Just how do you load and fire a musket? How do you keep your powder dry? What happens if a musket ball should hit you?
These and other questions will be answered on Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. at Princeton Battlefield State Park when The Princeton Battlefield Society will present "Muskets and Mutton, a Spring Festival."
The day’s activities will include a demonstration firing of muskets to complement the book signing by author Bill Ahearn. Mr. Ahearn’s book, "Muskets of the Revolution and the French and Indian Wars," is an elaborate "coffee table" volume packed with illustrations and information about the various firearms used during the American Colonial and Revolutionary periods. It is Mr. Ahearn’s collection of firearms, and other weapons, that grace the Clarke House museum on Princeton Battlefield.
"This event is the one to go to if you are a weapons or history war buff," said Bill Spadea, a member of the society’s board and a former Marine.
What happened to the soldiers when hit by a musket ball? That question, and others on Colonial surgery, will be answered by Nancy Webster, a member of Past Masters of the American Colonial Domestic Arts, a group of living historians and site interpreters par excellence. Ms. Webster has been collecting 18th surgical instruments for years, and her collection rivals that of many museums. She will present her collection as well as give talks on how a wound received from the wrong end of a musket was treated.
"This presentation is not for the squeamish," said Jerry Hurwitz, president of the society’s board, "but it is fascinating. I have never seen anything like Nancy’s collection."
The "mutton" is a demonstration of Colonial cooking, again by members of the Past Masters group Clarissa Dillon and Deborah Peterson.
In addition to the mutton, muskets and surgery, there will be battlefield and house tours throughout the afternoon.
A donation of $3 for adults and $1 for each child over 5 years of age will be requested.
Princeton Battlefield is located at 500 Mercer Road in Princeton.
For more information, visit www.saveprincetonbattlefield.org.

