Page 212 - 4094-BOOK2

LOT 1217
Historic Civil War Berdan Sharpshooter Range Sharps Model 1859
Percussion Military Rifle with Double Set Triggers - Serial no. 54790, 52
cal., 30 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut stock. This New
Model 1859 Sharps rifle was manufactured in 1862, and is in the proper
configuration of the 2,000 special ordered rifles produced in 1862 for the
1st and 2nd U.S. Sharpshooter regiments (U.S.S.) organized and recruited by
Colonel Hiram Berdan, known as Berdan’s Sharpshooters, and falls within the
correct approximate serial number range 54000-57000 of Berdan Sharps rifles,
per known surviving examples listed on pages 97-99 of “Sharpshooter” by Wiley
Sword. Berdan’s two regiments were composed of experienced marksman from
Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont,
and Wisconsin. Berdan’s Sharpshooters became one of the most feared units
of the Civil War, and played an important role in many of the biggest battles
including Gettysburg, Spotsylvania, Chancellorsville, and the Second Battle of
Bull Run. The two U.S.S. regiments were intended to serve as skirmishers and
light infantry modeled on the famous British Rifle Brigade. Like their British
counterparts, the U.S.S. were issued dark green uniforms with non-reflective
black buttons. Berdan selected the New Model 1859 Sharps rifle to arm the
Sharpshooters, replacing the originally issued Colt Model 1855 rifles. The
Ordnance Department’s initial order was for standard New Model 1859 rifles,
but Colonel Hiram Berdan contacted the factory and requested a dull barrel
finish and double set triggers. The factory assumed Berdan had permission for
the changes and began producing rifles for the unit to his specifications, but
once the Ordnance Department got word, they insisted that they would not
pay for additional rifles in the altered configuration. However, given that the
specifications Berdan requested did not actually cost more due to the use of a
socket bayonet rather than a sword bayonet, Sharps may have just continued
making the rifles as Berdan requested. Many of the rifles were used by the
Sharpshooters, and some others were diverted and used by other units such as
the Bucktails (13th Pennsylvania).
Berdan
Sharpshooters
210