Fusil Guns on the Lewis and Clark Expedition

A typical trade-style fusil manufactured in England between 1750-1760.  Held within the collection of Colonial Williamsburg.

The Corps used several types of firearms throughout the entire Expedition. It’s normally the rifles that get most of the attention, since they were more accurate, more reliable, and used on a daily basis.

However, William Clark, Toussaint Charbonneau, and possibly George Drouillard also brought additional personal weapons. Clark called one such firearm his “eligant fusee.” By “fusee” he meant fusil, which was the French term for a smoothbore musket. The word evolved from a Latin vernacular word, “focus,” meaning "fire." By the 17th century it came to denote a light musket.

From the 17th century on, French fur traders, and later the British, supplied their Indian clients with smoothbore muskets both as gifts and in trade for pelts. It wouldn’t take long for this style of gun to become the type the Indians came to prefer. Fusils were generally lighter, more slender than contemporary military muskets, and were of .60 caliber (24 gauge) or .625 caliber (20 gauge). Throughout the journals, the writers frequently mentioned the fusils they observed in the hands of Native peoples. Near Fort Pierre, South Dakota, on September 26, 1804, Clark noted that some of the Sioux were "badly armed with fuseis."

Why would Clark describe his gun as “eligant?” While the traded fusils were simple and inexpensive, some manufacturers made a higher-quality version which had brightly polished barrels, were decorated with engraved brass or silver fittings and inlays, and in general showed finer workmanship than military and trade muskets.

Fusils were usually English guns with overall lengths between 52 and 55 inches. Fittings might include a butt plate and side plate engraved with hunting or martial scenes, a trigger guard with acorn finial, an engraved thumb piece or escutcheon plate, and checkering on the wrists. They were indeed elegant.