Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1833-08-14
KENTUCKY RIFLEMEN.


The rifle. To drive nail is a common
feat, no more thought of by the Kentuck-
ians than to cut off a wild turkeys head,
at distance of one hundred YARDS
Others will bark off squirrels one after
another, until satisfied with the number
II procured. Some, less intent on destroy
ing game, can be seen unde, night snuff
ing candle at distance Of fifty yards off
hand, without extingushing il. | have
been told that some have proved so expert
and cool as TO make choice of the eye of
foe at a wonderful distance, Boosting
beforehand of the sureness of the piece,
which has afterwards been fully proved
when the enemy's head has been exam
ined.
Having resided some years in Ken
lucky, and having more than once been
witness of rifle sports, shall present you
with the results of my observation, leaving
you to judge how far the rifle shooting is
understood in that state.
Several individuals who consider them
selves expert in the management of the
gun, are often seen TO meet for the pur-
pose of displaying their skill; and, bet
ing trltllng sum, put up target, in the
centre of which d common sized nail is
hammered for about two-thirds of its
length. The marksmen make choice of
what they consider a proper distance.
which may be forty PAGES. Each man
cleans the interior of his tube, which isl
called sOiping it, places ball in the palm
OF his hand, pouring as much powder
from his horn as will it. This guam
tity is supposed to be sufficient for any
distance within a hundred yards. A shot
u which comes very close to the nail is con.
sidered that of an Indifferent marksman;
the bending of the nail is, of course, some
what better; but nothing less than hitting
it right on the head is satisfactory. Well,
kind reader, one out of the three shots
generally hits the nail; and, should the
shooters amount to half dozen, two nails
are frequently needed before each can
have shot. Those who drive the nail
have further trial amongst themselves,
and the two best shots out of these gener-
ally settle the affair, when all the sports
men adjourn to some house, and spend an
hour or two in friendly intercourse; APP
pointing, before they part, day for ano-
ther trial. This is technically termed
Driving the Nail.
Barking off Squirrels is delightful
sport, and nmy opinion requires greater
degree of accuracy than any other. |
.hrst witnessed this manner of procuring
squirrels whilst near the town of Frank
fort. The performer was the celebrated
Daniel Boon. We walked out together,
and followed the rocky margins Of the
Kentucky river, until we reached piece
Of flat land thickly covered with black
wanuts, oaks and hickories. As the gen
eral mast was good one that year, SPUR
rels we're seen gamboling on every tree
around US. My companion, IA stout, hale
athletic man, dressed in homespun hunt@
ing shirt, bare legged, and moccasined,
carried long and heavy rife, which, as
he was loading it, he said had proved eff |
cient in all his former undertakings, and
which he hoped would not fail on this oc
casion, as he felt proud to show me his
skill. The gun was wiped, the powder
measured, the ball patched with siX-hun-
dred thread linen, and the charge sent
home with a hickory rod. We moved not
a step from the place, for the squirrels
were so numerous that it was unnecessa-
'ry to go after them. Boon pointed to one
of these animals which had observed Us,
and was crouched on branch about fifty
PAGES distant, and babe me mark well
where the ball should hit. He raised bis
piece gradually until the head Chat be
ing the name given by the Kentuckans
to the sighD Of the barrel was brought to
line with the spot which he intended to-
hit. The whip,lke report resounded
through the woods and along the hills, in
repeated echoes. Judge of my surprise
when Iperceived that the ball had hit the
. piece of bark Immediately beneath the
squirrel and shivered ii into splinters, the
conclusion produced by which had killed
the animal, and sent il whirling through
the air, as if it had been blown up by the
expl sion of powder magazine. Boon
kept up his firing, and before many hours
had elapsed, we had procured as many
squirrels as we wished; for you must
know, kind reader, that to load a rifle re-
quires only moment, and that if it is
wiped once after each shot, it will do du-
ty for hours. Since that first interview
with our veteran Boon, have seen many
other individuals perform the same feat.
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