Part two of "The Williamsburg Cannon" sees Boone's expedition complicated by recruit Sam Linn's pursuit of his Shawnee romantic interest, and the British force setting a trap at the Falls of the Ohio.
Joining the ensemble are Dorothy Holland (who had few tv roles before taking up a career teaching acting) as the unfortunately minimally- written Shawnee Malilia, and British actor George Backman as redcoat Major Ferguson. As in part 1, plenty of weaponry action for eighteenth century armaments enthusiasts. Plus another wagon chase and wreck! One scene would have been well-suited for McAffee to go to work with his claymore, but regretfully they aren't married up.
The introduction of "Major Ferguson" is interesting, and one wonders if the writers were trying to use the Revolution's real-life British Major Patrick Ferguson as a template. Ferguson was a weaponry specialist who developed an early breechloading rifle, and to whom is attributed an experience at the 1777 Battle of Brandywine in which he supposedly had George Washington in his sights but held fire. He later was tasked with organizing a Loyalist corps during the British campaign in the Carolinas in 1780, but his command was annihilated and Ferguson was killed by frontier militia at Kings Mountain, SC in October 1780. Since the episode has to take place in 1778 the chronology works, but the real Ferguson never served west of the Appalachians. In addtion, Boone makes reference to Ferguson's regiment as being the "Royal Fusiliers;" during his American service he was assigned to the 71st Regiment of Foot.
Some observations on transporting the title cannon - in the previous episode "River Passage" Boone moved gunpowder down the Ohio by keelboat, which were operating out of Pittsburgh by the time of the Revolution. He is using wagon transport here, but its debatable whether going cross country by such from Williamsburg to central Indiana was feasible by this date. The California ranch roads used here are far superior to anything west of the Appalachians during the period. Frontier garrisons during the Revolution certainly did use artillery, but overwhelmingly in stationary roles and in forts to which guns could be transported by water. And if George Rogers Clark wanted to breach with artillery the walls of Fort Sackville, Ind. In 1778, he would have required siege artillery akin to the guns used at Yorktown in 1781; the sheer size of those pieces would have rendered frontier use near-impossible.
Suffice it to say there was enough left in this journey for a three-parter, and Revolutionary purists may have to settle for a limited denouement. But, the literally explosive finale renders "The Williamsburg Cannon" a stalwart of the "Daniel Boone" canon. (Apologies - I couldn't resist!)
Joining the ensemble are Dorothy Holland (who had few tv roles before taking up a career teaching acting) as the unfortunately minimally- written Shawnee Malilia, and British actor George Backman as redcoat Major Ferguson. As in part 1, plenty of weaponry action for eighteenth century armaments enthusiasts. Plus another wagon chase and wreck! One scene would have been well-suited for McAffee to go to work with his claymore, but regretfully they aren't married up.
The introduction of "Major Ferguson" is interesting, and one wonders if the writers were trying to use the Revolution's real-life British Major Patrick Ferguson as a template. Ferguson was a weaponry specialist who developed an early breechloading rifle, and to whom is attributed an experience at the 1777 Battle of Brandywine in which he supposedly had George Washington in his sights but held fire. He later was tasked with organizing a Loyalist corps during the British campaign in the Carolinas in 1780, but his command was annihilated and Ferguson was killed by frontier militia at Kings Mountain, SC in October 1780. Since the episode has to take place in 1778 the chronology works, but the real Ferguson never served west of the Appalachians. In addtion, Boone makes reference to Ferguson's regiment as being the "Royal Fusiliers;" during his American service he was assigned to the 71st Regiment of Foot.
Some observations on transporting the title cannon - in the previous episode "River Passage" Boone moved gunpowder down the Ohio by keelboat, which were operating out of Pittsburgh by the time of the Revolution. He is using wagon transport here, but its debatable whether going cross country by such from Williamsburg to central Indiana was feasible by this date. The California ranch roads used here are far superior to anything west of the Appalachians during the period. Frontier garrisons during the Revolution certainly did use artillery, but overwhelmingly in stationary roles and in forts to which guns could be transported by water. And if George Rogers Clark wanted to breach with artillery the walls of Fort Sackville, Ind. In 1778, he would have required siege artillery akin to the guns used at Yorktown in 1781; the sheer size of those pieces would have rendered frontier use near-impossible.
Suffice it to say there was enough left in this journey for a three-parter, and Revolutionary purists may have to settle for a limited denouement. But, the literally explosive finale renders "The Williamsburg Cannon" a stalwart of the "Daniel Boone" canon. (Apologies - I couldn't resist!)
