English Socket Bayonet, recovered from a Revolutionary War camp in Lebanon, Connecticut

Being offered is a rare early to mid-18^th century musket bayonet. It has an overall measurement of 20 ½”, the blade 16”, and the socket 4”, which has been split. In “Swords & Blades of the American Revolution” by George Neumann, he describes this bayonet as an English Socket Bayonet. His description of it is as follows:

“The early theory of opening a socket for its entire length to more easily adjust to the size of each musket barrel was generally discarded after 1720. But the splitting of originally closed sockets as shown here testifies to continued use of the technique – probably in the field where a bayonet was reassigned to a new firearm. This was particularly true in America where the colonists carried a vast variety of long arms.”            

This bayonet was recovered from a Revolutionary War camp in Lebanon, Connecticut – often referred to as “The Heartbeat of the American Revolution”. Much of Lebanon’s impressive, history-shaping role in the Revolutionary War can be attributed to the patriotic Lebanon-born Governor Jonathan Trumbull. Although Trumbull was the colonial governor of the state, he sided with the colonists against the British even before the breakout of the war.

Trumbull opposed British laws known as the Intolerable Acts intended to punish the colonies for acts of rebellion like the Boston Tea Party. When the Battles of Lexington and Concord broke out, Trumbull ignored requests from the Massachusetts colonial governor to provide assistance. Instead, he sent supplies with men from Lebanon marching to join the battles.

For seven months during the height of the war, French soldiers camped out in Lebanon after their cavalry landed in Newport. Tents and temporary barracks were erected around the fields surrounding the town. General George Washington eventually visited the encampment and viewed the French troops. Washington is said to have stayed in Lebanon during his visit and may have slept at the home of Jonathan Trumbull Jr.

Connecticut militiamen marched in May to the camps forming around Boston, including the 6th Company from Lebanon, led by Captain James Clark.  Many of the men participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17.  During the entire war, at least 677 Lebanon men served in the militia and the Continental Army.  This figure represents more than fifty percent of the adult male population. Men from Lebanon, Connecticut were in every major battle fought in the North.

This is a great early bayonet and remains in very solid condition. It is very rare to find Revolutionary War relics from Connecticut.

With the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding this year, interest in the Revolutionary War and its relics is significantly increasing. This renewed enthusiasm is driving the demand for virtually all Revolutionary War artifacts, further contributing to their scarcity and rising prices.

I am witnessing a notable uptick in purchases of these items, which reflects the growing celebrations for the anniversary and the heightened value of Revolutionary War memorabilia.