Settler in Missouri 1810

  • 3.3K Views
  • Last Post 19 July 2014
Vassal posted this 14 July 2014

Since the last post was answered so resolutely I thought I'd give this one a try. My family (namesake at least) came to Missouri shortly after the Louisiana Purchase, travelling from the Virginia area. What sort of rifle would they have had?

Attached Files

Order By: Standard | Newest | Votes
RicinYakima posted this 14 July 2014

This is a much tougher one to answer. Basically anyone who wanted to get land or make money went there until the outbreak of the War of 1812.

The poorest folks had rebuilt Revolutionary War muskets of French or English origin. These were very effective food gathers, shot and ball, and a 72 caliber round ball will kill anything in North America. They were heavy but could be had for a week's work clearing trees or plowing. The next step up was the Northwest Gun, made in PA or VA for the US Government Indian trade, during this period, all trade with native was through licensed government traders. These were about 2/3 the weight of muskets, and newly made, but not as strong and broke easier.

For the well to do, this was the goldern age of the peashooter “Kentucky” rifle as we call them today. These 36 to 40 caliber rifles were nicely made with all the fancy patch boxes, etc. and were fine for “Virginia Red deer", what we call whitetails now, and turkeys. It was not big bear country, no wild hogs yet, and no predators over 100 pounds. There was little Indian warfare in Missouri between 1790 and 1812. A rifle was a luxury for small game hunting and target shooting. What they used the most was the Fowler, as the bird hunting was the best in history of the US. Shot was made in Ill. and Iowa and imported up from New Orleans. Before Andrew Henry became famous in the War of 1812 and the fur trade he made a fortune in manufacturing black powder and lead mining in Missouri. Hope that helps, Ric

Attached Files

Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 14 July 2014

hey vassal; i worked in washington mo. for about a month .. love that countryside y people .. i was considered a ” yankee ” tho ( heh ) .

ken

Attached Files

R. Dupraz posted this 14 July 2014

Don't forget the southern mountain rifle, commonly labeled as the poor boy. These rifles were a rendition of the fancy embellished American long rifle, except that they were a tool built by and for the poorer southern hill people. And I suspect for the less astute, hills or not.

These are a whole separate long rifle category. When these early settlers began to move west into the south, some very talented self trained gunsmiths emerged. And they built very basic long rifles from the raw materials that were available, affordable and did the job. By basic I mean no butt plate, no nose cap or entry pipe and no other embellishments what so ever. Just a necessary tool. Things were expensive even back then, especially if one had no money. As plain as they were and even though they were built by back woods self trained smiths, surviving examples have proven to be just as accurate and reliable as the most expensive decorated rifle. And they were elegant in their plainness. Not crude in design by any means.

Also, when the small patch of land that these people settled on wore out they just moved further west in search of another place. Many eventually ended up well beyond the south.

And they brought their rifles with them. Some survived but most were just used up like any other common tool of the time. Some were still being used to fill the cooking pot well after the self contained cartridge made it's appearance.

Attached Files

RicinYakima posted this 15 July 2014

Oh, the “poor boy", my ancestors rifle. My ancestors settled on the East Fork of the Kentucky River in the 1780' and 1790's. Poor faming land and no pass over the Appalachian Mountains. No Indian troubles, no communication with NC or VA, living their lives in peace and quiet for 150 years until the War on Poverty overtook them. Owsley County. I got to see some of the originals in the 1950's when the folks took us boys back to met the cousins. Almost of the original flint guns had been converted to cap lock by the end of the War Between the States. One still had the salvaged French musket flintlock, but the bore had been drilled out to smooth bore. It did have a nice Elm stock from the 1800's. Three horseshoe nails on the heel and a Prince Albert can strip soldered to the barrel to hold the ramrod. At least two rifles with small little cap locks and skinny barrels and all iron furniture. The family said that the muzzle loaders were used until after WW1, then less than 35 years before, when you could then buy new Krag's for $2 “cash money". The smooth bores lasted until after WWII, when the price of shotgun shells fell by 75%. Then the single shot break top was king. 22 RF's were expensive even if the ammo was cheap, so not much used until after WWII. I am sure that a lot of the “poor boy” rifles went across the Mississippi after the War of 1812 and civilization was closing in on the mountain people. Most likely 10 of those for every fancy flintlock Kentucky. But as working tools they were worn out, used up or thrown away. Missouri was always wealthy country compared to the states just to the East and South. St. Louis was a prime market for new guns and sporting goods from the 1830's and onward. St Jo was the largest transportation hub in the US until the trans-continental railroad was completed in 1869. Missouri was the land of milk and honey! FWIW, Ric

Attached Files

Vassal posted this 15 July 2014

Thanks for the info. I have a lot of reading to do. And by the way Missouri (the southern half anyway) still is the land of Milk and Honey. One trip to the Ozarks is all it takes to realize such. My family came to Gasconade county around 1810 and hasn't left. My immediate family came towards the city a little bit and I'm trying to figure out how to get back. It is a beautiful thing to drive out there passing roads named after my family and hunt on land that was settled by my ancestors. It would be great to know what sort of gun(s) they had and get a reproduction.  

