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1ST MODEL COLT DRAGOON REVOLVER CARRIED BY WILLIAM

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:5,000.00 USD Estimated At:10,000.00 - 15,000.00 USD
1ST MODEL COLT DRAGOON REVOLVER CARRIED BY WILLIAM

ROWE, 2ND ARKANSAS CAVALRY AND IMAGE OF HIM HOLDING REVOLVER AND PROVENANCE. Cal. 44. S# 3085. Bbl. 7 1/2" standard configuration, blue & case colors, silver plated grip frame. This is a very nice well documented example known. Soldier personalized revolver w/ iron tack design, small star on left grip & his initials W.R. on right. William also scratched his initials on backstrap “WFR”, “W” on left ear, “F” on top, & “R” on right ear. This was a very valuable gun even in its day & William wanted his name on it. It is very rare to see a photograph of a soldier holding the weapon he carried & he is proudly holding it across his breast in 9th plate tintype wearing enlisted cavalry shell jacket & forage cap w/ crossed saber insignia. It would be quite interesting to know how he came about this early Dragoon made in 1848. William F. Rowe (1843-1917) Born in Prussia, left his mother & father, immigrated by himself to America, landing in Fort Smith Arkansas December 7, 1859 at 16 years old. Enrolled in Company H, 2nd Arkansas cavalry September 7, 1863, & was mustered out Memphis Tennessee, August 1865. He lived his life, died & is buried at Fort Smith where he originally enlisted. When William mustered out in August 1865, he was charged $8 for retaining “pistol”, could this have been the pistol? This revolver was originally a civilian purchased from Colt in 1848. Could it have been captured during the war from Confederates & inventoried as US government property & reissued? There is indiscernible lightly scratched name on the butt w/ last initial “H” & a pair of initials scratched on the triggerguard “EH”. So, who had this gun originally w/ different last name? There is a wonderful article written in the Fort Smith Historical Society Journal in 1980 that is included w/ this lot. It details all the effects of William F Rowe. The article was written by his grandson who was 9 years old when William died, but still had vivid recollections of the war stories he was told. Nicholas J Kelly (1908-1982) the grandson died not long after this wonderful article was published, he had sold this pistol & other items for $3000 in 1970. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: accompanying this lot along w/ pistol and 9th plate tintype are US oval belt plate, GAR membership badge, GAR hat insignia, & GAR program from San Francisco 1886, all in shadowbox type frame. Revolver is nicely displayed in beveled casing w/ accessories. 1980 Fort Smith Historical Society Journal, 1970 letter from the Kelly selling the gun to Mr. Hodge along w/ other items. Manuscript genealogy showing descendants from William Rowe to Nicholas Kelly. There is a modern 20 x 24" color pastel copy of photograph, signed E. Gordon West. CONDITION: very good to fine overall, original, complete w/ matching serial numbers, traces of original finish in protected areas, iron now a smooth mottled streaked plum/brown patina, strong traces of silver in protected areas. Cylinder scene is mostly discernible. Grips are sound & well fit w/ moderate to heavy edge wear & remnants of old varnish finish. Markings are all crisp & discernible. Mechanically fine w/ crisp rifled bore. The accompanying compartmented casing is fair, refinished w/ numerous cosmetic blemishes, brown lining is loose, 2 cavity brass “COLT’S PATENT” mold is good w/ pitting on sprue cutter, round patent capper has dark mustard patina & functional, flask is poor unseamed & missing top w/ several small holes. (01-19824/JS). ANTIQUE. $10,000-15,000.