Archibald Rutledge’s Parker
 

I was at Litchfield Beach SC over Easter and having just read one of his books ,I drove over to the Hampton Plantation . Talking to the Ranger on duty I mentioned his shotgun and the Ranger pulled out some pictures of the gun they had recently received from a family member . The amount of notches is very impressive . I am to computer illiterate to post them but if someone would like to post them I would be glad to send them to you . Had not been there for 15 years . It’s well worth a trip. Thanks Tracy

Tracy, I’ll be happy to post them. PM me and I’ll give you my contact information.

Here they are:

Very cool Tracy.

I wonder if that’s the one he supposedly shot loose ? By that I mean shot it so much until it was loose ?

What gauge?

What did the notches represent?

12 gauge. I assume the notches were for bucks taken. The gun was a gift to him as he left his teaching position in PA and was headed back to Hampton.

I had the fortune of arranging a meeting with Arch’s grandson many years ago at the Summer Place in McClellanville, SC and he let me view and handle the Parker. It’s a VH 12 ga. with 30 inch barrels. The notches were indeed for buck deer taken. Ill check my notes when I get home as to the number of notches. The gun was loose but not bad. I cannot tell you the feeling of awe I got shouldering that Parker. A true piece of American history.

I may be mistaken, but didn’t Dr. John Frierson write a Parker Pages article on two of Rutledge’s Parkers a number of years ago?





.