This is considered one of the best ball clubs recently offered for sale and is an incredible, early Eastern Woodlands ball head war club attributed to the Wampanoag Native American Indians and King George’s War. The war club dates to circa 1740-1750 and shows an artistically carved wood from the root burl of a tree showing an excellent original condition with minimal wear from age and use. The piece has a deep, shiny chocolate original patina. The bottom end of the handle has a high-relief carved ridge encircled with a row of old brass trade tacks. There are seven brass trade tacks running along the top backside of the haft arch. The war club shows a truly artistic appearance with a prominent curved design with a large spherical round burl root ball head and median ridge that runs the entirety of the club which is carved from one solid piece of root burl wood. This weapon was collected by English Lt. Colonel John Gorham (1709-1751) and after his death was later given to Major James Brennan (1699-1767) who both worked with the Wampanoag Indians in the mid-1700’s in Massachusetts during the third French & Indian War known as “King George’s War”. It was reportedly given to Gorham by a Wampanoag Indian named “Popment”. Gorham led his troops along with Pequawket, Nauset and Wampanoag warriors in defense of Fort Anne on September of 1744 against the French, who were being added by the Mic Mac Indians. Gorham offered bounties to the Wampanoag and their English allies for every Mic Mac scalp brought in. Gorham’s troops were known as “Gorham’s Rangers” and were a formidable opponent against the French and their sympathizers as they utilized brutal and rather unorthodox methods. In one documented instance, Gorham and his rangers burned down a Mic Mac village in the middle of the night while they lay asleep in their wigwams. Gorham brought back severed heads, scalps and a live Mic Mac baby. British military leadership approved of Gorham’s brutal, but effective methods on the Frontier in defending England’s interest against the French and the tribes siding with them. The character of the punishing and sinister English Captain William Tavington played by actor Jason Issacs in the 2000 Mel Gibson movie "The Patriot" was actually inspired by John Gorham and the exploits of Gorham's Rangers. The war club remained in the Brennan family collection until it was acquired by noted Indiana collector Jim Dresslar (1933-2011) through a business associate in the 1970’s. Dresslar sold it to collector and author Mark Francis in the mid-2000’s, about a month before his fall down the stairs at his hime. Dresslar was a popular and respected collector who bought, sold and traded pieces with other collectors and always welcomed other collectors for visits. He was pictured in several of the "Who's Who in Indian Relic Collecting" books. This club and its history is featured in the upcoming 2019 book "Rare American Indian Weapons Volume 2". The tomahawk war club measures overall 19” in length with the ball head being 3.5” wide. Ex-Lt. Colonel John Gorham / Major James Brennan / Jim Dresslar / Mark Francis collections. $10,000-$17,500 s.3900