Hampshire County Long Rifle

Saturday, October 24, 2015

GEORGE W GLAZE Part I

George W Glaze born 1779 in Hampshire County, son of George Glaze. He grew up on the South Branch of the Potomac near Springfield WV. While he learned to make guns from his father, there is evidence that he served some kind of apprenticeship in Winchester Virginia. Speculation is with one of the Lauck Gunsmiths. Records indicate that he was in Hampshire County VA & Oldtown Maryland until 1827 when he went to Pickaway County Ohio, just after the Death of his father George, who moved there in 1808 . We do not know exactly how long he stayed in Ohio. The 1840 Census puts him in Hendricks IN. George remained there until his death in 1862.

The following rifle by George W Glaze is an exquisite rifle in pristine condition. As you will see with this rifle and subsequent photos that follow, his pieces are works of art. They are as good as any of the masters working in the Golden Age period and Glaze doesn't take a back seat to anyone. Take special note of this particular piece that you will see in the following photos. The lock is one of a kind. The carving is not a cookie cutter design. In fact all of his carvings vary to some degree on his rifles so as to express himself to the best of his ability. No major restoration has been done on this rifle you are about to see. It is in it's unaltered state ( attic condition) , with only a minimal amount of work done to conserve it. This is the first time any photos of this rifle has been shared publicly. So get a beverage of your choice and sit back and enjoy the following presentation.

Signed in Silver Inlay on Barrel

Click Picture for larger Image , then scroll to advance to next image.

Barrel 35" long.

For everyone that is interested in schools of long rifles, and are students of them. Here are some elements that we think you will enjoy. The architecture is early Hampshire County "Golden Age" at its best. The relief carving has a wonderful blend of the Cumberland Maryland School as well as the Winchester Virginia School. The butt plate return is definitely Winchester School, as is the silver hunter star and wire inlay. The brass under cheek piece inlay using silver headed round nails are found in the Cumberland School. The heart inlay at the wrist is held in place with a silver rectangular head nail is found in the Winchester and Hampshire County Schools. The wrist carving is of the Winchester and Hampshire Schools. The blending of the schools result in a superb presentation piece.

This lock made & signed by Glaze is one of a kind that we have not seen before. We have no idea why he built this lock. Could it be to see a vision come to fruition, or was made to strengthen the area where the lock mortise, trigger & guard are usually found? If indeed he made it for these reasons, he saw his vision come to reality. With all the internals now externals on the lock, the area is now stronger than any normal rifle. Take a few moments to study this lock.

G W G

Termination of stock molding only adds to the artistic merit of this rifle.

The only non embellished area on this rifle. Actually this lets your eyes fixate on the fantastic relief carving on the cheek side of rifle.

This seven pierced patchbox is one of our favorite design and is found on other rifles by the great masters of this area, Frederick Sheetz and William Britton.

Hidden lid release is found on the bottom panel of the patchbox. Pushing below the lower left hand screw releases the lid.

Note the line in the lower butt-stock region in the above picture. This is found on a few early Hampshire County rifles. The wood was added during construction as not to waste a premium piece of maple.

Silver wire inlay surrounding the hunter star.

Church Steeple, arrowhead or pointed finial.

To some the silver heart inlay represents the "Fifth wound of Christ". Beautiful relief carving on wrist.

Silver captured key inlay. Incised forestock molding.

Vent pick holder.

Incised carving on nose of fore-stock abruptly terminates due to a early repair.

Tastefully engraved brass toe plate.

Vent pick or feather hole.

Incised & low relief flower terminating the fore stock molding near rear entry pipe.

Metal to wood fit on rear entry pipe precisely done.

Detailed image of high relief carving is found on George W Glaze's work well past the Golden Age era.

Round silver nails.

Long blade on front sight dominates his work

.45 caliber.

Virginia School rectangular head nails used to fasten silver thumb plate.

High relief carving.

Case hardened tang.

Winchester School brass butt plate.

Patchbox cavity.

Special thanks to the caretaker of this fantastic antique long rifle. Please do not copy pictures.

GLAZE PART II

BMS JDM

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Roland Savage Dayton Preacher,Gunsmith & Farmer

Roland Savage Dayton born April 21, 1814 in Hampshire County VA, present day Mineral County WV. In the 1850 census he is listed as a gunsmith. His brother Oliver is also listed as a blacksmith and lived next door to Frederick Sheetz, gunsmith and mill owner of Sheetz’ Mill. Roland was just two doors down from his brother Oliver. Sometime just after the Civil War, Sheetz’ Mill name was changed to Headsville.

