SPECIAL ITEMS

Special Item #001: New England Militia Musket and Pistol that were obtained from a direct decendant of Major Jesse Curtis of the Connecticut State Militia 1775 - 1784. Major Curtis participated in the Lexington Alarm and the Seige of Boston in 1775, The Battle of Saratoga in 1777, and The Battle of Ridgefield,Ct. in 1779.     The pistol is a Connecticut style militia pistol similar to a known example made by Ezra Dodge. It is unmarked and made from idigenous materials. The hardware is fabricated from sheet brass, not cast. The wooden ramrod has been replaced with one made of iron and the pistol is stocked in maple. The barrel and the lock are handmade and unmarked. This is an excellent example of a rarely encountered Revolutionary War militia pistol.     The musket is made in the New England style, fabricated from salvaged French musket parts, and stocked in native maple. The lock is a French Model 1746 with a crude copy of a 1763 cock. No marks are present, The barrel is from a French Model 1728 rampart musket and has the mark of the French Naval Ministry showing that it was in New France before 1760. The barrel is also stamped J. Curtis , and is surcharged U.S. at the breech. The stock is stamped SC for State of Connecticut and the sideplate is decorated with 13 stars. This musket closely resembles the musket that is in the Lexington,Mass. Historical Museum that is attributed to Solomon Brown. Brown was the young man who used his musket to fire the first shot at the British during the Battle of Lexington in 1775.     American Revolutionary War arms are seldom seen outside of a museum, and we are proud to be the present caretakers of this important piece of American History.

Special Item #002: Colt Model 1860 Army revolver #53861 and Colt Model 1862 Police revolver #61 shown with Alonzo Barnard's posthumus Testimonial from the State of New Hampshire. These items were aquired from a direct decendant of Cpl. Alonzo Barnard Company F. 2nd Rgt. U.S. Sharpshooters, 1861-1864. Barnard served in most major campaigns of the War until wounded at The Wilderness in 1864. He died in October of 1864.     The pistols were left at home when Barnard returned to New Hampshire for Christmas furlough in 1863 after he had re-enlisted for further service in the U.S. Sharpshooters. Veteran volunteers were allowed to return home armed. Probably Barnard replaced these revolvers and left them at home as a keepsake.     The '60 Army is an early U.S. government Civil War issue revolver that has had the barrel shortened to 6" with a new front sight added. The backstrap is from # 49329. The Colt shows heavy use and is completely worn out from hard service.     The '62 Police is also used up. It has a 61/2" barrel without a rammer, unique front sight, and very flat crudely made grips. It would make a perfect boot pistol - 6 shots- no hangup. VERY EARLY NUMBER made in 1861.     Both of these Colt revolvers show all the evidence of three years of wartime service and of being genuine.They are accompanied by a deposition from the decendant of Alonzo Barnard attesting to the facts presented here.     These revolvers received a Percussion Antique Award from the Colt Collectors Association in 2005 also attesting to their authenticity.     These revolvers are important Civil War artifacts from the most significant fighting unit fielded by the North during the War Between the States. The U.S. Sharpshooters were the difference between victory and defeat for the Union for the duration of the war, but most especially on July 2, 1863 at 4pm when the 2nd Rgt. U.S.S.S. slowed Longstreet's advance for 40 minutes at the base of Little Round Top. This action changed the outcome of the Battle of Gettysburg in favor of the North. Alonzo Barnard was there along with the Colt revolvers presented here.     Corporal Alonzo Barnard is mentioned twice in Sgt. Wyman White's Civil War dairy. White was Sgt. of Company F. Also shown is a photo of Barnard from Roy Marcot's book on U.S. Sharpshooters.

Guns for Texas Collectors