LITTLE SURE SHOT

Phoebe Ann Moses was born on August 13, 1860 in an old log cabin in Darke County, Ohio. She was the fifth child of seven children born to Susan and Bob Moses, who were Quaker farmers.

Her sisters 'tagged' her Annie when the name Phoebe proved to be too hard for them to pronounce. They often insisted Annie play dolls with them, but Annie was always off playing in the woods at the back of their parent's property. Here Annie was content to explore and find little fascinating creatures.

In 1865, when she was only 5 years old, a heavy snow storm trapped and killed her father leaving the large family destitute. Most of Annie's family disappeared to different locations. Annie was sent to an orphanage. Shy Annie became the taunted victim of the other children, who chanted "Moses Poses" a name she learned to hate.

After two years of suffering in the orphanage, Annie was placed with a farming family where she was abused so much she made up her mind to run away. Some how she managed to find her mother, who had remarried and was living on a farm. Annie found a loving home again. While searching around her mother's house she found her father's old cap-and ball rifle. She soon learned how to use it and set about hunting for all types of small animals she presented to her mother to use for cooking. She enjoyed the hunt and soon became an excellent shot.

In 1875, when shooting became a grand sport, Annie visited and competed at the local gun club. She won prize money for several exceptional target shots. The men of the gun club began to notice and take an interest in the young girl's outstanding accomplishments. They admired Annie, a mere 15 year old girl with the unusual ability to eye a target and make a center shot.

The Gun Club membership were very impressed and arranged a shooting contest between Annie and a professional marksman, Frank Butler. The men felt they would show Frank Butler a thing or two. They would have great fun matching Annie against Butler as a joke. Annie shocked the celebrated marksman and the men who set the game up by winning the match. She not only won the event, but she won Frank Butler's heart as well. They were married the next year. Annie was 16 and Frank was 25.

Annie had become a most desirable woman. She stood 5 feet tall, weighed one hundred pounds with an attractive figure. Her brown chestnut hair was long, thick and wavy, her sparkling blue eyes shone with just enough mischief and mystery. Although she astounded many with her knee length skirts, a man's felt cowboy hat and a rifle in her hands, she proved to be quite feminine.

The two began to tour the country as performers using the billing of "Frank and Annie". It was then Annie began to use the last name of Oakley. Soon everyone knew who Annie Oakley was and they had much admiration for her. Frank helped Annie improve her acts by using trick shoots. He would throw playing cards into the air as targets and Annie would hit whatever spots came up. The cards with a bullet hole were passed out as complimentary "calling cards" from Annie Oakley.

She also became an accomplished horsewoman. She could stand on the back of a galloping horse, shoot out the candle flames on a revolving wheel while turning in the saddle at different angles shooting at various targets.

In 1885, Annie and Frank joined Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show. Frank became the manager and Annie was the star of the whole show. Annie's opening performance began when she raced into the center of the ring on foot, grabbed her rifle and shattered balls tossed into the air. Then, she would jump onto her horse and ride around the ring shooting at the many mounted targets. Her most famous act was to place a rifle over her shoulder and use a Bowie knife as a mirror to see the item behind her. Most performers were awed at this as they used a hand mirror.

It was believed Annie made $1,000 a week in Cody's million dollar a year show. She became the most popular performer of her time. One person who admired her was Sitting Bull, who adopted Annie into his Sioux tribe. He gave her the name of "Mochin Wytony's Cecilia" and referred to her as, my daughter, Little Sure Shot. In return affection, Annie taught the Chief how to read and write. Before Sitting Bull passed away, he gave Annie the headdress and clothing he wore in the battle with Custer. Annie cherished the gift and kept it with her always.

In 1887, Annie, Frank and the Cody Wild West show made an appearance in Europe where the "Little Sure Shot" won the admiration of the royal families. Because of her popularity, it was thought that an envy erupted between Annie and Cody as they split company. Annie and Frank appeared together in Germany without Cody's show and then returned to the United States. They joined the Pawnee Bill's Frontier Exhibition for several months. Later, when Cody returned to America he talked long and hard to encouraged Annie and Frank to come back to his show and they made another European tour together which turned out very successful.

In 1901, when Annie turned 41, the train she and Frank were traveling on had a head on collision with another train. Frank was not hurt, but Annie was seriously injured with a spinal fracture. It took months for her to recover. When she was able to get around, she made an appearance in New York on the stage doing many novelty stand-up tricks. She never returned to Cody's Wild West Show.

During World War I, Annie and Frank offered their professional services as instructors to the enlisted men. They spent 12 weeks at various camps paying their own expenses to teach the Army men to shoot. Annie brought her dog, "Dave" to provide a show for the men. The dog would hold a piece of chalk in his mouth or an apple on his head to demonstrate Annie's excellent marksmanship. The military was delighted with her performances.

In 1921, fate dealt Annie a scorching hot card. She suffered a broken hip in an accident at Daytona, Florida. As months went on, Annie managed to walk with a brace. She never performed again. She and Frank returned to Drake County where they lived comfortably for many years.

In 1926, at the age of 66, Annie died of pernicious anemia. Frank followed her in death only 18 days later. They were buried in the Brock Cemetery only a few miles from Annie's birthplace where identical head stones with their names engraved were placed on their grave sites. "At Rest" was included at the very end of each inscription.

Annie's shooting record with a 22 rifle was 943 out of 1,000 targets thrown in succession. She fired approximately 1,200,000 shotgun shells in 30 years. She traveled to 14 countries, appeared before all the European royal families, collected many trophies, medals and jewelry. She melted many gold metals to offer as money to the orphanages, never forgetting the taunting sing-song of "Moses Poses" and the forever hungry children. Annie's trophy collection is thought to be the greatest of all entertainers.