Just how prevalent and
important was this ubiquitous weapon in early Frontier warfare?
Well, in a word—it was
the penultimate choice for many.
The long gun from
flintlock to carbine to repeating rifles was the primary choice.
We do see wide use of the
bow and arrow, and facile use at that, but…if/when access to firearms was on
the table the bows became back-ups, if carried at all.
What did not fade away
was the tomahawk.
From the earliest and
prolific bloody engagements in Pre-Colonial America to as late as the 1880s,
the tomahawk was often the second-tier go-to, in many cases surpassing the long
knife and, surprisingly still a second choice of many even after
the advent of reliable revolvers as sidearms.
The earliest days of
continental warfare were termed by many “The Days of Flintlock and
Tomahawk.”
And this weapon was
not merely an indigenous peoples’ tool, it saw quick and early adoption by many
colonists; those who sloughed off Eurocentric ways and experienced firsthand,
how formidable, adaptable and facile this “primitive” weapon was.
Here is but one of the
copious references to Anglos using this adopted “retro” technology.
“And at every
station [we] would spend an hour or two in the exercise of tomahawk and rifle, not
only for our own improvement in the use of these weapons of warfare but also to
alarm the savages if they should be lurking in the neighborhood.”—John
Struthers, 1777.
Not a
Weapon in a Vacuum
We must keep in mind
that the adoption and persistence of the tomahawk was not a choice of scarcity—other
weapon choices were on the table.
Many British soldiers,
many French soldiers, and many a colonist had swords, sabers and various long
blades in their possession.
Many of these blades
were standard kit for some and were indeed carried into battle, and yet, the
tomahawk became and remained the weapon of choice.
One would assume canny
warriors in possession of and schooled ably with the sword would prefer this longer
bladed weapon, a weapon that had centuries of tradition, tactical study and
real-world battle [and duel] application behind it; one would assume that this better
forged, better “schooled” weapon would hold sway over and above the often
makeshift “primitive” technology.
One would also assume
that the indigenous peoples, who were notorious scavengers and adopters of
technology would scoop up any and all weaponry post successful skirmish and use
the sword themselves.
And yet…
We see many an Anglo
quickly forgo the swords and sabers of European tradition.
We see many an indigenous
warrior indeed scooping up found blades but…they return to the village as
trophies and are not carried into battle.
Come War Party, the
confiscated flintlock, or perhaps a better forged tomahawk is the first and
second choice.
The forethinking Anglos,
some dubbed “Sons of the Trackless Forest” used the evidence of experience to
also forgo the long-blade and adopt the tomahawk as their own second-spot of
essential kit.
Early Rangers from Roger’s
Rangers to Russell’s Rangers to Coffee’s Rangers and beyond, all had access to
long-blades, and yet, spot #2 went to the tomahawk.
When allowances were
made for a #3 spot, the hunting knife was chosen but…no sword, no saber, no
foil, no weapon of long hallowed and vastly technical use.
The tomahawk persists
at a #2 spot through the mountain man expansion Westward and into the 1880s with
the use of “Indian Scouts” by the US Cavalry.
The Indian Scout Detachments
were allotted one tribal weapon in addition to the standard Cavalry kit. This “allowance”
weapon was almost inevitably the tomahawk—the Pawnee and Cheyenne favoring it heavily
with the Apache, as rebellious as always, opting often for a tribal lance.
We must further notice
that part and parcel of the patrolling cavalry kit was not the cavalry
saber. By this point, such swords were considered decorative and tradition
holdovers—less utilitarian gear than space occupying clutter.
The
Tomahawk Is Not a Sword
Those preceding five
words are obvious and yet…we still see modern interpretations of tomahawk work
attempting to overlay the long tradition of sword work on top of tomahawk
application.
This is a curious
approach.
We must ask ourselves,
if the Euro-centric Continental battle-tested sword work proved ill adept in
the New World versus the tomahawk, then why would one assume that the tactics
that did not serve well with the actual designated weapon in hand be any wiser
to adopt to a weapon with completely different characteristics?
The
Tomahawk Is Not a Stick
Another five words of
obviousness.
Stick systems are
admittedly long-blade correlates—as formidable and wounding as stick tactics
are, no one considers a stick attack on par with a sword attack.
And yet…we see tactics
that were formerly designed for sword, being adapted to less deadly stick use,
and then, again, being shoehorned onto a tomahawk.
Again, a weapon with completely
different characteristics.
A weapon that was
proven to both sides of the Atlantic to be the second-choice weapon after a
firearm—chosen over a sword and…over a stick.
Sticks
Abounded
We must also consider
that indigenous peoples had access to sticks themselves. Sticks being low-hanging
fruit, you could literally find sticks at every pace travelled in the Eastern
side of the Mississippi and yet…not even a 3rd, 4th, or
even 5th place choice.
Yes, of course, there
was some use of sticks in indigenous warfare, yes, there was use of cudgels and
war clubs, but…the uses in no way held precedent, did not enjoy the same
ubiquity, and were, well, simply considered well below par to the tomahawk.
And…indigenous stick
and cudgel use in no way resembles tomahawk work.
The real-world embrace
of combat weighed heavy on the indigenous mind and no fanciful thinking
regarding “Well, the stick is the same as a tomahawk” existed.
The
Tomahawk Was and Is a Beast and a Weapon Unto Itself.
It deserves due
respect and not assumption of Old World cultural overlay claiming that it is
the “same thing as.”
Not at all.
The tomahawk was not a
second choice to sword or stick.
It was preferred.
It was also preferred
by those in the know, to use it as a tomahawk.
To use it as the Beast
that it is.
[Want real-deal
tomahawk & battleaxe work and other historically accurate Old School Mayhem? See our
Training and Research Resources below.]
The Black Box Warehouse
https://www.extremeselfprotection.com/
The Indigenous Ability
Blog
https://indigenousability.blogspot.com/
The Rough ‘n’ Tumble
Raconteur Podcast
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