Click Pictures for Larger View

Due to the close proximity to Frederick Sheetz would be a good guess that Roland may have apprenticed to Sheetz.

On the few surviving rifles that Roland made, we find most are signed on the barrel flat between the rear sight and breech R S D or R S Dayton, in script. All surviving rifles are percussion. His work is neat and of very good quality. His capbox lids have a nice finial, similar to ones found on patchboxes. Naturally they are stocked in Maple, as most rifles of this area are.

In the 1860 census Roland is found in Allegany County Maryland near McCool. The following story related to me from a descendant of Dayton, is a testament to his faith in God.

“During the Civil War the Methodist Church at Sheetz’ Mill, present day Headsville, was occupied by soldiers. For a time after the war there wasn’t any preachers assigned to the church. Rev. Roland Savage Dayton walked from 21^st Bridge near McCool Maryland to hold services”

That is a distance of over 10 miles.

Rev. Roland Savage Dayton died August 3, 1900. It was said that he preached over 6000 sermons, no mention to how many rifles he may have built.

A few years back I visited his grave, at the end of 21 First Bridge, on a bluff on the Maryland side of the North Branch of the Potomac, Dayton Cemetery.
See:

Hampshire County Long Rifle: FREDERICK SHEETZ, GUNSMITH EXTRAORDINAIRE !

Friday, July 3, 2015

JAMES SIMS

James Sims (1754-1845), Gunsmith of Nicholas County

James Sims, my 5th great-grandfather, was a gunsmith and blacksmith. The Sims rifle was praised for its accuracy.[1]In his book Gunsmiths of West Virginia, on p. 105, James P. Whisker wrote he had never seen a Sims rifle. Several descendants of James Sims owned rifles in 1947 when interviewed by William H. Maginnis and in 1993 as related to me in 2002 by Rose Mary Sims Rudy. William Sims, who made the rifle, was a gunsmith of wide fame according to J.T. Peters and H.B. Carden.

I used to correspond with a "relative" who has since died (1998). He sent me this photograph of the "Mountain Rifle that William (Billy Gunsmith) Sims made." It was in his possession at the time the photo was made in 1993. We talked just before he died and he was giving it to his son!! He was responsible for securing a grave marker for our ancestor James - the date was assumed to be 1838. In correspondence he stated "his great uncle Eugene Simms reported that James was still drawing his RW pension when he died." He says that the Mountain Rifle has been in the family for many years passed to him by his grandfather and father. William Sims is written on the barrel. His father once told him of a wild hog chasing him up a tree and his brother coming to his rescue with this gun.

Nicholas County was the early stomping ground of the Sims family. When James Sims settled there with his large family the county had not yet been formed from Kanawha County. James brought his Negro slaves and the tools of his blacksmith and gunsmith trades with him. Rev. Shirley Donelly, well-known for his column "Yesterday and Today" in the Beckley Post- Herald, wrote, "His rifles became noted and won an enviable reputation. Some years ago, one of these guns was shown to me but they now have all but disappeared from local circles. The Simms rifle ranked with the fine rifles produced in Raleigh County by James A. Honaker, J. B. Honaker, Joseph Carper, and Samuel Carper, as well as the Henderson rifles of Summers County and the Miller rifles of Monroe County."[2]

James Sims, a native of Culpeper County, may have learned the blacksmith and gunsmith trades before 1780 in Falmouth or Fredericksburg, both in Stafford County. Fredericksburg was a center of the iron industry in colonial times.[3]

James moved to Lowmoor, then Bath County, Virginia, about 1787 where he engaged in rifle making.[4]

A family tradition tells of James Sims, learning of the illness of his dear cousin Frances Sims Morris, wife of Joshua Morris, going to Kanawha Valley:

Following her death (Phebe), James Sims married Nancy (sic, Elizabeth) Cotton. Soon after this marriage, he went to Kanawha Valley to visit a cousin and also visited the Henry Morris home on Peter’s Creek. Henry tried to persuade him to buy near him, but James being a great hunter, said, “No, this section is too thickly settled.” So Henry took him on a hunting expedition down Peter’s Creek, out across the Little Elk Mountain and started down Little Elk Creek where they found signs of bear, deer and wild turkey. James Sims then said, “Henry, if I can buy land on this creek, I’ll be your neighbor soon.” The land belonged to John Jones who lived at what is now Pratt. He had married a Morris and had purchased thousands of acres of land. He at once went to see Mr. Jones and they soon agreed on a price for 500 acres on Little Elk Creek: a plug horse and a flint lock rifle. As soon as he could make arrangements, he moved his family there.”[5]

This colorful family history must be taken with a grain of salt. No court record of the above transaction has been found. The Kanawha County Clerk's office has a deed dated 8 April 1800 in Deed Book A page 391 in which John Jones conveyed 123 acres of land on Gauley to James Sims for the sum of five shilling.

