Conch Shell Trumpet ©

 

The author blowing a conch-shell trumpet, picture by the author

 On the Old Northwest Frontier of the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries, a trumpet made by removing the tip of a conch shell, was a commonly used for signaling by both the Native Americans and the European Settlers.

From “The Use Of Shells By Ontario Indians”, by W. J. Wintemberg  p. 46 and p. 62

The author of “The Use Of Shells By Ontario Indians”, W. J. Wintemberg, reprints the assertion by Dr. Beauchamp that “Shell trumpets were not used by N.Y. Indians in the early days – at least not in the interior, but that there is a record of their use in 1791”¹.  As evidence of this, Dr. Beauchamp used Col. Thomas Proctor’s journey from Buffalo Creek (today’s Buffalo, NY) via Fort Franklin (Franklin, PA) and Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh, PA), before arriving at Philadelphia, PA.

Regarding the use of conch shell trumpets, Col. Proctor wrote the following in his journal, near today’s Warren PA: “April 19^th [1791] – O’Beel [John Abeel III or Cornplanter] and chiefs arrived here from the lower town and ordered their conch shell to be sounded through the village to summon their head-men into council”².

Additionally, Col. Proctor wrote on the “24^th [June, 1791 at New Arrow’s Town, near today’s Warren, PA] I had no sooner arrived then the chiefs were summoned to council by the sound of a conch shell…”³.

Contrary to Dr. Beauchamp’s assertion that there is no evidence of conch shell trumpets being used by Native Americans in the interior of New York and Pennsylvania before 1791, there is evidence that predates 1791.   John Woolman, writing from “Wehaloosing” (today’s Wyalusing, PA), recorded in his journal on June 17^th, 1763, the following:

“After a while we heard a conk-shell blow several times, and then came John Curtis, and another Indian man…”⁴.

There is also evidence of conch shell trumpets being used by colonial settlers in southwestern Pennsylvania before 1791.  In 1764, John Minor, who was originally from London County, Virginia, settled in what is now Mapletown, PA, west of the Monongahela River, on Dunkard Creek.  By 1778, his cabin was fortified and he kept a “huge conch shell”, that was blown in times of danger, and which still existed in 1888, when the History of Greene County, Pennsylvania was printed.⁵

In addition, European Settlers used conch shell trumpets on the western frontier of New York State, along the Mohawk River and its tributaries, during the American Revolution.  David Elerson, writing about the rangers, in Frontiersman of New York, noted that “…The music of those scouts, was produced by a conch-shell, which was carried by the leader, and served to call the party together when they chanced to become separated in the woods”.⁶

The evidence shows that conch shell trumpets were used for signaling after the French and Indian War and during the American Revolutionary War, by both the Native Americans and the European militia and rangers of the Old Northwest Frontier during the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries.

Conch shell trumpet, picture by the author

Conch shell trumpet, picture by the author

Conch shell trumpet, picture by the author

  

However, as a reenactor, how do you make a conch shell into a trumpet and once it is made, how do you use it?

First, I have never made a conch shell trumpet, the one that I used in these photos and videos had already been made into a horn.  However, I did a little research and found out that turning a conch shell into a trumpet is really quite simple.  All you have to do is remove the tip of the whorl, of a queen or pink conch shell [Lobatus gigas, originally known as Strombus gigas], to make a mouth piece, remove the inner spiral to open the airway and nature has made the rest of the trumpet for you.  For some web sites on how to do this go [HERE] and [HERE].

For those who would rather have the instructions in print, here are some “how-to-do-its” from these two videos.  First, you have to have a conch shell to make a trumpet.  Wash out your shell thoroughly and then soak it overnight in a 10% bleach solution⁷; rinsing it with water in the morning.  You will want one that is at least six or seven inches long.  If you get one that has been commercially harvested for meat, it will have a hole around the fourth spiral; you will have to plug this hole either with epoxy or with your finger when you play the conch shell.

Next, saw or break the tip off the shell, so that there is a small opening about the size of a US dime, this will be the mouthpiece.  Depending on the size of your shell, you will have to remove around 1” to 1¼” of the tip to make a dime-sized hole. 

Close-up of the mouthpiece of a conch shell trumpet, note the removal of the inner spiral, picture by the author

Remove the inner spiral inside the mouthpiece with a drill, a nail or a center punch, in order to open an airway into the shell.

Lastly, to keep from cutting your lips, smooth the edges with a file or medium grit sandpaper.

You play a trumpet by blowing air through nearly closed lips, making a buzzing sound, and creating a standing wave vibration in the air inside the trumpet.  This vibration inside the conch shell is what creates the trumpeting sound at the aperture or opening of the shell.

