Interpretation of Town Vote Establishing the Lincoln Minute Company,

March 20, 1775, Part 1: Where is the Ammunition?

Herman Karl and Donald Hafner
January 2017
When the town of Lincoln voted to form its minute company in 1775, it seems to have
done something odd. Unlike other towns, Lincoln seems to have omitted ammunition from the
required items of equipment for its minutemen. We explore this oddity here. Inconsistent
punctuation common in 18th century documents muddies the meaning of the resolve. At issue is
the phrase gun stock. We believe it is evident that a comma should be inserted between gun
and stock. Thus, the town resolve stipulates minutemen should equip themselves with a gun
(firelock) and stock of ammunition, which is consistent with other towns.
The town of Lincoln first took up the question of forming a minute company at its town
meeting on January 9, 1775. The deliberations were in response to the Resolve of the
Massachusetts Provincial Congress on October 26, 1774, recommending that each town
endeavor to enlist one quarter, at least of its militia soldiers who would equip and hold
themselves in readiness, on the shortest notice to march to the place of rendezvous. The
discussions extended over several town meetings, and the minute company was already formed
before the town completed its deliberations.
At the town meeting on 9 March the town "... accepted some proposals made by the minit
company ..." and adjourned to Monday 20 March when they formally established the minute company.1
And having met according to the adjournment the town proceeded and on the above
said second article Voted as follows that the sum of fifty two pounds four shillings
be and is hereby granted to provide for those persons who have inlisted as minute
men each one a bayonet belt cartridge box steal ramer. gun stock and knapsack: they
to attend military exercise four hours in a day twice in a week till the first day of
May next. the Officers to keep an exact account of their attendance, and in case any
person shall neglect to give his attendance at the times appointed the sum of two
shillings for each four hours and in proportion for any other time shall be reducted
from the sum such person should otherwise receive for providing the articles above
mentioned in case they shall provide said articles themselves; but in case the town
shall provide them such part thereof shall be returned to the town when their
inlistment is out as shall amount to the sum forfeited for non attendance unless they
shall pay the said forfeiture -- Then voted to choose a Committee to provide the
aforesaid accoutrements for such persons as was not able to provide for themselves
on the town's cost. Said Commtee to consist of Dean Joshua Brooks, Dean Samuel
Farrar and Majr Eleazer Brooks.
Two aspects of this resolution appear to set Lincoln apart from the resolutions
adopted by other Massachusetts towns when establishing their minute companies:2

Lincolns minutemen in effect were compensated for attending the mandatory

training sessions by being reimbursed for their equipment.

The town resolution specifying the required equipment for each of Lincolns
minutemen appears to omit ammunition.

In his article published in Military Collector and Historian, Karl discusses at length the
manner in which Lincoln compensated its minutemen with equipment.3 Here, we explore the
other peculiarity of Lincolns decision: what appears to be silence on the matter of ammunition
powder and ball. As far back as the 1758 Act Regulating the Militia, Massachusetts had been
explicit in requiring that each militia soldier carry with him his own supply of ammunition,
originally set as one pound of powder and forty bullets fit for his gun.4 And as recently as
December 10, 1774, the Provincial Congress had endorsed and sent for circulation to all towns
the report of its committee on the state of the province, which included a similar and explicit
direction regarding ammunition:
We now think that particular care should be taken by the towns and districts in this
colony, that each of the minute men, not already provided therewith, should be
immediately equipped with an effective fire arm, bayonet, pouch, knapsack, thirty
rounds of cartridges and balls 5
So, what is one to make of the apparent absence of ammunition in Lincolns own list of required
equipment: to provide for those persons who have inlisted as minute men each one a bayonet
belt cartridge box steal ramer, gun stock and knapsack.?
Interpretation is complicated by the inconsistent punctuation that is typical of 18th century
documents. We take it as evident that commas should have been inserted after bayonet, belt, and
cartridge box. Yet with this punctuation, we confront the puzzle of what to make of gun stock.
Without a comma after gun, one might assume that a gun stock is among the stipulated
equipment. If that had been the town meetings intention, then stipulating a gun stock would
also be unique to Lincoln. Of what use is a stock without barrel and lock? If, indeed, the town
meant a gun stock, then the puzzle deepens further, because then the stipulated equipment would
also seem to omit a firelock. This would indeed be uniquea company of minute men setting
forth with neither musket nor ammunition, but each man armed with a gun stock.
We are aware of other suggested interpretations: that the reference is to a neck stock, or a
redundant term for ramrod as a steel rammer gun stick, or that Lincolns town meeting was
anticipating a genuine difficulty with bayonets. Under the 1758 Act Regulating the Militia and
its subsequent re-enactments, only one man in two was required to have a bayonet fitted to his
musket. Even if Lincoln had continued to meet this requirements in the peaceful years after the
French and Indian War, it would mean that a substantial number of civilian muskets would now
have to be adapted for bayonets. In many instances, this would mean cutting back the forestock
so a bayonet lug and bayonet could be attached. Hence the suggestion, Lincolns town meeting
voted to reimburse men for the expense of having the gun stock of their muskets cut back. In
our view, all of these interpretations lead to the same difficulty: the towns list of required
equipment for minutemen would remain silent about ammunition.

