelphia.⁵ When the British Army occupied that city on 26 September 1777 it would have been necessary for him to move his place of business, and Germantown would have been most convenient for this purpose. It is not known when he returned to Philadelphia, but it could not have been before the British evacuation on 18 June of the following year.⁶ We do know for certain that he had re-established his foundry in Philadelphia by 1785 for the city directory for that year (the earliest available) lists his brass foundry as being on Front Street between Chestnut and Walnut.⁷ The next available directory is for the year 1791, but this lists a Daniel King, Jr., brass founder, at 68 S. Front St; so it is possible that a son had taken over the business by that time.⁸ Pedreros were actually an early form of small ordnance that were mounted on yokes and used as swivels (Fig. 1). They took their name from the fact that they fired small rocks as projectiles. The ammusette was a light carriage in the form of a mantlet upon which was mounted one or two wall or rampart guns. There is always the possibility of the misuse of words due to ignorance of a writer. Someone who was unfamiliar with the names and terms applied to ordnance might wish to appear erudite by using this newly discovered jargon, and misapply them in ignorance. It is therefore possible that the word "pateraroes" may have been used to describe the small howitzers as well. On 30 March 1777 John Adams wrote in which he described the Continental brass foundry that was operated by James Byers. He also mentioned "one King, ... who casts Patterara's and Howitzers."⁹ It is obvious that King preferred working in Philadelphia so it is possible that he would have returned to that city as soon as possible after the British had left. This indicates the possibility that those tubes marked Germantown may have been cast at any time between 1777 and 1785. It is most likely that he returned from Germantown shortly after the evacuation, but 1785 is the earliest confirmed date that we have for this event. It is reasonable, however, to suggest that these light howitzers were made in that place during the Revolution. On 30 November 1776 Major Ebenezer Stevens submitted a return of ordnance and ordnance stores that were requested by General Schuyler for use in the Northern Department then headquartered at Fort Ticonderoga. Under the heading of "light cannon on travelling carriages" was[sic] listed four 3-inch Howitzers, 1060 shells, 200 grape shot, 200 canister shot, 200 "Round Cartridges," 200 tubes, and 1068 fuses.¹⁰ Six months later, on 6 July 1777, a return of ordnance captured at Fort Ticonderoga by the British lists two 2-inch howitzers; these are identified in another similar return as two 1-inch howitzers.¹¹ It is obvious that these guns could not have had such a small bore, but it is possible that they may have been mistaken for the ones requested by General Schuyler. This also suggests that the Schuyler requisition had been complied with at least to some degree. These light howitzers were apparently known to the British as "Ligonier howitzers", and may therefor have been designed during that gentleman's service as the Master of Ordnance at Woolrich. Lord Ligonier served in that capacity from about 1749 to 1756 and again from 1759 to 1762.¹²

