Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: thomas h on January 28, 2011, 11:41:49 am

Title: revolutionary war and bows
Post by: thomas h on January 28, 2011, 11:41:49 am

do you think the war  would  have went differently  ,if the British troops  had been issued bows instead of the brown bess?

Title: Re: revolutionary war and bows
Post by: RidgeRunner on January 28, 2011, 01:52:27 pm

Yes!  I think we would have wiped them out in the first month.

Title: Re: revolutionary war and bows
Post by: Traxx on January 29, 2011, 12:35:35 am

Actually,
I read an account of Ben Franklin,i believe,recommended,that Revolutionary troops be issued longbows,durring the war.He and others figured,it would have givein our troops the advantage.It was denied,due to it being a "Primitive" weapon.Firearms of that day,were very dangerous and unreliable,not to mention slow.In fact early explorers and settlers,were at a huge dissadvantage against Native archers,untill the advent of the revolver and repeater.

Title: Re: revolutionary war and bows
Post by: Grunt on January 29, 2011, 09:17:44 am

I think the act of fighting in a traditional manner of firing in formation created a great cloud of black powder smoke the obscured said formation. One cloud of smoke shooting at another cloud of smoke.  If one side had bows they wouldn't have a smoke cloud to hide in. 

Title: Re: revolutionary war and bows
Post by: Postman on January 29, 2011, 02:19:10 pm

There was a good thread on this recently asking the reverse of this question, think it may have been in "warbows?" ???

Title: Re: revolutionary war and bows
Post by: Postman on January 29, 2011, 03:29:33 pm

Here it is.


http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,21820.msg296757.html#msg296757

Title: Re: revolutionary war and bows
Post by: thomas h on January 29, 2011, 04:54:39 pm

thank you a lot of good  information  in that.