Grandpa's Rifle

My grandpa David Smith (12/11/1894-1/13/1978) had an old Winchester model 1873 32-20 rifle. Dad thought that the rifle had belonged to Grandpa’s dad Billy Smith (1/21/1872-9/3/1898). Dad’s brother, my Uncle Wallace thought that it had belonged to Grandpa’s older brother George (4/7/1893-9/23/1914). Perhaps both are correct and George, being the oldest boy, had inherited it after Billy had died. Then Grandpa assumed ownership upon George’s death?

Dad says that sometime between 1968 when we moved to Tennessee and the time Grandpa and Grandma left Anglin Branch in Owsley County, Kentucky, Dad was given the rifle. Grandpa said that he wanted Dad to have the old Winchester and Grandma told Grandpa that if he wanted Dad to have it, he should just go ahead and give it to him. So, it was then that Dad assumed ownership.

 

                                   Grandma Nancy Middleton Smith and Grandpa David Smith

                                        

                                       

                                                        

 

I like to think that the rifle did once belong to Great-grandpa Billy. He died when George was five and a half, Grandpa was a few months shy of four, and Clarence or Flornie, was not even two. The boys were young when Billy died, so I doubt that they had ever been able to go hunting with their dad.

Great-grandpa Billy is rather a mystery to us. He had a short life. Grandpa was only four when Billy died so I am sure that he had few memories of him. Grandpa’s Mother Jane Thomas Smith King lived nearby to where Grandpa and Grandma lived on Anglin Branch so Dad remembers her, but Billy’s family lived back in Harlan County and they never saw them. Dad doesn’t even remember hearing Grandpa talk about any of them. I suppose that he had few memories of them just like he had few memories of his dad. We have one or two photos that we suspect are of Billy but one of them may be his brother and the other we can only guess at. So, we have little left to tie us with Billy

 

                               Found in Grandpa's trunk; we THINK it is Jane Thomas Smith King

                                holding Flornie, George standing and Billy holding David Smith

 

                         Clarence "Flornie" Smith, David "Dave" Smith, and George Smith

The old Winchester has the kind of barrel that looks octagonal and grandpa only had one shell for it.

Now my dad and his brother Wallace were four years apart, with Wallace being older. There was an older brother Dale, but he was several years older and was married and on his own for quite some time. After Dale had come three girls, so by the time my dad was born, Uncle Wallace was likely happy to have a brother!

Despite their four-year age difference, Wallace and Dad became very good friends and “partners in crime”. They were ever together and Dad says that this continued until Wallace started courting, or, as Grandma would say, sparking.

 

                     Wallace Smith and Nancy Middleton Smith holding Donald "Doris" Smith

 

                                           Wallace and Doris keeping the homefront safe.

 

                                                           Doris in front, Wallace in back.

 

                                                         Wallace in front, Doris in rear.

 

                                                               Doris, brother Dale, Wallace.

 

 

                                                                    Wallace and Doris.

 

                                                             Wallace nearing sparking age? 

Well, grandpa gave this old rifle with its one bullet to Uncle Wallace and Dad to use. Whenever the boys got antsy to be outside, they would grab up that rifle and go traipsing off in the woods, saying they were going “hunting”. Dad says that Uncle Wallace kept the one bullet in his pocket. This makes me smile as it makes me remember how Barney Fife on the Andy Griffith show had had to keep his one bullet in his shirt pocket!

So Uncle Wallace and Dad would go off hunting with their old Winchester rifle and their one bullet in Uncle Wallace’s pocket. Dad says that they carried that rifle all around the hills surrounding their home for years, never firing the gun. Finally, Uncle Wallace decided that “enough was enough” and he took that shell out of his pocket and loaded the rifle. Then, not because he had seen some huge squirrel for some squirrel gravy; he shot that one shell for the heck of it!

 

 
                                       The old 32-20 traveled miles over the Anglin home place.

Dad and Uncle Wallace are the only Smith siblings still living. Dad lives in Tennessee and Uncle Wallace in Ohio, but they are still partners in crime in phone calls every two or three nights. Dad still owns the old rifle but it came without ammo!

 

                                                     Still "partners in crime", June 2021
 

 

                             March 2022; Granddaughter 

                        Sydney Smith Haywood and Dad 

        Dad says that the old Winchester still shoots true.