Very hard to believe. Could it be true?

[Robert Delk]

I agree with Mr. Miller and the proceeds should go to such a cause as he stated.I think whoever found the gun knew or at some point learned who the owner was and just kept it anyway.

[Chuck Heald]

A question for those of you that have been around the big end of collectable guns with significant provenance, maybe a dumb one. Would the genuine Bo Whoop be a risky investment in the long haul? Is there a significant risk that the gun could depreciate with the passing of Nash Buckingham's contemporaries?

[Dean Romig]

Chuck, I think the answer to your question rests largely with the level of recruitment of younger people into our societies of collecting and other shooting interests. This, including, but not limited to, the great books that have been written about the sport in those days. Even the writings of many authors of today are writing what may be deemed classics in generations to come. Let's hope it continues - let's do our part to ensure it does.

[Kevin McCormack]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

It is assumed that Mr. Highsmith performed most of Nash's gunsmithing and stockmaking when he was domiciled in Tennessee. However, Nash spent some time in other areas of the South and also spent some time in Washington, D.C., although I'm not sure how long he was a resident of the evil empire. Does anyone know where Nash lived exactly when he was in Washington? I have not found his address.

Yes, Bill -

Nash did one of his many "agro-eco-ego-financial Special Assignments" in our own Washington Metro area in the late 1930s, compliments of John Olin, J.N. "Ding" Darling, Aurthur Morganthau, Winchester-Western, and Ducks Unlimited. When receipts from his (shiney) seat on the cotton exchange in Memphis began to go south, he turned to writing, whose outputs made him a hot commodity on the "what are we doing to the planet" circuit.

Nash enjoyed an idyllic existence during his brief stay here, having worked out an arrangement with none other than "Marse" Henry Bartholemew, uberFox patron, whereby he lived rent-free in one of the comfortable outbuildings on "Marse" Henry's palacial estate. Actually an ante-bellum "farm" lying between Broad and Swan creeks east off the mainstem of the Potomac River, between Fort Washington and Marshall Hall plantation in Prince Georges County, MD, about 12 miles south of Washington DC, the place is to this day known as a Canvasback stronghold.

The farm was seized by the federal government after the Civil War from Confederate sympathizers, of whom there were many in the area (do Mary Surratt, George Atzelrod, Dr. Samuel Mudd and the guy who broke his leg leaping off the balcony of Ford's Theatre ring a bell?). Nash worked out a deal with "Marse Henry" whereby he lived essentially free in an "outbuilding" on the estate, his only responsibilities being those of rising early to set decoys, ensuring an adequate supply of corn (not for making tortillas), and keeping the local pickers (not Bluegrass musicians) at the ready for processing the prodigious amounts of ducks they killed (not "harvested") on the Potomac.

When WWII broke out, carefree frivolity like duck shooting on the Potomac went south (what does that term acutally mean? - like migrating ducks or what??) and Captains of Industry like "Marse Henry" turned back to the business they loved best - making money. In sharp contrast, Nash, eshewing the dust, heat and light of wartime DC, returned to his beloved Southland to continue "giving the next customers a whirl" with his Becker-bored Super Duper Uber Fox Magnum (HIS barrels, BTW, "Guaranteed"!). The rest, as they say, is history.

So in the end, who really cares if the "Original Bo Whoop" has had two stocks or three; so what if the letters on the "Burt Becker custom built for Nash Buckingham" barrel stamps are crooked; and tell me this: did anyone ever actually count up all those shot holes to make sure that those barrels shot 90% patterns? Not likely!

[Old and Reliable]

I have heard some versions of the origins of the "Going South" phrase, wish I knew for certain. Very insightful details as to the "backers $ wise" of the Washington D.C. based career of Mr. Buck. None of what you have detailed here detracts from Nash Buckingham's being a Southern Gentleman, whose loyalty to his friends and devotion to his wife are hallmarks of Southern gentility to the nth degree.

I am sure there were others from his time that found their career paths perhaps "re-routed"- gambling, bad investments, poor choice in business partners or even friendships gone with the wind- I don't anything about Mr. Henry B., but he wouldn't have made serious $ during the depression by not being a good judge of character, ditto Nash's friend Edgar Queeny, president of Monsanto Chemical, or John Olin and others with "deep pockets'.