 Making the buzzing sound with your lips to blow a conch shell trumpet, video by the author

So if you are a modern reenactor or experimental archeologist, who is portraying either Native Americans or European militia and rangers in central and western Pennsylvania and New York during the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries, blow that conch shell trumpet! 

 The author blowing a conch shell trumpet, video by the author

For a short video that I made on this subject go [HERE]

Notes

¹  W. J. Wintemberg; “The Use Of Shells By Ontario Indians”, Annual Archeological Report, 1907, [L.K. Cameron. Toronto, Ontario; 1908], p. 61

²  Proctor, Col. Thomas; “Col. Proctor’s Journal”, Pennsylvania Archives, Second Series, Vol. IV, Edited by John B. Linn and William H. Egle, M.D. [E.K. Meyers, Harrisburg, 1890] p. 485

³  Ibid., p. 511

⁴  A Journal of The Life And Travels of John Woolman, Third Edition [The School if Industry, Lindfield, 1838], p. 204

⁵  Bates, Samuel P.; History of Greene County, Pennsylvania [Nelson, Rishforth & co., Chicago, 1888], p. 520-521

⁶  Simms, Jeptha Root; The Frontiersman of New York: Showing Customs of the Indians, Vol. 2, [Geo. C. Riggs, Albany, NY, 1883], p. 413

7  “To make a 1:10 solution, you'll need 1 part bleach for every 9 parts water. A good amount to start with is 1/4 cup bleach and 2¼ cups of water.” Carefully pour the bleach into the bucket first, and then add the water.”  From “How to Make Your Own Disinfectant Bleach Solution - Verywell Health”, Sep 22, 2018

Sources

A Journal of The Life And Travels of John Woolman, Third Edition [The School if Industry, Lindfield, 1838], p. 204 https://books.google.com/books?id=0soYAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA3&dq=A+Journal+of+The+Life+And+Travels+of+John+Woolman,+Third+Edition&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjlj8Hs2t_iAhVpkeAKHSnlB_UQ6AEIKjAA#v=onepage&q=A%20Journal%20of%20The%20Life%20And%20Travels%20of%20John%20Woolman%2C%20Third%20Edition&f=false, accessed May 30, 2019

Bates, Samuel P.; History of Greene County, Pennsylvania [Nelson, Rishforth & co., Chicago, 1888], p. 520-521 https://books.google.com/books?id=nx5EAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA520&dq=pennsylvania+conch+shell&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj9nIWar8biAhUyTd8KHfWNBmI4oAEQ6AEITjAH#v=onepage&q=pennsylvania%20conch%20shell&f=false, accessed May 30, 2019

Conch Shell Horn, https://www.instructables.com/id/Conch-Shell-Horn/, accessed 6/11/19

How to Make a Conch Shell Horn, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebzN79oNTJg, accessed 6/11/19

How to Make Your Own Disinfectant Bleach Solution - Verywell Health, Sep 22, 2018 https://www.verywellhealth.com/make-your-own-disinfectant-solution-998274, accessed 6/14/19

Lobatus gigas, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobatus_gigas, accessed 6/11/19

Proctor, Col. Thomas; “Col. Proctor’s Journal”, Pennsylvania Archives, Second Series, Vol. IV, Edited by John B. Linn and William H. Egle, M.D. [E.K. Meyers, Harrisburg, 1890] p. 485 https://books.google.com/books?id=JT8OAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA485&dq=pennsylvania+conch+shell&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiT2-2QrcbiAhUhWN8KHYmrAJE4qgEQ6AEIRTAF#v=onepage&q=pennsylvania%20conch%20shell&f=false, accessed May 30, 2019

Simms, Jeptha Root; The Frontiersman of New York: Showing Customs of the Indians, Vol. 2, [Geo. C. Riggs, Albany, NY, 1883], p. 413 https://books.google.com/books?id=ZxobAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA413&dq=indian+ranger+conch+%22new+york%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjQ_-umz8biAhVCMt8KHYfQBfk4KBDoAQhAMAU#v=onepage&q=indian%20ranger%20conch%20%22new%20york%22&f=false, accessed May 30, 2019

Trumpet, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trumpet, accessed 6/11/19

Wintemberg, W. J.; “The Use Of Shells By Ontario Indians”, Annual Archeological Report, 1907, [L.K. Cameron. Toronto, Ontario; 1908], p. 61 https://books.google.com/books?id=m2jRoqWJm_0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false, accessed May 30, 2019