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LOT 1039
Native American Style Cut-Down, Tack Decorated Percussion Musket with Rawhide Band - NSN, 62 cal., 32 1/4 inch round bbl., bright finish,
walnut stock. This musket must have had a colorful and interesting life, presumably seeing many years of use in the American West. The gun was
originally a Civil War era import musket (Austrian Lorenz model), and appears to have later been traded to or captured by a Native American in the West
and then modified over the years to keep it in use and personalize it for its owner. The gun was cut-down (presumably to make it easier for use on horseback). The
stock features a wide rawhide band holding the barrel, removed sideplate, and series of brass tacks on the forearm and right sight of the buttstock which surround a
circular mirror. Brass tack decoration is commonly associated with Native Americans in the West.
CONDITION: Fair displaying all the hallmarks of Native American modification and hard subsequent use on the frontier. The metal surfaces show an “as found” appearance for a gun associated with a lifetime of service out west. The stock exudes even more weathered character for a weapon that survived the frontier. Mechanically fine. This musket has clearly seen some real use and could have been used in battle in one or more of the numerous late 19th century Indian Wars. This musket will certainly add a lot of character and interest to any
western arms collection.
Estimate: 1,600 - 2,500
LOT 1040
Historic Documented Colt Model 1851 Navy Percussion Revolver with Holster, Belt, Cap Box, Knife, and Sheath
Attributed to Hiram Tuttle of the 3rd Regiment of California Volunteer Infantry with Affidavit - Serial no. 71741, 36 cal., 7
1/2 inch octagon bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut grips. Manufactured in 1857. The revolver features a silver blade front
sight with a dovetailed base, dovetailed notch rear sight, the one-line New York City address, standard Colt patent markings
and navy cylinder scene, all matching serial numbers on the various metal components, an iron grip frame, and smooth
walnut grip. A brown leather holster with a brass reinforcement plate along the barrel section, a brown leather belt with a
Model 1851 officer’s buckle with laurels, a cap box with “H S Tuttle/Co K 3rd/CV.” marked inside the outer flap, and a George
Wostenholm & Son Hunter’s Companion knife with sheath are also included. The included notarized affidavit from Oraville
Jane Tuttle indicates these items belonged to her paternal grandfather Hiram Sinclair Tuttle and were carried by him while serving in Company K of the 3rd Regiment of California Volunteer Infantry from November 16, 1861, to January 10, 1865. Company K was stationed at the Benicia Barracks before being sent to Camp Douglas in Utah in the summer of 1862. 40 men from Company K under Captain Samuel W. Hoyt took part in the Battle of Bear River, also known
as the Bear River Massacre, on January 29, 1863, during which around 200 U.S. soldiers attacked a Northwestern Shoshone camp led by Chief Bear Hunter at the confluence of the Bear River and Battle Creek in the Washington Territory and killed around 250 Shoshone in the culmination of a long cycle of violence. Tuttle’s diary in a brief entry on Thursday, January 29, 1863, records his presence at the Bear River Massacre. When 3rd Infantry was consolidated on October 29, 1864, the regiment became known as the 3rd Battalion of Infantry and was reduced to four companies. Tuttle was born in Palmyra, Maine, on April 21, 1833. He was promoted to corporal on June 8, 1862. He was transferred to Company D when the unit was consolidated. He later worked for the U.S. Mint in San Francisco and was active in several fraternal societies prior to his death on June 18, 1908.
CONDITION: Fine. The revolver has traces of original finish and mostly displays an attractive aged gray and brown patina, some light pitting, dark aged patina on the silver front sight blade, and mild overall wear in keeping with the revolver seeing use in the Civil War. The grip is good and has mild lower edge wear, chips at the toe and heel, and mild handling wear. Mechanically excellent. The accessories are good with moderate wear, including some flaking and tears on the leather and extensive sharpening wear on the knife blade along with some mild pitting. Overall, a very attractive set with a very distinctive “frontier issued” Colt Model 1851 Navy revolver, all linked to a California Volunteer Infantryman during the American Civil War and conflicts with the
Shoshone in the West.
Estimate: 5,000 - 7,500
LOT 1041
Exceptional Double Sided Native American Sioux
Tribe Associated Bead Decorated Sheath with
John Wilson Sheffield Skinner/Butcher Knife - The
consignor attributed the sheath to a member of one of the
Sioux tribes and is most likely from the Indian Wars era 1865
-1875. The sheath has extensive beaded designs with different
patterns on each side in several colors and has a brass double link chain hanger. Only the top 1% of early knife sheaths were beaded on both sides. Note the bead colors used on both sides of this sheath. The superb designs are completely different yet incorporate mostly the same colors, up to eight per side. Note the rare pink bead color, verso from blue background. Measures: 9 3/4 inches long. The knife has an “I. WILSON/SYCAMORE ST./ SHEFFIELD ENGLAND” maker’s mark on the left side of the 6 1/4 inch blade and has wood scales secured by six pins. Wilson knives are known to have been common on the American frontier in the 19th century and remained in production well-into the 20th century.
CONDITION: The sheath is very fine and has a few small sections of beads absent, and highly attractive patina. The knife is good with a well-worn “frontier used” appearance.
Estimate: 4,000 - 6,000
LOT 1042
Early 19th Century “BF” Marked Pipe Tomahawk - The head has
a tear drop shaped eye, deep bowl, chevron design, and a “B[bird]F” maker’s mark, sun, man in the moon and cluster of seven stars on the left side of the 5 by 3 1/4 inch blade. To have the fourth stamp and/ or mark on the blade is more rare. Many or most of this style just have the sun, moon, and stars. There are very few with sun, moon, stars, and bird. The shaft is painted red. Several other tomahawk heads
of this design are known (see for example “Indian Tomahawks and Frontiersmen Belt Axes” by Hartzler and Knowles on page 152). They have been generally identified as British made and traded/gifted to Great Lakes and Eastern Woodland tribes in the early 19th century to War of 1812 period.
CONDITION: Fine with brown patina, mild pitting, mostly distinct markings, some chips at the edge of the blade, and moderate wear and a long hairline crack on the otherwise very fine original shaft which retains 70% of the original red paint.
Estimate: 3,000 - 5,000
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