In the photo, Bill Bisher is showing his flintlock rifle after the presentation to the class members.
The following is a write up shared with us by Buck Buchanan, NMLRA Field Representative.
I wish to thank Barbie Chambers Phillips for allowing me to assist her with the presentation of 18th & 19th century military firearms that we put on display at Wake Forest University’s ROTC Military History Class today. I invited my friend, Bill Bisher of Black Turtle Forge near Denton, to bring his forged rifleman’s knives and belt axes that he hammers out, to show to the class.
The three of us were covering the military firearms used between the advent of the Revolutionary War through the end of the Civil War to about 25 Army ROTC Cadets. I brought a few original muskets, and carbines from the Civil War, and a flintlock rifle and fowler. We all brought hunting bags and horns and Bill brought 18th century-style clothing to complement the discussion. Barbie brought a flint fowler and rifle that were made by Barbie’s dad, Jim Chambers. She discussed the activities of the NMLRA and recounted her experiences traveling to countries around the world as a member of the United States International Muzzle Loading Team. Barbie and I are both NMLRA Field Reps, and we each brought a couple dozen “Muzzle Blasts” copies to hand out and to point the cadets to muzzle loading clubs and living history activities in their locality. I mentioned that WFU was less than an hour away from the Yadkin Valley Long Rifles Club, and I am feeling good that YVLR will be seeing some new faces in the coming months. Marshall Steelman, take notice!
The class experienced the remaining time doing something that they could previously only see through museum glass; handling original flintlock and caplock firearms, and custom-made reproductions. Classmates were taking photos of their friends holding a model 1816 Springfield musket, or aiming a repro Colt 1851 Navy or embracing a gorgeous flintlock fowler done by the hand of Jim Chambers. The subjective reward of today’s visit was catching the gleam in their eyes, watching a cadet running her hand down the tiger-stripe forearm of a flintlock, AND asking when is the YVLR’s next match?
I believe the ROTC Instructor, a former Special Forces Veteran, is going to consider a “class field trip” to the next Yadkin Valley Long Rifles shootin’ match. I don’t believe any charter club would turn down a couple dozen spectators who will be future US Army officers AND returning muzzleloading shooting beginners. All three of us, Barbie Chambers Phillips, Bill Bisher, and I felt wonderful about the visit.
We believe we have touched some young people with a taste for black powder shooting and studying more about US History. On the way home, I thought to myself, well, Duke, NCSU, & UNC-Chapel Hill must have ROTC units. I wonder…….maybe next year I can offer my Field Rep services to ROTC Instructors there. If I did that, I expect someone from the Lafayette Long Rifles might be calling me up and wondering what to do about the 50+ college students showing up to observe and “soak it in”. ;-)
I wonder if any other Field Reps thought about providing a similar program to firearms-interested ROTC units in their locality.