Eric and Seth, thanks for taking the time to locate the material you posted. Your replies are appreciated. Jim Whisker did not provide a source, and Jerry Noble simply picked up what Whisker had put in his TN book. I corresponded with Jim recently to see if he still might have the source of his entries, but he hasn't worked with that material for years, and I think he donated much of his material to the University of West Virginia a few years ago, where he had worked. I plan on researching both James and Joseph more deeply, to see if I can find any reference to their being trained as gunsmiths, or ever doing any related types of work, or possibly having slaves on their plantations doing this type of work. They would have probably done smithing work in their younger years before they became land barons in Georgia. When I get a little more work done on this rifle, I'll post pictures of it so we can all discuss its details... and its signature.
Shelby Gallien