In 1926 Peters and Carden were given a similar account of the story. The old plug horse and rifle were still part of the deal but the tract of land was 600 acres.

James Sims, great-grandfather of Miletus Sims (who is now living at Swiss and is 94 years of age), came from Culpepper county, Virginia, in 1795, and bought a 600-acre tract of land from Morris and Jones for which he paid on (sic, one) old plug horse and a muzzle-loading rifle. This tract of land was partly in Nicholas and partly in Fayette county.[6]

Col. Edward Campbell, author of a series of articles which appeared in the Chronicle in 1883, wrote about James Sims:

Going up Gauley River to the mouth of Little Elk, which empties into the river two miles above the ford, we come to the settlement made by J. Windsor. James Sims also made a small improvement at this place. He came from Jackson’s River in Bath County, Virginia. He was a gunsmith and blacksmith, and did but little farming. He had a large family of children, both male and female. Mr. Sims also brought the first darkies that were ever seen in these parts. He had two sons that were also gunsmiths and made the best of rifle guns. As these guns were much in demand with the increasing settlers they did a lucrative business. They both married young, and settled near their father and did some farming in addition to their work on guns. James lived to see his family settled here and elsewhere. His sons, William and Martin, remained here until they were old men and died leaving large families. James Sims was said to be 90 years old when he died.[7]

Col. Edward Campbell, the son of John Campbell and Nancy Hughes, was born in 1800 and acquired the basics of an education from his parents. Shortly after the formation of Nicholas County in 1818, he was appointed a justice of the peace and travelled throughout the county performing legal services for many of the outlying settlers who found it inconvenient if not impossible to make the long trip into Summersville. Campbell possessed an extraordinary memory for names and facts about the earliest inhabitants of Nicholas County, and some sixty years following his days as a travelling justice, he wrote down his reminiscences of the early settlers and the way in which they lived. Campbell’s memoirs have always been held in high esteem by historians, and where validation is possible he has seldom been found in error in any of his remarks.[8]

After Indians were driven away from the Kanawha valley about 1794, gunsmiths and hunters were still in demand in this region because of the abundance of wolves, bears and other wild beasts. Among the gunsmiths and hunters of the period were James Sims of Gauley river and his son, William.[9]

When William H. Maginnis wrote this statement in 1947 several guns made by William Sims were known to still be in existence. William learned his trade from his father James who turned the business over to his son. No known gun made by James has been preserved.

On 8 June 1802 James Sims and his son William were seen on a list of men to whom $2.50 was paid for each wolf-scalp presented. Part of the routine work, as seen in the minute-book, of the Kanawha County court was the payment of bounties for scalps of wolves.

Miletus Sims (1831-1927), who was about 14 years old when his great-grandfather James Sims died, described him as "a physical giant, fair of complexion, a great hunter and woodsman and inclined to thrift. He built the best house on Gauley in those days - two story, hewn oak logs and a massive chimney."[10]

Mrs. Ruberta Malva "Bertie" Simms Wicker, a daughter of Miletus, wrote a three-page missile to Rev. Shirley Donnelly in 1969. "His (Miletus) grandfather, William Sims, was a fine gunsmith and lived at the mouth of Little Elk, now Swiss, W. Va. There the family built a log cabin that was two stories high. It had a little ladder arrangement in one corner, where they could climb up to shoot at the wolves which prowled through there at that time. I remember the house very well as I am now 97 years old."

In 1835 James Sims was 80 years old when he sent this statement or letter of reply to the Pension Bureau following questions of the authenticity of his claim to be a veteran of the Revolution. James mentions he gave a new rifle and $500 in continental money to one William Noll (?) whom he hired as a substitute, most likely about 1775. Was this new rifle one of the first he manufactured? [11]

