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LOT 1090
Incredibly Historic, “Frontier Issued”, Eugene E. White U.S. Indian
Service Inscribed Antique Colt Single Action Army Revolver with
Brass Tack Decorated Grip, Holster, and Factory Letter - Serial no.
15457, 45 Long Colt cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish,
walnut grips. Manufactured in 1875, this historic example of Colt’s iconic
Single Action Army revolver is one of those firearms that simply exudes
an aura of having stories of the frontier to tell. The Single Action Army
itself is arguably the most legendary firearm of the American west, but
there are undoubtedly some examples, like this one, that are deeply
imbued with the spirit of the western
frontier, making them a deeply
moving object to handle. Like the
generations of people who experienced
the frontier when it remained wild and
untamed, this revolver also carries the scars of that
unforgiving environment, with each and every one having a
telling a story, and this revolver’s story is inseparably intertwined with the
Utah Indian Territory.
The included factory letter lists the revolver in .45 caliber when it was
shipped to Schuyler, Hartley & Graham in New York on 12 August 1875 as
part of a 50 gun shipment. The Schuyler, Hartley & Graham firm was one
of Colt’s largest distributors, and though they were based in New York,
a large number of their firearms made their way to the American West,
both in large shipments to western retailers and in the hands and holsters
of brave and hopeful settlers who were turning their gaze westward,
chasing the freedom of the frontier, and searching for a better life. The
top of the barrel is marked with the standard single line address. The left
of the frame is marked with the two-line patent dates and the left rear of
the trigger guard has the caliber marking. The matching serial number
is marked on the bottom of the frame, trigger guard, and back strap,
and the matching last four digits of the serial number are marked on the
cylinder. The back strap is period, non-factory inscribed with “E.E. WHITE
U.S. INDIAN SERVICE” in block letters formed from zig-zag lines. It is fitted
with the standard blade front and frame-top groove rear sights, as well
as the standard one-piece walnut grip that has been decorated
during the period of use with small brass tacks forming a heart
and arrow on the left and a flower petal design on the right.
Included with the revolver is a lightly tooled leather flap
holster featuring border designs and a floral/cactus motif
at the center of the body, various letters regarding the
revolver, a letter from the National Archives and Records
Service detailing White’s career with the Department of
the Interior, as well as a small framed informational plaque
and a framed photograph of the cover of E.E. White’s book,
“Experiences of a Special Indian Agent”. Also included is a
small Native American style medicine pouch as well as a U.S.
Bureau of Indian Affairs badge.
The inscription on
this revolver refers to Eugene
E. White, an interesting character in the
story of the American West and of the Indian Territories,
particularly in Utah. Born around 1854 in Arkansas, the 1880 U.S. Census
lists White as a deputy county clerk in Arkansas’ Nevada County, with
some sources indicating he was a district judge and served in the state
legislature. In early October of 1885, White was appointed as a Special
Indian Agency Agent and appears to have initially been stationed in
Arkansas. In his 1893 copyrighted book, “Experiences of a Special Indian
Agent”, White explains on the first page of the introduction that, at the
time, the U.S. Indian Agency had five Special Agents, five Inspectors,
and 58 Agents. The book documents both his journey westward and his
time in Indian Territory in great detail. He notes that Special Agents were
charged with investigating all complaints regarding the Native Americans
and reservations, as well as potentially being tasked with serving as a
standard Agent for indefinite terms. In the book he indicates that it was
his friends who recommended him for the position, despite him being
“...a stranger both to Indians and the Indian service.” According to period
newspaper articles, White was located in Muskogee Indian Territory in
December of 1885, likely still essentially in “training”, before being called
to Washington in early 1886. It appears in period sources that, due to
various problems on the Uintah and Ouray reservations, both of the
agents there had recently resigned, likely out of fear as the Utes were
close to an uprising, and Washington had chosen White to be sent out to
Utah to handle the situation. He notes in his book that upon his visit to
Washington, there seemed to be plenty of doubt surrounding his ability
to handle the job, particularly because he was the youngest Special Agent
in the service by 20 years at the time.
From then he made his way west, with his path appearing to take him
through Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and finally Utah. Soon after
he arrived on 24 June 1886, White took charge of both the Uintah and
Ouray reservations indefinitely, which, at the time, had offices about 30
miles apart, separated by what he described as a barren desert. In a letter
from White to “The Nevada County Picayune” on 25 August 1886, he
stated that in taking charge of the two reservations, he was at the head of
26 employees, and was in the charge of 2,500 Native Americans between
the two. Another article from the same paper notes that the bands of
Natives among the two reservations were capable of mustering 750
mounted and heavily armed warriors if trouble should arise. In his book,
White notes that shortly after his arrival he was informed of the situation
and the cause for Washington’s worry and the anger among the Natives.
The bands of Utes on these two reservations, primarily the Uncomphagre,
Uintah, and White River bands, had formerly settled in Colorado before
being moved to the Utah reservations.
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