FURTHER NOTES on the KING HOWITZER
by Donald W. Holst

One of the lesser known pieces of ordnance that have seen use in this country is what has been come to be known as the King howitzer. These guns have been named for Daniel King, a brass founder who practiced his trade in both Philadelphia and Germantown, Pennsylvania. These howitzers are known to have been cast in two sizes, but both had the same bore, which was 2 ³/₄ inches. The smaller and lighter of the two is undated, but most are identified by the names D. King and Germantown which are engraved in the reinforce. In 1961, Company member Donald H. Berkebile published an excellent article which dealt primarily with the larger and later model, all examples of which are dated Philadelphia, 1793. (MC&H: XIII, 1-7.) The following few notes will deal solely with the smaller and what is presumed to be the earlier of the two models.
While both models were apparently mounted on some sort of light field carriage, the lighter model was also sometimes mounted on yokes and used as swivels. In this latter form they appear to have seen service on both land and sea. As we shall see, they were also known by another name and may have had a British origin.
On 11 July 1776 Daniel King and Captain Benjamin Loxley were ordered by the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety to "take immediate possession of Morgan Bustead's Air Furnace, ...."¹ This takeover would appear to have been made in order to provide a larger facility for the casting of heavier ordnance. King had been working in Philadelphia for some time previous to that date, for on 26 September of 1775 the Council of Safety ordered that "two brass Howitzers, which were made by Mr. King" be delivered to Lieutenant Gibbs Jones of the armed boat Ranger.²
As early as 10 June 1775 John Adams wrote from Philadelphia that they were "casting Pateraras, and making Amusettes in this City, ...."³ On 31 August of that same year the Pennsylvania Council of Safety resolved that each of the armed boats belonging to the state's navy were to "be provided with two brass Pateraroes, ...."⁴ These "pateraroes" (actually pedreros) could have been either the light howitzer or a light cannon that was to be used as a swivel, both of which may have been cast by Daniel King. It is possible that some of these lighter King howitzers may be dated as a result of their having been marked as having been cast in Germantown, PA. Throughout the earlier part of the war and at least as late as November of 1776 King is known to have maintained a foundry in Philadelphia.⁵ When the British Army occupied that city on 26 September 1777 it would have been necessary for him to move his place of business, and Germantown would have been most convenient for this purpose. It is not known when he returned to Philadelphia, but it could not have been before the British evacuation on 18 June of the following year.⁶ We do know for certain that he had re-established his foundry in Philadelphia by 1785 for the city directory for that year (the earliest available) lists his brass foundry as being on Front Street between Chestnut and Walnut.⁷ The next available directory is for the year 1791, but this lists a Daniel King, Jr., brass founder, at 68 S. Front St; so it is possible that a son had taken over the business by that time.⁸
Pedreros were actually an early form of small ordnance that were mounted on yokes and used as swivels (Fig. 1). They took their name from the fact that they fired small rocks as projectiles. The ammusette was a light carriage in the form of a mantlet upon which was mounted one or two wall or rampart guns. There is always the possibility of the misuse of words due to ignorance of a writer. Someone who was unfamiliar with the names and terms applied to ordnance might wish to appear erudite by using this newly discovered jargon, and misapply them in ignorance. It is therefore possible that the word "pateraroes" may have been used to describe the small howitzers as well. On 30 March 1777 John Adams wrote in which he described the Continental brass foundry that was operated by James Byers. He also mentioned "one King, ... who casts Patterara's and Howitzers."⁹
It is obvious that King preferred working in Philadelphia so it is possible that he would have returned to that city as soon as possible after the British had left. This indicates the possibility that those tubes marked Germantown may have been cast at any time between 1777 and 1785. It is most likely that he returned from Germantown shortly after the evacuation, but 1785 is the earliest confirmed date that we have for this event. It is reasonable, however, to suggest that these light howitzers were made in that place during the Revolution.
On 30 November 1776 Major Ebenezer Stevens submitted a return of ordnance and ordnance stores that were requested by General Schuyler for use in the Northern Department then headquartered at Fort Ticonderoga. Under the heading of "light cannon on travelling carriages" was[sic] listed four 3-inch Howitzers, 1060 shells, 200 grape shot, 200 canister shot, 200 "Round Cartridges," 200 tubes, and 1068 fuses.¹⁰ Six months later, on 6 July 1777, a return of ordnance captured at Fort Ticonderoga by the British lists two 2-inch howitzers; these are identified in another similar return as two 1-inch howitzers.¹¹ It is obvious that these guns could not have had such a small bore, but it is possible that they may have been mistaken for the ones requested by General Schuyler. This also suggests that the Schuyler requisition had been complied with at least to some degree.
These light howitzers were apparently known to the British as "Ligonier howitzers", and may therefor have been designed during that gentleman's service as the Master of Ordnance at Woolrich. Lord Ligonier served in that capacity from about 1749 to 1756 and again from 1759 to 1762.¹²

References Beginning Further Notes, p. 2