James Sims Pensioner Serv 9 mo. Receives $30 pension. I the undersigned James Sims in pursuance of the requisites of the Secretary of the War gives the following narrative ________ services as a Soldier in the War of the Revolution & statement of my age to-wit. I am in my 79th year of age. I am a native of Culpepper County & lived in that county during the War of the Revolution. In my nieneteenth or twentieth year of age (I cant tell in what year) I was drafted for 3 mo. & marched from Cupepper Country under Capt. John Tults (?) (don’t recollect the names of his subaltern officers) Capt Tults company was attached to a Regt commanded by Col Jno Slaughter which went from Culpepper. The Regt. Marched to Norfolk. Can’t recollect the names of any towns through which we marched on going to Norfolk. We were discharged at Norfolk in time to get home before the three months expired. In less than one year after the preceding term, (I cant tell in what year) I was drafted again for 3 mo. And hired a substitute whose name was William Noll (?) gave him $500 in continental money and a new rifle gun. In the year in which Cornwallis was captured at Yorktown I was drafted again for 3 mo. Set out from Culpepper under a Capt. Whose name I have forgotten. We were preparing to set out on the march for nearly one week, when the news of Cornwallis’ defeat was received & we were ordered to return home & done so, having been in service this latter term about one week – I was a Sergeant & they ended my services — Saml Price wrote my Declaration to whom I gave this same narrative of my service. That I now give. I agreed to give him $20 if he brought me my money In ______________of all which I hereto subscribe my name. Jany 10, 1835
His
James X Sims
Mark

The original Revolutionary War application papers were sent to W. G. Singleton, U.S. District Attorney, at Winchester, Virginia, on 13 March 1835. Upon an examination of his claim by the U.S. District Attorney, James Sims' name was dropped from the pension rolls, 21 March 1835, as it was shown that he did not render the alleged service.

Although James Sims' service during the Revolutionary War was not accepted as proof for a pension, the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) have accepted his "providing supplies" and approved him as a Revolutionary War patriot. How I would love to find a document showing he provided arms of his own making.

See Updated Article Here

[1] William Griffee Brown, History of Nicholas County, West Virginia, Dietz Press, 1954, p.375

[2] Rev. Shirley Donnelly, "Nicholas County Had Fine Gunsmith, Too," Beckley Post Herald, 24 September 1965 p. 4.

[3] William H. Maginnis, "Guns Made by Pioneer on Gauley River," The Charleston Gazette, Sunday, 10 August 1947 p. 20.

[4] George R. Penick Jr., comp., The Penick Papers (a Sims family compilation) (compiled in 1978-1980).

[5] Lela Wolfe Prewitt, “James Sims of Culpeper, Fayette & Nicholas Cos., (W) Va.,” Ancestors & Descendants of Thomas Sims of Culpeper County, Virgina Edmund Butler of Virginia and Kentucky with Allied Families & Other Culpeper Data, Compiled and published by Lela Wolfe Prewitt, Fairfield, Iowa, 1972, p. 156.

[6] J.T. Peters and H.B. Carden, History of Fayette County, published by the Fayette County Historical Society, Inc., 1926, page 610.

[7] Edward Campbell, “Early Settlers of Nicholas County, Virginia,” Nicholas County, (West) Virginia Records of the Pioneers 1818-1860, p. 63

[8] Ibid., p. 54

[9] "Guns Made by Pioneer on Gauley River"

[10] Ibid.

[11] James Sims, Revolutionary War Pension Application papers, File No. S.19494

Illustrations by Jeff Prechtel

We are grateful and very pleased with this wonderful article Cathy Meder-Dempsey shared with us.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

SAMUEL K. NELSON GUNSMITH, CIVILIAN CIVIL WAR PRISONER and ADAM KELLER'S RIFLE MEMBER OF THE "SWAMP DRAGONS"

A while back, I got a call from James Whisker, saying he was looking at two rifles, and he was sure they were from West Virginia. However, the signature on both of them, he had not encountered before. He said the fellow that had them would be heading my way in a few days, and I should look at them. Well, to make a long story short, we inspected the rifles and had to agree with James, that they were made somewhere around these parts.

Click image for larger view

Both rifles were signed "S K N," in script. Well, a friend and fellow student of West Virginia Rifles from the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, as well as myself started going through the census records.

When we found a Samuel K Nelson listed as gunsmith in the 1860 census, we knew we had the maker of these rifles.

Samuel K. Nelson , was born in 1811, in Greenbrier County, WV. He moved to Pendleton County with his parents. There, he was a Farmer, mill owner, and gunsmith. Engraved on silver inlay, under the cheek piece of one rifle, is the name Adam Keller. During our research, we found that Adam Keller was born 1818 in Pendleton County. Adam and Samuel were married to sisters. During the Civil War, Adam joined the Swamp Dragons, a Union Guerilla group, or militia. Samuel was accused of helping the Confederates and making statements against the Union. He was arrested and spent some time in a Wheeling, WV Prison. The prison was in a hotel, called Athenaeum. We found copies of letters from him and the Union officials relating to this matter. He finally obtained his freedom by posting bond and pledging his allegiance to the Union.

