44 caliber Army Colt

[John Harmon]

In the early 90's my two metal detecting buddies and I received permission from the land owner to search the site of "THE BATTLE OF SUMMIT SPRINGS" July 11, 1869. This was the last battle with the Cheyenne Indians in Colorado. The last time that we tried to go to the site, we were told the site had been closed. There was a book written about Susanna Alderdice (the only white person killed in the battle) that caused so many people to go to the site and some of them trashed it and cut fences. Can't blame the land owner for his actions.

 

While we still had permission to hunt the site I found a 44 caliber Army Colt serial number 130842. Although it was rusty the trigger guard is brass. The revolver was fully loaded and not cocked. Never found the tomahawk. It could have been picked up after the battle or there was no metal on it.

 

There was a Cheyenne Indian named "Two Crows" that was reported to have looked out his teepee to see what the commotion was. Seeing the charge of the Cavalry, he grabbed his revolver, tomahawk, rope and a bridle. He want out side threw the revolver and tomahawk away. He caught a horse the pony boy had stampeded back into the camp and helped other members of his people escape. Two Crows also told the Bents at Bents Fort what happened at the Kidder Massacre in June of 1867. Because the revolver was found fully loaded and not cocked, I believe that the revolver was Two Crow's and also came from the Kidder Massacre Site. I have been trying to find a listing of the serial numbers issued at that time. I have had people tell me they never kept those records at that time, and some that they did. So far, I have not been able to find them either way. I just think that after they started to serial number weapons records were kept. It would keep one soldier from selling his revolver and stealing one from someone else. I'm hoping that some of you are better at finding things like this and can help me out. I checked with Colt and their records for that time period were burned in a fire.

 

Kidder Massacre July 1867
"M" Company
2nd Cavalry

2nd Lieut. - Lyman S. Kidder
Sergeant - Oscar Close
Corporal - Charles Haines might be Charles H. Haynes
Private - Roger Curry
Private - Michael Cornell
Private - William Floyd
Private - Michael Gorman
Private - Michael Haley
Private - N.J. Humphries might be William J. Humphries
Private - Michael Lawler
Private - Charles Taltin might be Charles Telton
Sioux Scout - Red Bead

Died in the Performance of their duty on or about July 2, 1867, in combat with Sioux and Cheyenne Indians.

 

Thank you for any help you can provide. John Harmon

[C. F. 'Charley' Eckhardt]

Send $5 & your name & address to Dixie Gun Works, Glunpowder Lane, Union City, Tennessee.  They'll send you a catalog about as big as an old Sears big book full of muzzle-loading guns & gun parts.  In the back of that catalog there's a section which, among other things. dates any number of firearms by serial number.  As  I recall, the M1860 Army Colt is one of the many guns it lists.  However, the brass triggerguard makes me doubt it's an 1860 Colt.  Army Colts all had steel triggerguards.  Navy Colts had brass triggerguards. No Colt had a brass frame.  Very early Navies had square-back triggerguards, later ones had round triggerguards.

[John Harmon]

I have found three places that state that the 1860 had brass trigger guards.

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_Army_Model_1860

2.2004 Standard Catalog of Firearms 14th Edition page 290

It states that the trigger guard and front strap are brass and the backstrap is blued steel.If you look at the cylinder of the 1860 Army pictured on that page is the same as the one on my revolver. on the next page is a pictured 1861 Navy they are different. As far as I could find the Navy was only a 36 caliber. Although because of the rust it is hard to measure the barrel and cylinder both are larger than 36 caliber.

3. Flayderma's Guide to Antique American Firearms, 8th Edition page 80

Colt Model 1860 Army Revolver. The gripstraps standard as follows: Brass trigger guard, blued steel backstrap.

[C. F. 'Charley' Eckhardt]

Flayderman is the authority.  However, I've seen a nuber of 1860 Army Colts, & the ones I've seen have all had steel trigger-guards.  By the way, there was no 'M' company in a cavalry regiment.  Each regiment had 10 companies--they were not referred to as 'troops' until the 1890s.  Each company was given a letter designation--A thru K, with no J.  Infantry regiments had 12 companies, lettered A thru M, with no J.  At the time there were 10 cavalry regiments. First thru 8th were all White.   Ninth & 10th had Black enlisted men & White officers.

[John Harmon]

MAN, Charley you are picking me to death. You most likely know a lot more about this that I do but the following are references that state Lt. Kidder and his men were with the 2nd cavalry, Company "M".

http://www.goodlandnet.com/history/kidder.htm

http://www.medical-answers.org/hd/index.php?t=Kidder+Massacre&r...

http://www.forttours.com/pages/kiddermassacre.asp

http://www.legendsofkansas.com/kiddermassacre.html

Bugles, Banners, & War Bonnets by Ernest L. Reedstrom page 35

If, you are ever in the Denver, Colorado area you are welcome to come and look at this revolver.

Thanks, John Harmon

[C. F. 'Charley' Eckhardt]

Unless that was a 4-month volunteer cavalry unit, there are errors in the references.

The only time there would be an M company in a cavalry regiment would be if the regiment was organized into battalions.  While between 1866 & the reorganization of 1869 there were several battaliion-organized regiments, they were all infantry.  The 1869 reorganization did away with the 5 'veterans' reserve corps' regiments & consolidated the 45 Inf regiments into 25.  It also eliminated nearly 1000 officer slots.  About the only way an officer who wasn't a USMA grad could stay in was to volunteer to serve with the 9th or 10th Cav, the 24th or 25 Inf, or specifically volunteer for frontier service.  Of course, if a non-grad had the right politico/social connections he had a chance to stay in iwthout serving with a 'colored' regiment or on the frontier.

 

Custer, who'd been a Major General during the war, was offered a full Colonelcy & command of the 9th Cav.  He turned it down in favor of a Captaincy in the 7th because he didn't think there was enough 'glory' in commanding a 'colored' regiment.

 

The last time I was in Denver was July of '89.  I had to change trains there.  It was 10 PM & hot as Hell in downtown Denver, even at that time of night. The only time before that was 1947.  I went through there in the '90s on the way to Cheyenne, but didn't stop.  I spent a week in Colorado Springs back in the '90s.  It sure had changed from '54, which was the last time I was there.  Typical Texas cowboy in those days, I was going out to see if I could find something pretty.  I had on jeans, boots, a short-sleeved western shirt, & a straw hat.  I walked out the motel door--and walked right back in.  It was mid-June, about 8 PM, & the temp felt like about 35!  I still don't know what the girls of Colorado Springs are like--& at my age, I don't reckon I'll ever find out.

[Michael]

The Colt Army has a brass trigger guard.

[Wolfgang]

One original Colt 1860 Army here and it has a brass trigger guard.