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Photo of Bigfoot Wallace
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Booshway
Picture of Notchy Bob
posted
This photo is in the current issue (May, 2013, page 22)of True West magazine: Bigfoot Wallace in 1872. You can really see more detail in the picture in the magazine than online.

I thought it was interesting. Wallace was an older fellow when the picture was taken in 1872, and maybe he pulled out some of the gear he used in his younger days for the photo shoot, but he is holding a long rifle. It is not a breechloader or even a "plains rifle," as we might expect. The hunting pouch is worth a look, too. It's hard to see in the photo online, but there is a circular device high up on the strap which I believe may be a percussion cap holder. Just about every bit of kit he has on his person is worth a closer look. I don't think I have ever seen a nicer photo of an old-time Texas frontiersman.

I hope you enjoy a look.

Notchy Bob


"Should have kept the old ways just as much as I could, and the tradition that guarded us. Should have rode horses. Kept dogs."

from The Antelope Wife
 
Posts: 333 | Location: Florida | Registered: 24 May 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
Picture of Hanshi
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That is certainly a very interesting photo. Many seem to be amazed that arms common in the first half of the 19th century remain fairly common in the last half. Compare that to the evolution of 20th century handguns. Over the last 40 years auto loaders have taken over. Yet revolvers remain common.

Someone who grew up with longrifles might consider them the standard and eschew "new fangled" plains guns. In some areas - the Appalachians come to mind - longrifles hung on well into the 20th century even competing with cartridge arms.

I can't really see the pic that well; is that a cap or flint rifle? I see the horn okay. That pic is worth some study; any more background info on it?


*Young guys should hang out with old guys; old guys know stuff.*
 
Posts: 3559 | Location: Maine (by way of Georgia then Va.) | Registered: 26 January 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of roundball
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Playing with the image some, I believe its a caplock.
I think that's a drum/nipple there...doesn't look big/tall enough to be a pan/frizzen



Flintlock Rifles & Smoothbores
Hunt Like The Settlers
 
Posts: 1867 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: 28 January 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of Notchy Bob
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If you can get ahold of the magazine, you'll find the image is sharper. I am sure it is a percussion rifle, with a drum and nipple arrangement. I believe it has double-set triggers, and the rear trigger appears to be one of those straight ones that is kicked back at an angle, a little like this one from R.E. Davis. I do not see a patchbox or grease hole on the rifle, and the ramrod appears to project a couple of inches beyond the muzzle. It looks like a very plain workhorse type of rifle, but not as severely plain as a "poor boy" or schimmel. I believe it has a nosecap, entry pipe, and buttplate.

I think Wallace was a big fellow, and this rifle comes to his shoulder. It must have quite a long barrel.

Anyway, everything about this photo merits discussion. How about that coat and hat? Is that a regular old sack coat, or is it some kind of hunting jacket? Not to mention the pouch and horn.

Comments appreciated.

Notchy Bob


"Should have kept the old ways just as much as I could, and the tradition that guarded us. Should have rode horses. Kept dogs."

from The Antelope Wife
 
Posts: 333 | Location: Florida | Registered: 24 May 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of roundball
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Or is the coat and some stuff even his at all, or is it the photographer's on-hand loaner's for the purpose of making photos.
If you bring up Google, then select 'Images' and enter/search on 'bigfoot wallace' you'll get a ton of photos up, this being just one of them. (this photo is actually on an auction website)


Flintlock Rifles & Smoothbores
Hunt Like The Settlers
 
Posts: 1867 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: 28 January 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Greenhorn
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quote:
Originally posted by roundball:
Or is the coat and some stuff even his at all, or is it the photographer's on-hand loaner's for the purpose of making photos.
If you bring up Google, then select 'Images' and enter/search on 'bigfoot wallace' you'll get a ton of photos up, this being just one of them. (this photo is actually on an auction website)


You may have hit the nail on the head. Most of the items (rifle, powderhorn, shot pouch and sash) you see in this 1872 Miley photo are probably studio props to capitilize on Bigfoot's recently bestowed national fame with the publication of John C. Duval's biography on his friend. Bigfoot was fond of wide brimmed hats, sack coats and brogan shoes, so these articles of clothing were proabably his possessions. Bigfoot often went armed wherever he went, so the sheathed pistol also might be his weapon. I'm new here and don't mean to be a know-it-all on anything, but Mr. Wallace.
 
Posts: 1 | Registered: 08 April 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of NWTF Longhunter
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Neat photo,it enlarges pretty good. Looks like a feather in his hatband on his left side.

Google says that William "Bigfoot" Wallace was a descendant of Bravehearts William Wallace.
 
Posts: 797 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 29 April 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Greenhorn
Picture of bangfxr
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The rifle from what I can see of the posted photo is a drum and nipple system and this rifle may well have started as a flinter and was converted to cap which wasn't uncommon starting about the late 1830's in the east. My wife's family have their GGG grandfathers 40 cal, rifle purchased 1810 that was converted from flint to cap in 1842 according to the family journal and bible.


Families sleep peaceably in their beds at night as there are rough men about who will do violence in their behalf.
 
Posts: 48 | Location: Indianapolis. | Registered: 05 March 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of Deercop
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Interesting. The May 2013 issue of True West magazine has an article and this picture of Bigfoot Wallace. It states that there is a notation on the back of the picture that "Bigfoot is wearing a hunting pouch taken from the Indian Chief 'Big Foot' from whom he derived his name" Wallace got that nickname after his 1840 move to Austin, when the 6'2" moccasin wearing frontiersman was mistaken for the chief.
 
Posts: 649 | Location: Clovis, New Mexico | Registered: 21 March 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hivernant
Picture of Pare-
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I read that Wallace stood 6'2" and weighed 245. His bag is interesting and several are online in various museum collections. One Comanche bag I found in a Holland museum has a beaded Choctaw strap.

I believe Notchy Bob is right about the cap holder attached to the strap. Here's a close up of one on a Comanche bag.

Pare-

 
Posts: 104 | Location: Little River, I.T. | Registered: 06 February 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Graybeard
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If ya look real close it sure looks like caps on leather fingers. They also seem to have a ridge around the top edge simaler to a rimfire 22 , would that have been normal or maybe pre fired n just now deformed a bit?
 
Posts: 229 | Location: Southeast Pa. | Registered: 03 February 2015Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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