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HISTORIC MODEL 1861 REMINGTON “OLD MODEL ARMY”
REVOLVER – IDENTIFIED BY SERIAL NUMBER AS ISSUED
TO THE 1ST MISSOURI VOLUNTEER CAVALRY IN 1863
AND RECOVERED FROM THE NASHVILLE BATTLE SITE AREA:
Recently purchased from a very old collection, this
Model 1861 Remington Army Pistol was accompanied by a
printed card indicating the pistol was recovered from
where it had been hidden in the wall of an old house in
the area of the Nashville, Tennessee battlefield. After
acquiring this Remington, I discovered that it was
listed by serial number in the Springfield Research
Service publication, Serial Numbers, Volume 4, on
page 244, as having been issued to a soldier in Company
I, of the 1st Missouri Volunteer Cavalry in
1863.
Produced early in the Civil War, in 1862, and with the
relatively low total production of only 6000, almost all
of these M1861 Remington Army pistols were purchased by
the US government for issue to the troops. The serial
number range of the M1861is believed to begin at 3000,
making this pistol one of the first of this model
produced. This low serial number and early production
is further evidenced by the use of the Beals type frame
used on this particular pistol which incorporates the
completely concealed barrel threads at the breech area
of the receiver. Far from common, these early Remington
revolvers are seldom encountered and when found,
normally show extensive use and wear. So, the condition
of this pistol, although aged, is not considerably
different from the normal wear found on pistols of this
model and it is still very much a representative example
with the added value of having historic association with
a significant Civil War battle site and a Civil War
cavalry unit.
Although showing evidence of long term storage with the
lack of finish and the absence of the grip panels, this
historic Old Model Army has survived in remarkable
condition. The matching serial number stamps are all
legible on the barrel, grip frame and the underside of
the trigger guard, as is the Remington two line address
and patent information on the top barrel flat.
The brass trigger guard
bears the proper inspector’s initial – a clear and
legible “W” - confirming that this was indeed a US Army
issued pistol.
The cylinder rotates on the
cylinder pin, the hammer will hold at full cock, the
mainspring is present and functional, and the trigger
responds to the trigger spring, however the trigger and
hammer do not work together to lower the hammer, rather
you have to lower it manually. The loading lever is
missing and appears to have been intentionally removed
before the gun was hidden in the wall of the house, as
the aging in that area is uniform with the remainder of
the gun and the hinge area where the lever was attached
shows no damage. All
of the nipples are present and intact, and the loading
lever retainer on the bottom of the barrel is present.
The bottom curve of the brass trigger guard is
flattened, as if the pistol was used as a club to strike
an opponent, but the finger loop is not broken nor are
there any stress cracks, just simply misshapen in a way
adding to the overall character of the gun and
testifying to the hard use to which it was put.
Acquired with this Remington, and included in this
offering, is a small display box of relics collected at
the same site where the pistol was recovered. The
relics include a Burnside Carbine bullet, what I believe
is a Confederate Enfield bullet, a brass grommet like
the type used on the soldier’s gum blankets or ponchos,
a brass ring with a serrated edge, a brass harmonica
reed, what appears to be a lead or iron button, a brass
buckle and two pieces of lead slag.
A letter of confirmation has been ordered from the
Springfield Research Service (SRS) to document this
Remington’s issue to the 1st Missouri
Volunteer Cavalry Regiment and will be included in the
sale of this pistol. Without knowing at this time what
information the SRS letter will hold, the preliminary
research I’ve done so far indicates that the link
between the 1st Missouri Cavalry and the
Nashville area may prove to be an interesting facet of
the story of this Remington. While I have yet to
establish that the 1st Missouri was at the
battle of Nashville, the unit history indicates that
elements of the unit were assigned to a variety of
duties during the war including being attached to a
number of different divisions and armies in the
Trans-Mississippi area and further research may reveal
that elements of the 1st Missouri were indeed
in the Nashville area. Also worth mentioning is that
while the Federal Missouri cavalry units are not
mentioned in the history of the Battle of Nashville by
name, there were several Confederate Missouri cavalry
units present at the battle. As most Civil War
historians are aware, the conflict exacted a
particularly horrible price from Missouri, as her
citizens aligned themselves with both sides of the
conflict, not only enlisting in the regular uniformed
services of both armies, but also engaging in an
especially vicious partisan war against uniformed
soldiers and civilians alike. It may well be the pistol
was captured and eventually carried to Nashville by a
Confederate Missourian. How this pistol found its way
to the Nashville area, and how it came to be secreted in
the wall of an old house will likely be mysteries that
will remain lost to the passage of time, however that it
was carried by a young cavalry trooper in Company I of
the 1st Missouri there can be no doubt.
In spite of incredible odds against it, this Remington
Model 1861 Old Model Army has managed a remarkable
trifecta by surviving the passing years in any condition
– a relatively scarce model with a low serial number in
the desirable early production configuration; recovered
in the context of a significant Southern battlefield of
the Civil War; and a solid identification to a specific
Civil War Cavalry unit documented through records held
by the National Archives.
The collecting fraternity continually searches for those
very special pieces which by the virtue of their firm
historical association can transport us back to a
specific place and time by simply cradling them in our
hands, and stimulate our imaginations to reach out to
the soldier, sailor, cowhand or warrior who carried
them. This Remington is such a piece, seldom
encountered and sure to be a key addition to any
collection. $3250
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