Early uses of the term include the newspaper, the "Connecticut Courant" in April 1771, which said "... but if you are afraid of the sea, take Brown Bess on your shoulder and march." This familiar use indicates widespread use of the term by that time. The 1785 "Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue", a contemporary work that defined vernacular and slang terms, contained this entry: "Brown Bess: A soldier's firelock. To hug Brown Bess; to carry a fire-lock, or serve as a private soldier." Military and government records of the time do not use this poetical name but refer to "firelocks", "flintlock", "muskets" or by the weapon's model designations.