Original item: One of a Kind. Found at a New Jersey Garage Sale !!! and purchased for a song! Unfortunately NOT by us but nevertheless, what a find!

This is a very nice 18th Century Horn Beaker drinking vessel, standing just 5" tall and 3" across the drinking rim. The beaker is lined with metal, which appears to be silver, or possibly silver plated brass, with a very pleasing silver top edge around the rim. It looks somewhat like a portion of Cow Horn as in a Powder Horn but the point cut off. A lovely dark honey color that I think takes eons to mature on which has some lovely engraving in two locations on the side. The first reads:

While the other reads:

Just extraordinary and very appealing. It also shows a "Faced Crescent Moon" as part of the decoration. Apparently it was used to hold pens and pencils for as long as the family member who sold it remembered, before selling it to our garage sailor.

There remains plenty of research to be done. Preliminary research shows a Captain John Mott listed on the muster roll of the 3rd New Jersey Regiment, as listed at the Valley Forge Muster Roll: 3rd New Jersey Regiment. He began his service in the as a 1st Lieutenant in the 3rd Regiment NJ Line 9 Feb 1776, and was promoted to Captain 20 Nov 1776. This regiment was part of "Maxwell's Brigade", under Brigadier General William Maxwell. The regiment had seen action at Lake Champlain, Northern New Jersey, New York in 1777, the Defense of Philadelphia, and in the Philadelphia-Monmouth campaign. The brigade entered Valley Forge as part of Sullivan’s Division, and Left Valley Forge in May 1778 for New Jersey. Joined Lee’s Division in New Jersey.

Now, this is where things unfortunately become confusing. There are several sources that identify this Captain John Mott as the same one that accompanied George Washington during the Battle of Trenton. This problem stems from the record keeping of the time, as well as one simple fact: there were many men who served in both the Continental Army as well as the Local militias, and often would move back and forth over the course of the war.

The Captain John Mott that took part in the Battle of Trenton was born 1734 and died in 1804. He first joined the 1st Regiment of Hunterdon and was based at Perth Amboy in early 1776. He was tasked by General Philemon Dickinson to carry to General George Washington a letter offering himself and his men as Guides to Washington's Army.

He met up with Washington on December 25th 1776 at McConklay's Ferry and joined Washington's men crossing the Delaware River. They then took part in the Battle of Trenton against the Hessians. Captain Mott went on to serve at the Battles of Somerset Courthouse 1777, Short Hills 1777, Monmouth Courthouse 1778 and the Battle of Springfield in 1780. He retired from active service and became part of the New Jersey Legislature. He died in 1804. His Grandson became a Union General in the Civil War, one GERSHAM MOTT.

The question is, is this the same Captain John Mott who was in the 3rd New Jersey regiment? This John Mott lived north of Trenton, but there was another John Mott who originated from Mount Holly New Jersey. For more information on what we assume his the history of this Captain John Mott, please see this website: Captain John Mott of the Third New Jersey.

Another Revolutionary War relic saved from the landfill, ready to research and display!