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LOT 231
Historic Civil War Officer’s Saber with Scabbard
Presentation Inscribed to Lieutenant Volney
V. Smith by the 1st New York Mounted Rifles - This
saber has a 36 1/4 inch curved blade with martial and scroll etching two small marks on the right ricasso and unclear marking along the etched spine. The brass hilt has
patriotic and foliate designs and the Gorgoneion toward the pommel. The sword has a shagreen and wire wrapped grip. The brass scabbard has foliate designs on the
mounts and is inscribed “Presented to/Lieut. Volney V. Smith/by company [blank space] 1st Mounted Rifles/as a token of their esteem/Aug. 27th 1862.”
Volney Voltaire Smith (1841 or 1842-1897) was the son of Oregon Democratic territorial representative and U.S. Senator Delazon Smith (1816-1860). He enrolled on
August 13, 1862, in New York and mustered in as the 1st lieutenant in Company K of the 1st New York Mounted Rifles (7th New York Cavalry) for three years and resigned
in May 1863. His exact service thereafter becomes unclear, but he is identified as being shot through the legs in 1864 and later served as the provost marshal of Camp
Nelson in Kentucky before becoming captain of Company C of the 114th U.S. Colored Infantry on June 24, 1864, in Lexington, Kentucky. The 114th traveled to the Ringgold
Barracks in Texas in 1865. He subsequently moved to Arkansas and worked in the press as well as with the Freedmen’s Bureau. He became the Lafayette County clerk in 1868
and became the lieutenant governor in the contested Arkansas election of 1872 which led to the Brooks-Baxter War. He claimed to be the governor but was unable to take the
seat, and President Grant then assigned him to the consulate at St. Thomas. He later returned to Lewisville, Arkansas, and had a law career until being confined to an insane
asylum in 1897.
CONDITION: Fine with distinct etching and scabbard inscription, untouched well-aged attractive patina visible on the hilt and scabbard, silver-
gray patina and pitting on the fine blade, and mild overall wear.
Estimate: 3,000 - 5,000
LOT 230
Rare U.S. Martially Inspected Sharps Model 1853 Slant Breech
Percussion Saddle Ring Carbine with Factory Letter - Serial no. 16042, 52 cal., 21 1/2 inch round
bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut stock. U.S. inspected Sharps Model 1853 carbines are rare; the Army
only purchased an estimated 250 carbines and issued them for trials to the 1st and 2nd Dragoon regiments on
the frontier, manufactured c. 1854-1857, per “Flayderman’s Guide” (9th Edition, 5F-010.5). These U.S. carbines were
exposed to harsh conditions, with limited surviving examples today. The included Sharps factory letter, dated May 26, 1982, states,
“This gun was invoiced July 24, 1855, but the recipient is not noted. This was a Model 1853 Slant Breech Saddle Ring Carbine. It
was apparently a military gun with Army finish of service type. It had a round barrel of 32 bore [.52 caliber]. Unfortunately there is
no other information in the factory records.” This example has an “S” sub-inspection mark stamped on the left barrel flat, with an “M” on the lever catch, lightly visible
“JPC” inspection initials stamped ahead of faint remnants of an oval script inspection cartouche on the left of the stock wrist. Fitted with a brass barrel band, patchbox, and
buttplate, the early pattern long iron saddle bar and ring, brass blade front sight and folding leaf rear sight (absent slide). The top of the barrel is marked “SHARP’S RIFLE/MANUFG.CO./
HARTFORD. CONN.” in three lines ahead of the rear sight, “SHARP’S/PATENT/1852” in three lines on the lock, and “SHARPS/PATENT/1848” on the upper receiver tang. Matching serial number
“16042” marked on the upper receiver tang and bottom of the barrel. The consignor indicated this carbine was purchased from a Grover Johnson on October 6, 1968.
CONDITION: Good as military issued, with brown and gray patina visible on the iron, some patches of pitting/oxidation, legible markings in the iron, and attractive golden aged patina on the brass. Wood is fair as sanded and
refinished, with numerous scattered dents, scuffs and scratches, various cracks and re-glued/filled in repairs, a repaired spliced section on the left wrist area, and remains structurally sound otherwise. Absent rear sight slide piece.
The hammer occasionally slips out of full cock, absent pellet primer piece, otherwise mechanically functions.
Provenance: The Grover Johnson Collection; Private Collection.
Estimate: 3,500 - 5,500
Collector’s Fact
According to "Flayderman's
Guide (9th Edition)",
approximately 250 Sharps
Model 1853 Slant Breech
Carbines were purchased by the
U.S. Army.
LOT 229
Rare
U.S.
Navy
Inspected Sharps Model 1855 Saddle Ring
.577 Percussion Carbine - Serial no. 21100, 577 cal., 19 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut
stock. Manufactured in 1857, this is one of only 100 of these Sharps Model 1855 carbines in .577
caliber purchased on contract by the U.S. Navy, and all of them were reportedly issued to the U.S. naval vessels
subsequently sent on the Paraguay expedition of 1858-1859, per pages 197-198 of “Flayderman’s Guide” (9th
Edition, 5F-014.4). These U.S. Navy contract Sharps Model 1855 carbines are found in the approximate serial range
20000-26000, according to page 40 of “Civil War Sharps Carbines & Rifles” by John D. McAulay. “U.S.N” marked on top of the buttplate, with
tiny five point stars in place of the dots between the letters. This example has no markings on the patchbox finial, unlike some of the limited surviving
examples witnessed with an “I/SCR/1857” marking, although its features and “U.S.N” buttplate marking are consistent with the surviving examples. No visible
markings on the barrel, the upper receiver tang has the “SHARPS/PATENT/1848” marking ahead of the serial number, “EDWARD MAYNARD/PATENTEE 1845.” marked on the primer door, with the matching serial
number marked on the upper receiver tang and bottom of the barrel concealed by the forearm. Brass blade front and four-leaf notch rear sight similar to the British contract examples. Mounted with a smooth walnut
forearm and straight grip stock with a brass barrel band, patchbox and buttplate. Relevant information on these U.S. Navy purchased Sharps Model 1855 carbines can be found on pages 38-41 of the book “Civil War Sharps Carbines
& Rifles” by McAulay. The consignor indicated this carbine was purchased from Lewis Leigh Jr. on April 1, 2019.
CONDITION: Very good exhibiting signs of genuine Naval use, with artificially applied brown visible on top of the barrel, the lever and tape primer cover retain 40% plus original blue finish, with brown patina on the balance,
scattered areas of light pitting/oxidation, and attractive golden aged patina on the brass. Wood is also very good as re-oiled, with numerous scattered dents, chips, scratches. Mechanically fine. An extremely rare example of an early
U.S. Navy purchased Sharps M1855 carbine.
Provenance: The Lewis Leigh Jr. Collection; Private Collection.
Estimate: 6,500 - 9,500
Collector’s Fact
According to "Flayderman's
Guide (9th Edition)", only 100
Sharps Model 1855 Carbines
in .577 caliber were purchased
by the U.S. Navy.
Volney Voltaire Smith