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FEATURED IN "MAN AT ARMS" FROM MAY/JUNE 1990
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LOT 247
Historic Documented “C.L. DRAGOON’S.” Marked Colt Third Model Dragoon Percussion Revolver Attributed to the Confederate Crocheron Light Dragoons - Serial no. 16577, 44 cal., 7 1/2 inch part round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut grips. This Third Model Dragoon revolver was manufactured in 1858. The barrel has the very scarce “C.L. DRAGOONS.” marking stamped on the upper left flat at the breech, German silver blade front sight and marked “ADDRESS SAML COLT NEW-YORK CITY” on top of the barrel, with the last two words of the barrel address cut off by the period dovetailed three-leaf notch rear sight. The frame has a small “COLTS/PATENT/U.S.” marking on the left. The left side of the trigger guard has a letter “L” on the front left, and a “G” is on the left rear shoulder. The four-screw frame and butt are cut for use with a shoulder stock. Matching visible serial numbers on the loading lever arm, wedge, cylinder, barrel, frame, trigger guard, and butt, and the cylinder pin has a faint remnant of a number visible. These revolvers are discussed in the article “C.L. Dragoons” by Walter L. Anderson in “The Gun Report” Volume 36, Number 8 from January 1991, in which this exact revolver, 16577, is mentioned on both pages 17 and 18, and photographed on page 18. Although this revolver and the other “C.L. DRAGOONS” were manufactured prior to the Civil War, they have been attributed as run through the Union blockade that encircled the South once the war began under General Winfield Scott’s Anaconda Plan and then used to arm the Crocheron Light Dragoons. This theory is supported by the fact that this revolver, serial number 16577, reportedly letters as one of sixteen shipped to Cooper & Pond in New York on December 15, 1861. The Gun Report article indicates Herb Glass, Jr. obtained said factory letter, although it does not currently accompany the revolver. Anderson also indicates six other C.L. Dragoons revolvers were originally shipped to Cooper & Pond and concluded that the dealer had run the arms through the blockade in part because Colt Dragoons were more desirable in the South than the North. Less than 20 of these “C.L. DRAGOONS.” inscribed 3rd Model Dragoon revolvers are known today plus three Colt Model 1851 Navies with the same marking as an inscription, but there may have been over 100 of these revolvers originally. Interestingly, we have found that The West Alabamian on Wednesday December 12, 1860, under the heading “From the N.Y. Journal of Commerce. Arms for the South” that “Cooper & Pond of this city [New York] receive from twenty to fifty orders daily from South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia - and people who suppose the South is not a paying customer, may be astonished to know that their business transactions in this line are strictly on a case basis... Most of the orders are for rifles and navy revolvers, though Cooper & Pond supply an immense number of flint lock muskets...” Other newspapers included very similar reports in the fall and winter of 1860. The articles also indicated the firm supplied gun carriages to Georgia and “have done a brisk business in all kinds of small arms and ammunition with all the principal Southern States.” Cooper & Pond are also mentioned in the Western Sentinel of Winston, North Carolina, on May 3, 1861, as having ten gun carriages on board the George M. Smith which was forced to dock at Hampton Roads and then captured by the U.S. Navy as the gun carriages were “articles contraband of war.” Aside from these articles, there is little to no mention of “Cooper & Pond” in newspapers from 1858-1865. There are other records of the firm corresponding with Confederate General Paul Jones Semmes in December 1860 concerning Enfield rifles being in high demand, and during the war they also sold to the Union. Period records indicate the firm was run by Albert Cooper & Charles H. Pond. Their address in 1859 was 177 Broadway in New York where they were listed as selling guns. After the war, Charles H. Pond is listed as an agent for Colt and Winchester in 1871 in the “Annual Report of the American Institute of the City of New York” and as receiving “first premium” for the “Gatling cannon” and “for the best repeating fire arms” for Winchesters. At least one of these C.L. Dragoons revolvers was inscribed with a name: “S. McIver.” This name helped connect these revolvers to the Crocheron Light Dragoons as Samuel B. McIver of Dallas County, Alabama, transferred into the Crocheron Light Dragoons (Company I of 3rd Alabama Cavalry) in April 1864 and served with them until March 4, 1865. The original muster roll for the Crocheron Light Dragoons from November 21, 1861, at Mobile, Alabama, indicates that the men furnished their own mounts which was not uncommon for Confederate mounted units.
LOT 248
Exceptional Historic Documented Civil War Era “The American’s Pride” Etched Large Bowie Knife with Sheath and Frog, Attributed as Taken From a Confederate Sniper - This attractive large Bowie knife is accompanied by a 1989 dated appraisal letter signed by B. D. Hansen, who states, “This Bowie knife was found with a cased caplock snipers rifle which was made by Benjamin Mills of Harodsburg Kentucky. Both knife and rifle were taken from a dead Southern sniper during the Civil War.” and further states, “In my opinion this Bowie knife was Southern made, possibly by one of the Voglers from Old Salem North Carolina.” In this writer’s opinion, the blade appears to be English made although it is not maker marked. This knife with it’s scabbard is pictured as a center-fold on pages 32-33 of the May/June 1990 edition of Man At Arms magazine, a copy of which is included with the lot along with letters of correspondence between the consignor and publisher. The overall length is 14 3/4 inches with a 9 1/2 inch blade that is etched on the left with “The american’s pride:” and on the right with “Equal rights equal laws/and justice to all!” with both sides of the blade also etched with floral designs. S-shaped iron guard, finely formed hardwood grip, and German silver ends. Includes a Confederate type leather sheath with a German silver throat and a pewter tip, leather frog, a scanned copy of a January/February 1991 edition of Man At Arms article on scabbards, and a modern case. CONDITION: Exceptionally fine overall, exhibiting mostly bright surfaces on the iron blade, a few scattered patches of light freckling, defined etchings, the attractive grip has some scattered light handling marks with distinct lines and edges, and the German silver shows a lightly aged natural patina. The scabbard and frog are both very fine with an old protective wax coating, and some spots of light flaking at the edges. This exceptional Confederate attributed Bowie knife with its sheath and frog would make an excellent addition to any Civil War era or Bowie knife collection! Estimate: 5,000 - 10,000