"Man at Arms" magazine & the James Beckwourth Rifle

[Notchy Bob]

I'm interested in learning more about the rifle that is believed to have been owned by James Beckwourth, the mountain man. Here is a picture of the man, with a rifle...

...and here is the rifle, which may or may not be the one in the photo:

As we all know, images in those early photographs were reversed, so it looks as if Jim is holding a left-handed rifle, but he isn't. However, if this is the rifle that is in the photograph, it must have been tacked at a later date.

There was a short, one-page feature on this rifle in the May/June 2015 issue of Muzzleloader magazine, and the publisher thoughtfully continues to support a webpage that expands on the topic a little: The James P. Beckwourth Rifle

This rifle was, and may still be, in the possession of Mr. Jeff Hengesbaugh. He was the one who concluded that the rifle probably belonged to Beckwourth, and a synopsis of the story is on the webpage linked above. It was my understanding that Mr. Hengesbaugh was writing a book about the rifle and the process of confirming ownership by Mr. Beckwourth, but I don't think the book has been published yet. The webpage linked above also showed this image, which appears to be the cover of an issue of Man at Arms magazine. However, I don't see a date or issue number on it:

I would like to get a copy of this magazine, if it exists. I suppose it is possible that it is bogus, maybe an article or feature that never quite made it to publication. Mowbray Publications maintains a Back Issue List, and I have browsed through it, but I don't find anything that looks promising. Then again, I sometimes have trouble finding my socks, so I may have missed it. If any of you good fellows who subscribe to this journal recognize the cover and can direct me to the issue I need to order, I would appreciate it.

Also, I have heard that Mr. Hengesbaugh actually brought the rifle to an event at Bent's Fort a few years ago, and allowed participants to handle and examine it. If you were one of the lucky few who did so, I would appreciate hearing anything you might have to say about it. I understand it is a real beast. Ruxton repeatedly used the phrase, "...long, heavy rifle" in describing the arms of the trappers and plainsmen he met. Beckwourth's rifle would fit the description.

Much obliged,

Notchy Bob

 

[Zonie]

Interesting. I wonder if James Beckwourth even knew how to write? Many of the mountain men couldn't.
Also, assuming he could write something, it's interesting the signature shown is in cursive rather than individual letters.

Being born a mulatto slave in Virginia, it's very unlikely he would have learned how to write like that. His memoirs were written by someone else but with him, you never know. Especially if you actually believe those memoirs. There ain't nothing he didn't do and brag about doing it. I've always considered him to be the champion of BS in a time when many excelled at the fine art of BS'ing people.

 

[Notchy Bob]

No doubt about it, Beckwourth was a character. Chittenden, who included a short biographical sketch of Jim in A History of the American Fur Trade of the Far West, described him as a "redoubtable prevaricator," and with regard to Beckwourth's autobiography, said, "The whole work is replete with fable, and there is probably not a single statement in it that is correct as given." The Crows liked him, or at least they put up with him, as he lived with them for quite a while.

Beckwourth apparently did get some education. Chittenden said he was born in 1798, but moved to Missouri with his parents when he was seven or eight, and attended school in St. Louis between the ages of ten and fourteen. He went up the river with Ashley in 1824, the year after Ashley's battle with the Arickaras. Beckwourth was reportedly an employee in good standing with the American Fur Company. He was a mountain man, sure enough.

With four years of primary education, he probably could have signed his name. Why he would sign his rifle in the place where the signature was found is a subject of conjecture. Mr. Hengesbaugh wrote at some length about the signature on that webpage linked in my original post. Curiously, Chittenden said Jim's last name was originally James Beckwith, and he was listed that way on the AFC employee rolls. The "Beckwourth" name evidently came out with his autobiography. We wonder, if Jim signed his rifle, why he didn't sign it "Beckwith."

Personally, I'm not sure what to believe regarding the rifle's history, but I enjoy the story.

Thanks for the comments!

Notchy Bob

 

[tenngun]

I have a tendency to believe him, at least giving us a personal view. I think for truthfulness it’s at least on a par with My life on the Plains by Custer, and maybe more truthful then Meeks ‘autobiography’.
Anyones memoirs tends to overstate what the writer did and underplay the bad.
Facts is facts but each of us have our own truth

 

[user 48679]

There might be a clue somewhere in his dictated book:

https://user.xmission.com/~drudy/mtman/html/beckwourth/index.html

 

[Jim Wag]

Is that a left handed rifle pictured with Bechwourth?

Jim in La Luz

 

[kb466]

I think the image was reversed. Just like the famous image of Billy the Kid, where everyone thought he was left handed till they noticed the loading gate on his ‘73 Winchester SRC was on the wrong side.

 

[Jim Wag]

I think the image was reversed. Just like the famous image of Billy the Kid, where everyone thought he was left handed till they noticed the loading gate on his ‘73 Winchester SRC was on the wrong side.

Oh, duh! My bad for not reading op more carefully!
This morning I've been studying the picture in the mirror!

Jim in La Luz

 

[Herb]

Notchy Bob, I E-mailed Mowbray Publisher, who do this magazine, and they said it is not their work.

 

[Notchy Bob]

Thanks, @Herb !

I did note that the image of the magazine cover in post #1 did not show the month or year of publication, and I wondered if it might have been a “mock up.”

I don’t know if Man At Arms actually published anything about the Beckwourth rifle or not. I didn’t find anything to suggest it in browsing through titles of articles in their list of back issues.

Thanks for your comments!

Notchy Bob

 

[Cayman like]

Thanks, @Herb !

I did note that the image of the magazine cover in post #1 did not show the month or year of publication, and I wondered if it might have been a “mock up.”

I don’t know if Man At Arms actually published anything about the Beckwourth rifle or not. I didn’t find anything to suggest it in browsing through titles of articles in their list of back issues.

Thanks for your comments!

Notchy Bob

Jim Beckwourth definitely could read and write and was a great respected Mountain Man. Jim Bridger had Jim as his power of attorney to sell some land he had in the infant settlement of Denver and Bridger was illiterate. As the photograph being reversed I seen another photo of Jim where he is clean shaven and all the pics showed he carried his butcher in his front for a left handed draw
.I can't believe all the photos and sketches were reversed. That is not the same rifle in the photograph.
.