Rev. War Colonial Fusil Attributed to Shenandoah County, VA Gunsmith

Rev. War Colonial Fusil Attributed to Shenandoah County, VA Gunsmith

Magnificent Shenandoah County, Virginia Officer’s Fusil, styled after a longrifle and attributed to a Shenandoah County, Virginia longrifle gunsmith. An intriguing American stocked officer’s fusil that is among the finest and most historic weapons from the extremes of the Revolutionary War.

This officer’s fusil descended through the Alexander Hite family in Strasburg, Virginia. This untouched officer’s fusil was carried by Captain Alexander Hite, an officer in the Dunmore County, Virginia Militia (became Shenandoah County, Virginia Militia in 1778).

The gunsmith maker of this officer’s fusil used a French Charleville flintlock with a brass pan (lock measures about 5 3/4″ long), early British 49″ half round /oct barrel (67” overall) held into the stock with pins, gunsmith made hardware, and a walnut stock. There is wonderful tang carving and carving forward of the comb, engraving on the flats of the barrel, a magnificent styled side plate, and trigger guard, which are details found on a longrifle made in Shenandoah County, Virginia. These tasteful attributes suggest that this officer’s fusil was made by a Shenandoah County longrifle gunsmith who contributed his longrifle gunsmithing talent to support the Shenandoah County’s Committee of Safety’s procurement of weapons for warfare. As previously stated, there is engraving on the flats of the barrel, however the patina has remained untouched. While a signature, if present, is not clearly visible, I choose to not disturb the many years of untouched patination. As you will learn in the text that follows, Captain Alexander Hite returned to Shenandoah County in 1778-1779, as an agent of the Continental Army to procure weapons, supplies, and volunteers for his militia. This magnificent officer’s fusil was likely a product of that effort.

Captain Alexander Hite was born on 25 July 1740, in Strasburg in der Uckermark, Prenzlau, Brandenburg, Prussia, Germany, his father, Jacob “Woolcomber” Hite, was 30 and his mother, Maria Catharina Erier, was 26. Not being born in the Virginia colony, he and his father Jacob Hite, took the oath of allegiance to King George III, thus becoming a citizen of the Virginia Colony on September 5, 1769, in Frederick County, Virginia.  He married Elizabeth Froman about 1769. They were the parents of; (1) Maria Hite, b. September 21, 1770 ; m. Daniel Mauck, (2) Friederick Hite, b. January 20, 1774 ; m. Mary Magdalene Hieser, (3) Susannah Hite, b. April 8, 177648. m. Jacob Feazel. (4) Jacob Hite, b. September 15, 1778 48; m. Sarah Pfeiffer. Elizabeth Hite died about 1779. Alexander Hite married Catherine Neiberger (1750 – 1833)  in March, 1781. They had five children; Elizabeth, Margaret, Catherine, Anna, and David. Alexander Hite wrote his will in 1813. Alexander Hite died January 19, 1813, in Strasburg, Shenandoah County, Virginia at the age of 72.

Captain Alexander Hite officially joined the Dunmore County Virginia Militia in 1775. He served out of Dunmore County, which was renamed Shenandoah County in 1778 and served under Captain Alexander Machir who commanded a company of militia from the Strasburg District of Dunmore County (renamed Shenandoah County in 1778) during the American Revolutionary War. After his Revolutionary War service, he became a prominent public official in Shenandoah County, Virginia.

Captain Machir’s Volunteer Company

During the winter of 1775–1776, Captain Machir’s recruited a company of volunteers for service in the Continental Army. His  unit was a part of the Dunmore County Militia, Dunmore County, Virginia. His unit became part of the 8th Virginia Regiment, sometimes called the German Regiment because it included several companies of predominantly German-speaking men. Captain Machir’s Company served with the 8th Virginia Regiment until it was merged with the 4th Virginia Regiment.

• Captain Alexander Machir’s Company of Militia from the Strasburg District of Dunmore County, Virginia, roaster included; Lawrence Snapp, Jr. as the Ensign in this company;
• Alexander Hite and Christopher Hite as Captains;
• The volunteers included; Joseph Anderick, Christian Baker, Michael Balthus, Leonard Baltis, George Beale, Charles Beard, Christian Beard, Martin Beck, Stephen Black, Peter Bowman, Christian Bowman, Isaac Bowman, John Broback, Adam Browbach, John Cashwyler, Jacob Cashwyler, Joseph Cline, Peter Cline, Philip Colvil, Samuel Conrad, John Cooper, George (Sadler) Cooper, George (Shoemaker) Cooper, Leonard Copenhafer, Jacob Cowman, John Crawford, Strader Cryble, Abraham Cryble, Christian Cryble, Jonas Dedawick, Stephen Dellinger, Jacob Dogherty, Jervis Dogherty, William Draper, Rober Evans, Jeremiah Everly, Sr., Jeremiah Everly, Jr.; George Feltner, Adam Funk, Henry, Jr. Funk, Jacob Funk, John Funk, Samuel Funkhouser, Abraham Funkhouser, Christian Funkhouser, David Funkhouser, Jacob, Sr. Funkhouser, Jacob, Jr. Funkhouser, John Fuzle, John Harr, Simon (Clerk) Hannah, Brice Heapner, Gasper Helver, Jacob Hemp and other soldiers that joined later

Alexander Hite served with Captain Alexander Machir’s Company in the 8^th Virginia that served in;

• The New York and New Jersey Campaign 1776-77,
  • Northern Theater: Moved north in 1777 to join George Washington’s main army.
  • Major Battles: Fought in the Battle of Brandywine and Battle of Germantown in late 1777, where heavy losses and captures occurred in the fog at Germantown.
  • Encampment: Endured the harsh winter at Valley Forge in 1777–1778.
  • Monmouth: Fought in the Battle of Monmouth in June 1778, after which the depleted original unit was reorganized and consolidated. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• The Philadelphia Campaign 1777-78,
• Between 1778 – 1780 Alexander returned to Shenandoah County , Virginia as an agent of the Continental Army to procure arms and recruit volunteers for the militia.
• The Southern Theater 1780-82 including the surrender of the British at Yorktown in October, 1782.

Following his active military service, the Virginia Assembly appointed him on March 28, 1782, as a Commissioner to collect the specific tax used to fund the ongoing war effort. He famously compiled the 1783 Shenandoah County Tax List. He personally recorded the heads of households across his district, which included parts of Strasburg and Powell’s Fort Valley.

Provenance:

• Captain Alexander Hite, Shenandoah County, Virginia
• Descended to Charles and Rebecca (Bowman) Hite, Shenandoah County, Virginia with family history
• William Strickley, Shenandoah County, Virginia (Captain Alexander Hite Fusil came with the farm when he purchased the Bowman/Hite Farm, Shenandoah County, Virginia from Charles and Rebecca (Bowman) Hite in 1872
• Frank Kern Stickley Sr., Shenandoah County, Virginia (inherited the Fusil and Bowman / Hite Farm from his father)
• Clydess Delmar Stickley, Shenandoah County, Virginia (inherited)
• William Delmar Stickley, Strasburg, Shenandoah County, Virginia (inherited)
• John Adamson, Strasburg, Virginia
• Francis Amos, Rocky Mount, Virginia
• Gordon Barlow, Swoope, Virginia