Anyone have any information on who is thought to have made this rifle?

[Dennis Glazener]

Anyone have any information on who is thought to have made this rifle?

http://kyhistory.pastperfect-online.com/35577cgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=9300844D-1B12-4C5F-859F-160610983079;type=101

Several years ago, when I was trying to run down the source of a family rumor that Daniel Boone carried one of my Gillespie family rifles (never did believe it!), the KY Historical Society sent a copy of this document to me. Evidently the above link shows the rifle this document describes.

Boone Rifle

                                 Sept. 15, 1900
Governor, State of Ky., Frankfort, Ky.

My Dear Sir­

   I have in my possession the rifle used by Daniel Boone, I am certain, and I have a full history of the gun- it is about

140 years old and was made for Boone by a famous gunsmith from North Carolina, named (inserted here is first name Taylor) Graham, who lived on the Elkhorn in Kentucky and made guns for many years after the pioneers had moved away or dec'd - I got it through the kindness of Dr. Percy De Barray, of Tallulah Falls, Georgia, who had gotten it from a gentleman in Louisville and who had found it through a newspaper article in a country paper in North Eastern~Kentucky. It was given to an old trapper and friend of Boone named Dedmon, and kept in a mountaineers family for years - For a long time it was hidden away in an old closet until found- The people were nice and intelligent (sic) who had it - but poor - ant (sic) they sold it to a Col. Ellis (I think) of Louisville and a friend of Dr. De Barray's of Georgia - He has the finest private museum in America - and one of the bugles that blew at (Bolerklavia) that cost him $1000 to get.

This cut will show you a little about the rifle on the 4th page. It is 12 pounds in weight and 5 feet 4 inches long - My grandfather was with Boone 2 years in Kentucky and under Clark and was with him at the battle of the Blue Licks (see my biography) and he said he shot from the right shoulder and his arms were not quite as long as a man usually of 5 feet 11 inches, and that his rifle stock was rather short - He also said that he was a great carver and that his rifle had pictures of Indians on it and also this inscription - "Boones Best Friend".

As soon as I saw the rifle at Tallulah Falls, Ga., I was sure it was his gun from what my father often told me of my grandfathers account of Boone and his rifle. Dr. De Barray went to Faris last Fall and sold me the rifle - I have no use much for it and it is in my way to take it about - you can see the pictures on it, here in cut - representing the "Cane", (Kaintuckee Indian meaning "Cane Land) - also deer and Indian heads - and C­the sun means the "New Land of the West". There are 15 notches for Indians shot - the custom of the hunters being to put notches on the stock for them. Under my fingers on the barrel is a heart and below "D. B. "- stamped in the iron by the maker in little stars - on the reverse of the rifle stock and under the cheek piece, is this rude inscription, "Boons Best Fren", cut there himself and in the exact letters that are on the beach tree bark you have now - spelling his name-just the same way. On the muzzle of the gun are 8 stars- the trade mark of old Graham at first - changed to 8 stars and 2 rings later on after the l7th century.

There is an old lady here in Alabama, 85 years old, who is a niece of one of Boone's brothers - a grand niece one - and she sent for me in Cane Spring, Ala., to see the rifle. She had heard her people tell of the rifle and said it had been lost and no one knew where it ``as - s he said it had pictures on it carved with a knife - and ti-at Boone always called it his best freend ­and she thought he had carved that on it. She said, "I believe truly that is his rif1e - Lawsl I have heard my old people in Kentucky and Carolina tell of it often~. She seem impressed it was his gun, and everyone who sees it says the same thing.

I have the powder horn with it also, with D. B. on it and a deer - and it is curved and hangs on the right side - the side for one who shoots from the right shoulder - all Kentucky rifles were made for the man who used them only.

The U. S. Gov't. wants the rifle and have seen the newspaper account I have - but they have no money - all things being presented to the U. S. Museum free.

Would you people of Kentucky wish the gun? I will sell it to you as I want you to have it because it belongs there and my grandfather fought with Boone at the Blue Licks and helped to settle Kentucky.

I have written Hon. Henry Watterson also about it - please answer soon. Can come, or send it for inspection.

Very Truly Yours, Gilbert Walden

The rifle was bought from Gilbert Walden by the State Historical Society, through the contributions of many citizens (no price given)

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

I saw it in The museum. Very disappointing.  Boone did know how to spell his own name............ it is a very crudely cobbled together gun. 

[Avlrc]

Possible that the Gunsmith in Boonesborough, consumed to much "Rattlesnake Bite Ale" that the innkeeper Cincinnatus brewed.

[Fullstock longrifle]

I think Elmer Fudd probably made it.

[Tanselman]

This rifle was "debated" for many years. Being unsigned and a common rifle, its maker will probably never be known. It has some western North Carolina characteristics in the "half-round" bow on the guard and the bone inlay that serves as a butt plate...or at least the top extension of one. The few legitimate records of Boone's rifles (and he owned many during his life) indicate that Boone favored finer guns, often with some silver decoration.

The KY Historical Society gun is an "icon" in KY for how so many artifacts were attributed to Boone back at the turn of the century, and how many have turned out to be frauds. An astute KY historian once said of Boone artifacts (and I roughly paraphrase), "One must keep in mind that all of the known Boone artifacts would fill a 10 room mansion, while Boone lived in a single room cabin." Mr. Walden, the original seller of this "artifact," was later known to be a "wheeler dealer" not above "enhancing" an artifact, or other object, if it would help him sell it to a gulible buyer. The old letter states the gun was made by "Graham on the Elkhorn." That reference to Graham was "lifted" from an early Kentucky history; gunsmith William Graham arrived early in KY from Virginia, but his work looked nothing like this gun with North Carolina influences...but in 1900, no one in KY knew that.

The Kentucky Historical Society has, for many years now, known the gun is bogus, but it has been on display for so long, it has become an endearing display of old time ignorance on the authenticity of Boone artifacts. Even the skull casting, in the lower right of the full length view, is highly suspect of whether it was taken from Boone's crumbling scull, or a family slave buried near Rebecca. The shape of the cranial casting is much closer to a black man's skull of that day, than to the known descriptions of Boone's wide head with tall forehead. Boone for years was the "Holy Grail" of Kentucky artifacts in that state, so it's no wonder we have so many proclaimed artifacts, including many of the "later" carved tree trunks with Boone's initials and/or "D. Boon cilled a bar on this tree" slogans. All known examples of Boone's signature, and a good number survive, use the "e" at the end of "Boone." On the other hand, the many dubious artifacts attest to how beloved, and important, Boone was to Kentucky's settlement and early history.  Shelby Gallien

[Dennis Glazener]

Thanks for the information Tanselman. I had a Gillespie descendant contact me running down the same family legend about Boone carrying a Gillespie rifle. In looking up the information that I had found I ran across the copy of the KY Historical Society letter and he sent me the link to the rifle. Just wondered what more information was floating around about it. Sure don't want the family name tied to that rifle I suspect the story is bogus but if it does have merit it would more than likely have been made back when the family lived on the Cowpasture in VA and to the best of my knowledge none of those early rifles have ever shown up (Rev War or earlier).
Dennis

[halfstock]

There is always the posibillity that ole dan'l tried to stock one himself, I imagine it would have been just about that crude.