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Captain Henry Jackson who turned this carbine in as unserviceable was
on detached service in Washington, D.C., at the time of the Battle of the
Little Bighorn and commanded Troop C for over 14 years following Little
Bighorn, including at Wounded Knee. At the Little Bighorn, Troop C of the
7th Cavalry was officially led by Capt. Thomas W. Custer, a younger brother
of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer, and was part of Custer’s Battalion
during the battle. Since Capt. Custer served as his brother’s aid-de-camp,
the command during the actual fight fell to Lt. Henry Harrington. Per
the National Park Service, Troop C, I, and L were sent down Medicine
Trail Coulee towards the village before they came under heavy fire. They
were overrun and killed in the coulee and on Calhoun Hill. Custer led his
remaining companies towards Last Stand Hill. Aside from the scouts and
a few troopers detached prior to the battle, Custer’s battalion was entirely
wiped out by the much larger combined forces of the Arapaho, Northern
Cheyenne, and Lakota. The warriors then turned their attention back
to Reno and Benteen’s men and kept them pinned down until retiring
and making their escape. On June 27, 1876, Reno and Benteen’s men
and General Terry’s relief column discovered the bodies of nearly 200 of
Custer’s men, many unrecognizable, and hastily buried them.
Given its issuance to Troop C and subsequent recovery damaged, it is very
likely that this carbine was carried into battle at the Little Bighorn by one
of Custer’s ill-fated men. Since the carbine is noted as having the stock
broken but was recovered, it may have been damaged in the battle itself,
possibly after being used as a club or crushed by horse. Unfortunately
the exact nature of the damage is not known. With the stock damaged, it
may have been deemed unworthy of salvaging by the warriors. Another
possibility is that
it was damaged
by one of Troop
C’s troopers that
were detached during the battle. Some of these men were with
the pack train and/or participated in the hill top fight with Reno. One
of these men was Peter Thompson. His horse gave out as they reached
the battlefield and fell behind. He and James Watson joined Reno on the
bluff after the initial attack and was wounded in the hand and arm but
continued to take trips outside of the lines to retrieve water for the many
wounded men under Reno’s command and was awarded the Medal of
Honor.
Another possibility is that it was damaged by troopers after the battle
when they were locating and burying the dead. Sgt. John M. Ryan wrote,
“We took all the extra guns belonging to the dead and wounded, broke
the stocks off them, and built a fire and threw them into it. We also
destroyed all the extra saddles and bridles, as we had no way of carrying
them. Terry’s men removed their clothing and carried our wounded men
all down from the bluffs to their camp. After destroying the guns, we
examined the horses thoroughly, and any of them that had been wounded
and would not live, we killed. Some of the men hated to part with their
horses, but there was nothing else to do.”
This post-battle destruction combined with the fact that most of the
weapon of Custer’s battalion are believed to have been captured by the
victorious Arapaho, Lakota, and Northern Cheyenne warriors has left very
few genuine 7th Cavalry carbines
for collectors. A genuine 7th Cavalry
documented trapdoor is would certainly be
among the most prized possessions for a serious trapdoor
or U.S. military collector. Paired with the relevant accoutrements and
perhaps even a documented 7th Cavalry Colt Single Action Army, this
historic carbine would make for a museum level display focused on one of
the most famous battles ever fought in North America.
CONDITION: Good with traces of original finish, mostly mottled gray and
brown patina, moderate wear, light pitting, and chips and slivers absent
from the stock. Mechanically excellent. This is a rare opportunity to get
your hands on a genuine 7th Cavalry Trapdoor Carbine documented by
serial number in the National Archives as received from Captain Henry
Jackson, 7th Cavalry and collected by the Chief Ordnance Officer of the
Dept. of Dakota during the Indian Wars. This is the best documentation
you can ever hope for!
Estimate: 65,000 - 110,000
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