THROUGH
MOUNTAIN MISTS
Early Settlers of
Their
Descendants...Their Stories...Their Achievements
Lifting the
Mists of History on Their Way of Life
By: Ethelene Dyer Jones
The Gillespie
rifle-a trusted firearm
I wonder how
many reading this column have heard of the Gillespie gunmakers or have a treasured firearm made by
the Gillespie family of East Fork, N.C., (and elsewhere) passed down
through many generations and kept as an heirloom?
I have recently
been in touch with T. Dennis Glazener of
It has been
written that "many a mountain man who gambled his life on his rifle
trigger swore by his Gillespie rifle." (The
Ashville Times). Most Gillespie rifles made before 1830 were
flintlocks. These were fired by rubbing metal to create a spark to
ignite the powder. Even though other rifle manufacturers began to use
other types of firing mechanisms, the Gillespies
continued to make flintlocks even after the Civil War period.
The flintlock
was a favorite of mountain men. Maybe they liked to smell powder
burning and enjoyed the simplicity of the flintlock.
Another
interesting fact about the Gillespie firearms is that no two guns were
exactly alike. The gunmakers used
creativity in the wood for the stock and the metals for butt plates,
tangs, trigger and trigger guard, muzzle, and other appendages. Some
are of silver and even gold was used on occasion, as well as pewter and
iron. Not all Gillespie-made rifles were signed by the gunmaker, but those that were are, indeed,
treasured highly. At times, since guns were designed and made for
specific clients, the owner's initials and name were carved into the
metal plate or elsewhere on the gun.
John Gillespie,
Sr. of East Fork, N.C., taught three of his sons the gunsmith trade.
These were
William Gillespie (12/28/1785-9/23/1851), Mathew Gillespie
(7/23/1788-5/16/1871) and Robert Harvey Gillespie (2/1/1791-
5/29/1881). Two of Mathew Gillespie's sons, John R. Gillespie
(12/6/1811- 1/15/1864) and James A. Gillespie (1/5/1822-3/17/1897)
moved from
John R.
Gillespie (12/6/1811-1894) was the first-born son of Mathew and
Elizabeth Gillespie, and a grandson of John Gillespie, Sr. His move to
Union County, GA., was soon after March 24, 1849 when the Mills River
Baptist Church records show he received "a letter of dismission" to move to Georgia. In those days,
the church to which the migrant moved did not write for a letter;
rather, the member took the letter with him as he moved to the new
area.
The Union
County, GA., census shows both John R. Gillespie and his younger
brother, James A. Gillespie (1/5/1822-3/17/1897) living in
John R.
Gillespie signed his rifles with his initials J.G. James A. Gillespie
signed his guns with JA G. Some have surmised that the J. G. signed
rifles are by the grandfather, John Gillespie, Sr. However, those guns
found with the J G signature seem of later vintage than could have been
made by John, Sr. who died in 1822. The elder Gillespie may not have
placed his initials on any guns he made. Dr. John Burrison
has a collection of James Gillespie tools and a rifle on display at the
John R.
Gillespie was married first to Kizzie
Cook. They had no children. In 1880 he married Lizzie Justice. They had
one daughter, Johnce. When John Gillespie
died in 1894, he was buried in the
James A.
Gillespie and Elizabeth Daniel had three sons: George Washington
(1858-1941), Alexander Lafayette (1865-1941) and William Mathew
(1868-1926). After James's death in 1897, his wife Elizabeth moved to
(Note: This
story will continue next
week. I have been in touch
with two families in
[Ethelene
Dyer Jones is a retired educator, freelance writer, poet, and historian.
She may be reached at e-mail edj0513@windstream.net;
phone 478-453-8751; or mail
Back To Union County, Georgia GenWeb Site