SIGNED AFFIDAVIT BY SAMUEL NELSON'S ACCUSERS

(partial excerpt) " Post Head Quarter, Petersburg, VA 27 June 1862

Deposition of Amos Shirk,

I Amos Shirk do solemnly swear that I heard Samuel K. Nelson say if any man reported him to the "Union Forces" and he should be ---- or have the opportunity he would kill the one who reported him and further that he would rejoice in the opportunity of shooting or stoning the Yankees and that from his whole conversation that he appears a very strong secession's Amos Shirk.

Sworn before me this 27th day of June 1862

C.W. Sheaver Capt

? counseling ? Post

Deposition # 2

Deposition of William Shreve,

I Wm Shreve do solemnly swear that I was in the confederate camp, in the "Upper Tract" Pendleton Co. VA with Samuel K. Nelson, and heard him report one Adam Carr, as being a dangerous Union man and proposed to lead the rebels to the house of said Carr for the purpose of arresting him and that he expressed his regret that John Carr son of Adam Carr who had been arrested by the rebels had been released declaring that if he had been in camp sooner he would have been retained and further that the said Sam K. Nelson expressed the opinion that the "Black Flag" should be raised in Virginia and every Union man should be put to death."

(signed) William Shreve

X his mark

Sworn before me this 27th day of June 1862

C.W. Sheaver, Capt

? Counsel? Post

LETTERS FROM SAMUEL REQUESTING HIS RELEASE AND HIS DEFENSE, WHILE HE WAS IMPRISONED IN WHEELING.

Maj Gen Halleck July 14, 1862

"Dear Sir I thank your honor of communicating to me the charges against me it is the most notorious false hood that man ever was charged with I am able to prove by my neighbors that I am falsely accused and if you will please allow me the liberty of hiring a man to go to my neighborhood I can convince you and all who may desire of my innocence I can prove I have kept my Union neighbors hid from the secesh and knew where they were all the time and I can prove that I was not for war in no respect and that it would be wisdom to ???? our new president now the fact is that I can get every person

in my neighborhood to sign a petition for me as a peaceable citizen I can hire a man here to go for me if you will be so kind as to let me have the chance Now I will inform you the nature of that report of me threatening -- it was a company of what we call Swamp dragons who was some that belonged to the south and run off and joined the north and is new so -- of them at home in army against both sides and a man named Isaac Carr who was mad at me before the war was thought of said he would give them fifty dollars if they would catch me so I said if they came to disturb I would shoot some of them they are not Union me but terrorists to all and my Union neighbors? they not suffer it done ? to me Now this man is not believed on oath and is always been called a busy body if you will give me the liberty to send I will bring certification enough to convince you that I am clear of any such thing as to disturb any Union I beg of your ? excell?? the honor of letting me know if you will give me a chance or not

I am your very respectful servant

Sam K. Nelson

To the Hon Major Darr provost"

RECOMMENDATION FOR HIS RELEASE

SAMUEL'S RELEASE

Adam Keller left here before the conflict ended. Adam was in Missouri for a while, but things there must have been as bad as here. He finally settled in Iowa. In Iowa, he spent the rest of his days as a farmer. Dying there in 1888.

Samuel K. Nelson died May 22 1880.

After consulting with several collectors and students of the longrifle, these two rifles currently are the only known work of Samuel K. Nelson. If you have a rifle signed "S K N," or "S Nelson," please contact us. We would like to see more of his work.
Note, Samuel K Nelson can be found in Pendleton, Hardy & Grant County Census. For some reason he is actually in both the Pendleton & Grant County in 1870. Reporting at Upper Tract for Pendleton, and Milroy District for Grant.

Special thanks to James Whisker for bringing these rifles to our attention.

Thanks to Billie Jane McInernery a descendant of Adam Keller for helping us with the research & helping us put the puzzle together.

These blogs are a work in progress, new info will be added or removed as we learn more.

* One more Samuel K Nelson rifle has been found since we first posted this. We are alway looking for more rifles made by him, if you have one , please contact us, we would be pleased to see it. Thanks.

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Another Great Hampshire County Rifle

It has been awhile since we added anything to this blog, however with the holidays behind us we will try to get some more stuff on here. As I have said many times we are always looking for pictures of antique long rifles made in the great state of West Virginia. To all of you who have provided pictures, history and other help we are greatly appreciative.

The following pictures came to us in the mail. The owner found our blog and was much interested in this regions gun makers, rifles & history. They just happened to be the fortunate caretaker of a Frederick Sheetz rifle. I was going to add these pictures of the rifle to an earlier blog on Frederick Sheetz, but since we have not posted anything for awhile I thought we would put them on. Not to mention that it really deserves its own billing. I hope you enjoy seeing this rifle as much as we have.

Click to see: Earlier Post on Frederick Sheetz

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