Page 110 - 89-FLIPBOOK2

LOT 1128
Fine Historic Civil War Second Model LeMat
“Grape Shot” Percussion Revolver Documented as Found in a Virginia Farmhouse -
Serial no. 1477, 42 cal/ 16 ga cal., 6 3/4 inch octagon and 6 3/4 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. The LeMat is one of the most distinctive and famous of all 19th century revolvers thanks to unusual central smoothbore “grape shot” barrel plus its use by well- known Confederate military generals and officers including P. G. T. Beauregard, Braxton
Bragg, and J. E. B. Stuart. They were designed by Jean Alexandre LeMat of New Orleans but
mainly manufactured in Liege, Belgium and Paris, France. Period advertisements for the revolvers refer to
them as “LeMat’s Grape Shot Revolvers.” This revolver is a 2nd Model manufactured in Paris c. 1864-1865.
This revolver is accompanied by a Confederate States Amory & Museum analysis of this revolver listing all of the markings found during a detailed takedown of the revolver and concluding: “This LeMat revolver is in excellent, original, untouched condition. It is missing one percussion nipple, which has broken off, leaving the base in place [since replaced]: the loading lever spring catch is a replacement: the remainder of the piece is completely original. The analysis indicates the cylinder, barrels, loading lever arm, loading lever plunger, grapeshot rammer rod, rammer assembly screw, frame locking bolt, frame, frame plate, hammer, trigger, grips, grip screw, trigger guard, and cylinder ratchet arm all have matching serial numbers and that there are “21” assembly numbers on the frame plate and back strap. The barrel is signed “Col Le Mat Bte s.g.d.g. Paris” on top with lined borders and entwining finials and has the “*/LM” mark on the right side ahead of the serial number.
The included affidavit from Courtney B. Wilson states that this revolver was passed down through the Kenneth Breeder’s family of Breeder Farm, Mt. Carmel Church, Hanover County, Virginia, and that the revolver and its holster were found in the attic of the farmhouse along with several rifles and “a large quantity
of Confederate currency, which was discovered in an old trunk...”‘These items were discovered while the attic was being cleared out after the death of Kenneth Breeder’s grandmother, Laura Mitchell Binford [name handwritten], who had lived with the Breeder family, and who had been alive during the War Between The States.” A second document from Kenneth Breeder attests that Wilson’s information is correct.
108