Attached Files

RicinYakima posted this 15 July 2014

I have never been to the southern part of the state, but drove from Hannibal to St. Joseph last year. Beautiful farm country, thriving little towns with friendly people. It rains there and you don't have to irrigate! Water falls out of the sky for free! St. Jo is falling into ruin though: want a 2 1/2 story brick antebellum home for $20,000? Ric

Attached Files

R. Dupraz posted this 15 July 2014

Fort Leonard Wood comes to mind for some reason.

Attached Files

Trap4570 posted this 15 July 2014

I live in SW Missouri and a few families that still have farms from the early settlements still exist. My wife's family settled here in the 1830's and before the old barn was torn down I found a barrel made by H.E.Leman. Another century farm produced another H.E.Leman barrel with a bit of wood still clinging to it. There have been some old guns turn up made by a local blacksmith and millwright named Jake Painter. I have encountered a few barrels made by Remington - the father of Remington Bro's. The person who has just completed a book of early rifles is James Whisker and he talks some about the migration of long guns to different parts of the country.

Attached Files

John Alexander posted this 15 July 2014

R. Dupraz wrote: Fort Leonard Wood comes to mind for some reason. Yes, you can't really appreciate the full flavor of Missouri until you have had basic training there in November and December.  The insects were under control but the mud, sand burrs and a psychotic platoon sergeant provided enough challenges.

Came back years later and lived in Jefferson City for three years.  Deer, ducks, geese, bass, and squirrels all provide better entertainment than the Army had.

John

Attached Files

RicinYakima posted this 15 July 2014

Luckily, I did not have to go to basic engineer demolitions course at Leonard Wood, but OJT'ed in Viet Nam. I think they felt sorry for all of us who did basic and AIT at Ft. Polk, LA, in July and August.

Attached Files

R. Dupraz posted this 15 July 2014

Ah, yes, John:

The grand arrival was Jan. 15, 1965. Strange how I can remember that but not most anything else anymore.

Attached Files

Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 15 July 2014

i ” received ” basic at FLW in 63 .... about 1970 i installed the burglar alarm in the mini-bank at the fort ... bittersweet describes that visit ..

ken

Attached Files

R. Dupraz posted this 15 July 2014

Co. C-4/3, 266 recruits, red dirt,mud and dust, yelling and cadence from dawn till sundown and often after, the M-14, the rifle range, a pillow case boot party for our acting PLT Leader, an appointment before the Bn Co. for not turning in my wK end pass..............

Attached Files

RicinYakima posted this 15 July 2014

Why is it that Army Posts are 99% red dirt and 1% black mud? Do they have people that go out and look for those assets in particular to build Army Posts?

Attached Files

Duane Trusty posted this 15 July 2014

RD

B-1/2 less then 200 recruits Still remember my SDI and platoon DI's names. Service Number still engraved in my head. In service before SE Asia became a popular vacation spot.

Duane

Attached Files

R. Dupraz posted this 16 July 2014

Platoon DI was SSG Arroyo. An alright decent NCO. I can see the faces of the rest of the cadre, especially the SDI, but the names escape me now.

Glad that I had the experience/opportunity though. However one wants to look at it I guess.

Attached Files

norm posted this 16 July 2014

Years ago a couple co-workers and I were sharing stories about our experiences in the U.S. Army and one said he wouldn't take a million dollars for the experience and wouldn't do it again for a million dollars. My feeling exactly.

Attached Files

nimrod posted this 16 July 2014

Interesting topic Vassal! The family being form Virginia I would guess that they might of had a Virginia style rifle and at that time period I would think that it would be around a 50 cal. The Virginia style of long rifle is very distinctive strong rifle with a wide butt plate and usually a heavy barrel with somewhat of a straight stock the forerunner of the Southern Mountain Rifle and it could have well been a smooth barrel. Go to the American Long Rifle forums and they have pictures and along with notes about the rifle makers of the various long rifle schools. You can spend many hours of researching the various makers and styles, pick something out that pleases your eye and either build it or have someone make it for you. Just remember that one is never enough. If deer hunting is in mind then a 50 cal would be about right but if small game is the main course something  from 32 to 40 is great. Richard 

Attached Files

tturner53 posted this 19 July 2014

Fort Lost in the Woods? I thought it was nice. But I was a visitor, not resident. Killed my one and only white tail buck there with a .50 cal muzzle loader while visiting a nephew. He's currently helping wrap up our Afgh. adventure, 2nd tour. Washed out of EOD school in the last week!! We're all happy but he's bummed.

Attached Files

Close