Machine Guns in the War of 1812?-- Part 1

Frm the October 2014 Naval History Magazine "Armaments & Innovations:  The U.S. Navy's Early Machine Guns" by Comdr. Tyrone G. Martin, USN (retired).

Joseph G. Chambers abandoned his studies at Princeton as the British approached in the fall of 1776 and escaped, joining his father's New Jersey militia regiment.  He took part in the battles at Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine and Germantown.

His wartime service made him very interested in weapons and he became an inventor with some very innovative and unusual guns.

In late 1812, he arrived at Washington with repeating rifles and pistols which he offered to the War Department.  He referred to his inventions, which he had worked on for two decades as "machine guns."  They worked on the "Roman Candle" principle in which when the trigger was pulled, the weapon fired a number of rounds until all were exp[ended.

Secretary of War John Armstrong wasn't interested.

Multi-Shooting Back Then.  --Brock-Perry