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AS PICTURED AND DESCRIBED IN "THE GUN REPORT" FROM APRIL 1981
LOT 1165
Exceptional Massachusetts Militia Marked
U.S. Colt Second Model Dragoon Revolver with Case and Accessories Owned by a Civil War Union Surgeon
- Serial no. 10646, 44 percussion cal., 7 1/2 inch part octagon bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut grips. This is a very fine example of a Colt U.S. Contract Second Model Dragoon revolver that was manufactured in 1851. This revolver was one of the Second Model Dragoon revolvers issued to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by the Ordnance Department in the early 1850s, and is stamped with the Massachusetts “MS” property mark on the underside
of the trigger guard between the trigger guard bow and screw. This revolver was the property of Dr. Norman Smith of Lowell, Massachusetts. Dr. Smith was appointed as the regimental surgeon of the 6th Massachusetts Volunteer Militia Regiment when it mustered into federal service on April 15, 1861, three days after the attack on Ft. Sumter, South Carolina. On April 16, 1861, the
6th Massachusetts was ordered to Washington, D.C., to garrison the capital. When the regiment de-trained in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 19, the troops of the 6th Massachusetts were assaulted
by a pro-secession mob. In the riot that followed, four soldiers of the 6th Massachusetts and twelve civilians were killed. The 6th Massachusetts then proceeded to Washington and was stationed in the capitol defenses until it mustered out of federal service
in August 1861. Dr. Smith treated the Massachusetts soldiers wounded in the Baltimore riots and had the dubious distinction of performing the first amputation of the Civil War when he removed the foot of a soldier who accidentally shot himself in the ankle. The amputation was performed in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol building. Dr. Smith mustered out of federal service with the rest
of the 6th Massachusetts Militia on August 2, 1861. This revolver has the distinctive combination of square-back brass trigger guard and cylinder with rectangular stops that identify the 2,700 Second Model Dragoon revolvers manufactured in 1850-51. The barrel and cylinder have the Colt military blue finish. The loading lever, frame, and hammer have the dove-gray casehardened finish peculiar to Colt Dragoon revolvers. The trigger guard and back strap are brass and the one-piece, walnut grip has an oil finish. The cylinder is roll-engraved with the Ranger and Indian fight scene and “MODEL U.S.M.R./COLT’S PATENT”. The top of the barrel lug is roll-stamped “-ADDRESS SAML COLT NEW-YORK CITY-” reading toward the
breech. “COLT’S/PATENT/U.S.” is roll-stamped on the left
side of the frame. Small “B” Ordnance sub-inspection marks
are stamped on the loading lever, barrel lug, cylinder, left
side of the frame, left side of the hammer, bottom of the
trigger guard bow, top of the back strap, and the bottom of
the left side of the grip. The full serial number is stamped
on the bottom of the barrel lug, frame, trigger guard, back
strap, and the side of the cylinder. The partial serial number
“0646” is stamped on the loading lever. All of the visible
serial numbers match. The lower left side of the of the grip
is stamped with the script initials of the Ordnance Sub-
Inspector “JCB” enclosed in a rectangle with rounded ends.
The script “WAT” initials of the Ordnance final inspector
enclosed in an oval are stamped on the lower right side
of the grip. The mahogany case is lined with purple felt
and has five compartments. The case is complete with a
key, assortment of .44 caliber bullets and round balls, and
blued L-shaped screwdriver with blades at either end. A
very old, handwritten tag in the case is inscribed “Revolver of/Surgeon Norman Smith/Loaned by/Norman K. Smith”.
The revolver is accompanied by copies of a number of
documents that detail Surgeon Smith’s military service
and the history of the 6th Massachusetts Militia, and a handwritten note from a Jennie Smith advising that she
was sending a newspaper that the family had kept through
the years. The original newspaper also accompanies the
revolver. The article was in the Lowell Courier Citizen dated
April 19, 1909, and relates to Lowell’s part in “stirring” the
events at opening of the Civil War, the Baltimore riot on
April 19, 1861. The article details Company B of the 6th
Regiments part in the Baltimore riot and there is a photo
of Dr. Norman Smith.
CONDITION: Exceptionally fine. The barrel retains 75% of
the original blue finish; most of the wear concentrated
on the sides of the barrel. The professionally renumbered
cylinder has 85% of the original blue finish on the
remaining areas; all of the roll-engraved Ranger and Indian fight scene including the delicate “W.L. Ormsby” markings remain visible. All of the cylinder safety pins are intact and the percussion nipples and rear face of the cylinder show only light flash pitting. The loading lever, frame and hammer retain 85% of the dove-gray casehardened finish. Wear is limited to some silvering on contact points and some flash pitting on the sides of the hammer. The brass trigger guard and back strap have an attractive mellow, aged mustard yellow patina. The frame and grip screws are very fine with most of the original niter blue finish. The correct, original oil- finished walnut grip is excellent with minimal handling wear.
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