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Photo of a Harper's Ferry Yager, Jager or Jauger of the type likely used by Robert Hancock Hunter in defending Texas against Santa Anna's troops from 1835 through the Battle of San Jacinto. Perhaps because of the poor condition of Robert's weapon, he was detached to help guard the baggage at Harrisburg during the battle of San Jacinto. Afterward he was detailed to guard Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna. In the Narrative of Robert Hancock Hunter he states: "Some men had rifels. I had a Harperferry yauger. The lock was tide on with a buck skin string & the stock & barrel was tide to geather with buckskin strings, & the Mexicans had fine muskets".
Note: The picture is of a Model 1803 Harpers Ferry Yager, apparently in much better condition than the one Robert Hancock Hunter used. It is likely that the term Yager, or Jauger referring to the 1803 Harper’s Ferry rifled musket, may relate to possible markings on some of the rifles. Since Harper’s Ferry guns were made from parts made by several persons, the rifles were not “signed” by the maker. However, stock making was a craft such that a single rifle stock was made by one person. It is understood that there was a stock maker named Jauger (German for Hunter) at Harper’s Ferry during the period that the 1803 Harper’s Ferry rifle was made and possibly some of the production might have stocks with his mark. (comments by Claude Hunter – from research conducted at Harper’s Ferry arsenal)
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