I am just guessing here, but I think they sensed something in Nash that made them, each in their own way and for their own reasons, support their friend. How many of us that might have lost a treasured firearm would have the calibre of friends that would want to "step up to the plate" and get a replacement built by an aging master gunsmith, to not only have their friend equipped with a similar fine shotgun, but to also let him know how much they valued his friendship?

If we lived in a perfect world, and we most assuredly do NOT- the gentleman who buys that HE Fox 12 bore in Mid-March (and bewaring those Ides of course) must know the controversy this single shotgun carries with it. Not the case with the Czar's Parker that Julia's sold a few years ago to Mr. Puglisi,
it is my understanding that as it wasn't paid for by the Russian Counsel and the Colonel who had apparently ordered it, it was returned to Mr. Parker and he rightfully and legally sold it to a friend in New York City.

No question of ownership, authenticity or anything else, a straightforward business deal that enabled Mr. Parker to recoup his Company's costs in producing such a fine high grade shotgun.

I also agree with the 'skunk" analogy presented here. The engraved or stamped name of Nash Buckingham on the barrel breech area, the reward and efforts by the law enforcement folks in that area of Arkansas back then, I firmly believe that some passerby found the gun in the case, possibly with the broken stock from the fall from the front fender as the car pulled away after the CO's check of birds, duck stamps, etc--and did the old 'losers weepers, finders keepers' bit and kept it hidden away.

Now it resurfaces and is in the hands of a organization that stands to make 30% from the over-hyped sale- so let's say it goes out at $300,000 even when the hammer drops and the deal goes down- that puts about $90,000 in Mr. Julia's pockets for a stolen gun with questionable provenance, IMO.

Yes, Wes Dillon has apparently "authenticated" this Fox 12 bore- Of course he has, he works for Mr. Julia. What is he going to do, counterdict his boss, the man who signs his paychecks. I think NOT.

This whole sad business stinks- like the skunk analogy, and I am grateful for many things: good health, good vision and physical strength,a few good shotguns and a few good friends to enjoy shooting with on occasion, and for the fact that I don't have the 'depth of pocket" to even enter the bidding ring for 90% of the items Julia's offers in their catalogues--

One of Nash's best friends was the late Captain Paul A. Curtis, and he once wrote these timely words: "The field is the touchstone of the man"--Nash Buckingham lived up to those words all his 91 years, and I am saddened by the circus the pending sale of a Fox gun that might have been his prized possession being hawked by profiteers.

[Tim Sheldon]

Has anyone taken an original Olin shell out, shoot her and hear if she screams "BO WHOOP"?

Tim

[MarketHunter]

Russ Bickel and I have discussed those shells actually, neither of us has ever seen a box that was loaded with what Nash talks about. The originals were supposedly 3 inch paper cases, 1 3/8 ounce of Lubaloy shot. I'd love to find a box and so would Russ, but ol' Nash must have shot them all up I guess......

Destry

[Jerry McCarty]

Hello Mr. McCormack,

Being a big fan of A.H. Fox guns and Mr. Buckingham's story, "The Family Honor" which tells of Marse Henry's venue on the Potomac, your description of the Henry property leaves me with a question that you could perhaps answer...

Actually an ante-bellum "farm" lying between Broad and Swan creeks east off the mainstem of the Potomac River, between Fort Washington and Marshall Hall plantation in Prince Georges County, MD

I used to have a 'stake' off of the main stem just up stream of Swan Creek along the shoreline of an old farm which I thought might have once belonged to Marse Henry given the description in Mr. Buckingham's tale that it was between Swan Creek and Broad Creek (if memory serves). Your description that the property lies between Fort Washington and Marshall Hall would put it down river from where I used to hunt but never the less, there were canvas back to be shot. This was however, was prior to the development of Washington Harbor which caused a lot of damage to the grass beds of Smoot Bay and thus the decline of the diver shooting along that stretch of the river in my opinion. Any how, just curious if you know if I'm way off in my assessment of the old Marse Henry farm. By the way, another interesting location along that shoreline is south at Chapman's Landing where Herbert Hoover had a 'duck camp' and the remnants of the building are still there at the south end of the marsh.

Regards,

Jerry

[ahfoxman]

Here You Go!

[MarketHunter]

That's the stuff!

I've got two boxes of 3 inch 1 5/8 ounce of Lubaloy #6 but they're in plastic cases. That's the closest I've seen until now.

A friend from Tennessee just found me 50 pounds of Lubaloy #4 shot and 25 pounds of #7 1/2. Would make a fun loading project if I could find some 3 inch paper cases.


DLH