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The Confederates threated to hang Union prisoners if any of the Savannah crew members were hanged and assigned Ely with the role of deciding which of his fellow prisoners would hang. The hangings
on either side never took place. President Lincoln decided to treat the accused pirates as POWs to avoid reprisal hangings. Ely was released from prison in a prisoner exchange on Christmas Day 1861. After his second and final Congressional term, Ely returned to practicing law.
He died in Rochester, New York on May 18, 1892. The cylinder has the standard patent marking, and the barrel has the standard one-line Springfield address. The revolver wears a set of pearl grips. The right grip panel is numbered to the gun. Matching assembly marks appear on the grip frame, cylinder, and barrel. The unusual and rare book style case has a fancy burled walnut veneer, brass hardware, and blue velvet lining and contains a case key, a screwdriver, a cleaning rod, an oiler, and a box of American Metallic Cartridge Co. 22 RF cartridges (16/50 rounds).
CONDITION: Excellent. The barrel and cylinder retain 98% bright original high polish blue. The frame retains 97% original gold plating with thinning on the back strap. The engraving is crisp. The grips
are also excellent with a chip at the bottom (right panel) and highly attractive fiery colors. Mechanically excellent. The case is fine with some minor handling/storage marks and fine age cracking on the veneer and typical high spot wear on the lining. A highly impressive, high condition example of Gustave Young artistry presented to a U.S. Congressman and Civil War prisoner of war, this Model No. 1 Second Issue will be a great addition to any S&W or Civil War collection. Provenance: The Mac McCroskie Collection.
Estimate: 50,000 - 75,000
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