We believe the two word phrase, gun stock, should be interpreted as two items, a firelock
and a stock of ammunition. The context in which these matters were being discussed by
Lincolns town meeting supports this interpretation, and it brings Lincolns resolve into line with
the recommendations of the Provincial Congress and the actions of other town. As context, it is
worth noting that at Lincolns town meeting on March 6, 1775, there were two articles before the
members: to know the towns mind with respect to paying the minute men for their discipline,
and to know whether the town will make an addition to their military stores. Clearly, having a
sufficient stock of ammunition on hand was in the minds of those present, and we can imagine
that in the flow of discussion, various synonyms were used for a supply of ammunition. Our
interpretation here is inferential, but we believe strong. Stock of ammunition is a common
phrase in contemporaneous documents. Consider the following:

A notation in the Lincoln treasurers Accompts of 24 May 1755 states, By cash

to Eben[ezer] Cutler towards the procuring of a stock of ammunition.

From the Journal of the Second Provincial Congress of Massachusetts 14

February 1775 page 99 (emphasis added): Whereas, it appears necessary for the
defence of the lives, liberties, and properties of the inhabitants of this province,
that this Congress, on the first day of their next session, should be made fully
acquainted with the number and military equipments of the militia and minutemen
in this province, as also the town stock of ammunition in each town and district.

27 April 1775, a letter sent from the Congress to other colonies: We pray, as you
regard the safety of your country, that as large a number of troops as you can
spare, may immediately march forward, well stocked with provisions and
ammunition.

June 17, 1775, directions to the Selectmen of various towns: Gentlemen, You are
ordered instantly to send all the town stock of gunpowder you have to the town of
Watertown, saving enough to furnish one pound to each soldier [of your own].

We have found that documentary references to tallying and reporting each towns stock of
powder or towns stock of ammunition are too numerous to count. There are also many
references to public and private stocks of gunpowder, so stocks did not just refer to general
holdings by the town.
Clearly, the word stock was widely associated with powder and ammunition. The town
of Lincoln appropriated 18 shillings per soldier for the acquisition of the required equipment. It
does not seem plausible that the town believed every man required a new gun stock, or could
secure one plus all the other equipment for only 18 shillings. But instructing each man to arm
himself with a stock of ammunition to carry in his required cartridge box is both plausible and
consistent with what towns across Massachusetts were resolving to do.
End Notes
1 Lincoln Town Meeting Records, March 9, 1775 and March 20, 1775
2

Cain, Alex, Documentation regarding arms and equipment of Massachusetts minute and
3

militia companies (with emphasis on John Parkers Lexington company) viewed at

https://www.facebook.com/groups/217402738422205/641659889329819/.
Herman A. Karl, A Question of Bayonets at North Bridge 19 April 1775, Military Collector
and Historian, Winter 2014, v. 66, n. 4, p 363-372.
The Acts and Resolves of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay (Boston: Rand, Avery, & Co.,
1881), vol. 4, pp. 51-55.
The Journals of Each Provincial Congress of Massachusetts in 1774 and 1775 (Boston:
Dutton and Wentworth, 1838), p. 71.