The Camden Public Library will host local historic reenactor Bill Payson for an online presentation entitled “Muskets of the American Revolution” on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 6 p.m. The program is part of the library’s month-long “Discover History” series and will be held on the Zoom meeting platform. 

Email jpierce@librarycamden.org to request a link to attend.

In 1775, at the beginning of the American War of Independence, the men who stood up to the British Regulars were farmers, laborers, and artisans. Most procured their own weapons and fought without pay against overwhelming odds. In this program, Payson will discuss the New England Fowler, the British 1st model Long Land pattern musket, the French ’63 Charlieville, and related equipment. 

Payson has been involved with historic reenacting since 1990. He began as a member of the 1st and 2nd New Hampshire Regiments. For the last twenty years, Payson has been a member of Harmon’s Snowshoemen, a group of New England military reenactors who portray frontier soldiers from 1623-1783.

Payson is a board member of the Colonel Paul Wentworth House, an educational and cultural center in Rollinsford, New Hampshire, and he collaborated with author Denis Hambucken on the book “Soldier of the American Revolution: A Visual Reference.” 

For more on this and other library programs, visit librarycamden.org