{{short description|American gunsmith (1759–1821)}} '''John Small''' (1759 – 1821) was an American gunsmith, frontiersman, soldier, and public official. An Irish immigrant to Pennsylvania, he served in the American Revolutionary War. After the war, he served as sheriff of Knox County, Indiana, as a territorial legislator, and as Indiana Territory's first Adjutant General.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lowry |first=Jeff |title=Hoosier Adjutants General |journal=Indiana Guardsman |date=Summer 2015 |page=14 |publisher=Indiana National Guard |url=https://in.ng.mil/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=mjAPdpymZnQ%3d&tabid=446&portalid=0&mid=2915 |accessdate=12 September 2015 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Biography== Small immigrated to Pennsylvania with his family and began an apprenticeship as a gunsmith.<ref name=grouseland>{{cite web |date=7 March 2012 |title=Grouseland Rifle Crafted by First Indiana Sheriff Designated Official State Rifle |url=https://grouseland.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/grouseland-rifle-crafted-by-first-indiana-sheriff-designated-official-state-rifle/ |publisher=Whig Rose Journal Weblog of William Henry Harrison's Grouseland |accessdate=13 September 2015}}</ref> He served as an armorer during Lord Dunmore's War.<ref name=Jansen7>{{cite journal |last=Jansen |first=Joe |title=The Grouseland Rifle: Tied to the Land |date=June 2016 |journal=Muzzle Blasts |url=http://docplayer.net/29747151-The-grouseland-rifle-tied-to-the-land-by-joe-jansen.html |publisher=Muzzle Loading Rifle Association |page=7 }}</ref> During the American Revolutionary War, he served as a private in the Washington County, Pennsylvania militia. He apprenticed with Richard Butler and William Butler while at Fort Pitt.<ref name=Jansen7 />

After the war, in 1785, Small relocated to Vincennes, Indiana.<ref name=ISM>{{cite web |title=James Girty Flintlock |publisher=Indiana State Museum |location=Indianapolis |url=http://www.indianamuseum.org/collection/details/id/183334 |accessdate=15 September 2015}}</ref> He became an officer in the local militia, and participated in the 1786 Battle of the Embarras River.<ref>{{cite web |last=Day |first=Richard |title=Daniel Sullivan, Frontiersman and Adventurer |publisher=National Park Service |url=http://npshistory.com/series/symposia/george_rogers_clark/1991-1992/sec4.htm |accessdate=13 September 2015}}</ref> Small also corresponded with George Rogers Clark that same year, and petitioned for military aid from Kentucky.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Danger on the Wabash. Vincennes Letters of 1786 |editor-last=Helderman |editor-first=Leonard C.|url=http://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/imh/article/view/7095/7903 |journal=Indiana Magazine of History |date=December 1938 |publisher=Indiana University |location=Bloomington |accessdate=15 September 2015}}</ref>

Small worked as a gunsmith, merchant, and tavern owner. He was appointed sheriff on 4 July 1790, and the tavern was used as the first Knox County Courthouse.<ref name=grouseland/><ref>{{cite book |last=Cauthorn |first=Henry S |title=A History of the City of Vincennes, Indiana. From 1702-1901. |year=1901 |publisher=The Arther H. Clark Company |location=Cleveland |page=48 |url=http://www.forgottenbooks.com%2Fdownload_pdf%2FA_History_of_the_City_of_Vincennes_Indiana_1000558255.pdf }}</ref> Small was a representative for Knox County to the Northwest Territory Legislature in 1799. In 1800, Small was appointed as Indiana Territory's first adjutant general under territorial Governor William Henry Harrison,<ref name=grouseland/> and given the rank of lieutenant colonel.<ref>{{cite book |title=A History of the National Guard of Indiana |year=1901 |publisher=W.D. Pratt |location=Indianapolis |page=[https://archive.org/details/historyofnationa00inprat/page/n19 12] |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofnationa00inprat}}</ref> He held this office for over a decade, including the Battle of Tippecanoe, but stepped down with Governor Harrison during the War of 1812.<ref>{{cite book |title=A History of the National Guard of Indiana |year=1901 |publisher=W.D. Pratt |location=Indianapolis |page=[https://archive.org/details/historyofnationa00inprat/page/n50 39] |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofnationa00inprat}}</ref>

John Small's tavern temporarily housed the Indiana Territorial Legislature in 1813.<ref name=carden>{{cite news |last=Carden |first=Dan |date=8 February 2012 |title=Senate panel votes to make historic rifle Indiana's official gun |publisher=Times Media Company |url=http://www.nwitimes.com/news/state-and-regional/indiana/senate-panel-votes-to-make-historic-rifle-indiana-s-official/article_3db947b4-9847-56bd-a2d2-d67501edb8c2.html |accessdate=13 September 2015}}</ref>

==Rifles and tomahawks== * The Indiana State Museum houses a John Small flintlock rifle owned by James Girty (1743–1817),<ref name=ISM/> and another believed to be owned by Francis Vigo.<ref name=Jansen9>{{cite journal |last=Jansen |first=Joe |title=The Grouseland Rifle: Tied to the Land |date=June 2016 |journal=Muzzle Blasts |url=http://docplayer.net/29747151-The-grouseland-rifle-tied-to-the-land-by-joe-jansen.html |publisher=Muzzle Loading Rifle Association |page=9 }}</ref> The state museum collection also includes a tomahawk pipe made by John Small.<ref name=ISM2>{{cite web |title=Presentation Pipe-Tomahawk |publisher=Indiana State Museum |location=Indianapolis }}</ref> * One of Small's rifles is on display at William Henry Harrison's territorial governor's home, Grouseland. This "Grouseland Rifle" was later converted to a percussion cap, and was designated as the official state rifle of Indiana.<ref name=carden/> * It is believed that William Clark carried a John Small rifle during his expedition to the Pacific.<ref name=ISM/> This rifle is currently owned by the Missouri State Museum.<ref name=Jansen9 /> * The Smithsonian Institution has a tomahawk owned by Henry Knox which has been attributed to John Small.<ref name=Jansen9 />

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Small, John}} Category:1759 births Category:1821 deaths Category:Adjutants General of Indiana

Category:American gunsmiths Category:Frontiersmen Category:Irish emigrants to the United States Category:Northwest Territory officials Category:Pennsylvania militiamen in the American Revolution Category:People from Knox County, Indiana Category:People of Dunmore's War