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Colonel Hiram Berdan
LOT 3086
Documented Historic Civil War U.S. Martially Inspected Berdan Sharpshooter Double Set Trigger Sharps New Model 1859 Percussion Military Rifle with Sling - Serial no. 54576, 52 cal., 30 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut stock. This New Model 1859 Sharps rifle is in the correct 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 (Berdan’s Sharpshooters) and falls within the correct serial number range 54390-57574 of Berdan Sharps rifles. Berdan’s two U.S. Sharpshooter regiments (U.S.S.) were composed of experienced marksman from Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Wisconsin. The 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, but others were diverted and used by other units such as the Bucktails (13th Pennsylvania). This rifle has a nickel-silver blade front sight, Lawrence patent notch and ladder rear sight with readings graduated to 800 yards and a 900 yard center notch at the top, standard markings including “NEW MODEL 1859” on top of the barrel at the breech, adjustable double set triggers, long military style forearm, sling swivels on the middle barrel band and buttstock, an iron patch box, and is correctly not fit with a lever latch. The matching serial number “54576” is marked on the upper receiver tang and underside of the barrel. Includes a December 5th, 1995 dated letter addressed from well noted authority/author Wiley Sword to previous owner, David F. Warne, indicating he was aware of this gun by serial number and, counting this example, knew of 79 serial numbers of surviving “Berdan” Sharps at the time of the letter. Also includes a scanned copy of the article “The Uniforms & Field Equipment of the Berdan U.S. Sharpshooters” by Roy M. Marcot, scanned copies of various handwritten period letters of correspondence related to Berdan’s Sharpshooters, and a period brown leather sling. Faint remnants visible (partial “O.W.”) of what would have been “O.W.A” (Orville W. Ainsworth) inspection initials on the left breech of the barrel, and the left of the stock has faint remnants of a boxed inspection cartouche that was likely “JT” (John Taylor). Taylor inspected all 2,000 of the Berdan special contract rifles between April 11 and May 24, 1862, per Wiley Sword in “Sharpshooter.”
Collector’s Fact
According to the included letter from author Wiley Sword, Sword knew of 79 serial numbers of surviving Berdan Sharps at the time of writing (December 5, 1995). There were 2000 special ordered Sharps 1859 rifles for the 1st and 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters regiments.