GUN SPRING 2016
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/14/2016
HISTORICAL PRESENTATION COLT REVOLVER USED BY MAJOR AND LATER GENERAL SCHUYLER HAMILTON AT THE BATTLE OF FIRST BULL RUN WHERE HE WAS PERSONALLY THANKED BY PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN FOR SAVING THE LIVES OF CONFEDERATE PRISONERS OF WAR.COLT184916281231Cal. 31. This fine cased Colt Pocket model revolver was made in 1860 at the beginning of Civil War fervor and given by Edmund Lincoln Baylies to Schuyler Hamilton who was the grandson of Alexander Hamilton, West Point graduate and Mexican War hero. He was aide-de-camp to General Winfield Scott prior to the Civil War and was General Scott's military secretary and aide-de-camp early 1861. Hamilton was writing confidential letters for General Scott prior to the Battle of Bull Run to President Lincoln and no doubt would have been by Scott's side at meetings with the President. At the battle of 1st Bull Run, July 21, 1861, Scott met with Lincoln discussing the rout of US troops, no doubt Schuyler Hamilton by his side. Schuyler Hamilton, a Major at this time and life long military officer would not stand for outraged Union troops threatening to murder Confederate prisoners marched through the Capitol streets. As the inscription states this was the pistol used when he confronted Union soldiers who wished to take revenge on helpless prisoners at the 1st major battle of the Civil War. The presentation states that this gun was originally given to Hamilton in April of 1861 by Edmund Lincoln Baylies, who was a 32 year old Harvard graduate working in New York city where Hamilton was also a most prominent and well known inhabitant. Baylies was by heredity a member of The Order of Cincinnati, as was Hamilton, who of course his grandfather Alexander Hamilton was a founding member. Though we cannot be certain without further research of the exact occasion of this presentation but, we do know that then Major General Schuyler Hamilton presented this gun to the son of Edmund Lincoln Baylies, whose father had died at only 40 years old in 1869. Hamilton must have been close to the Baylies family. We do know Margarita "Peggy" Schuyler Van Rensselaer was Elizabeth's Schuyler Hamilton's sister who was Schuyler Hamilton's grandmother and of course married to Alexander Hamilton; so we have direct family connection to the final recipient of this gun Edmund Lincoln Baylies Jr. when he married Louisa Van Rensselaer in 1887. What a spectacular presentation which is finely jeweler engraved in 17 lines of the affixed beveled 5-1/4" x 3-1/8" brass plaque "EDMUND LINCOLN BAYLIES TO SCHUYLER HAMILTON APRIL 1861", "MAJOR GEN. SCHUYLER HAMILTON TO THE SON OF EDMUND LINCOLN BAYLIES", "THIS PISTOL WAS USED IN SAVING THE LIVES OF CERTAIN REBEL PRISONERS OF WAR, TAKEN AT BULL RUN, WHEN SOME OF OUR INFURIATED SOLDIERS PROPOSED TO MURDER IN THE STREETS OF WASHINGTON. FOR THIS SERVICE PRESIDENT LINCOLN PRESENTED TO COL. HAMILTON, AS SENIOR OFFICER, THE THANKS OF THE NATION, IN THE PRESENCE OF GEN. SCOTT AND SEVERAL OF HIS CABINET, ADDING, HE REGRETTED HE COULD GIVE NO MORE PUBIC MANIFESTATION OF HIS APPROVAL BUT SO DOING WOULD 'LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG THE SAME AS IF THE PRISONERS HAD BEEN ACTUALLY MURDERED SO FAR AS OUT FOREIGN RELATIONS ARE CONCERNED'."
From The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 05, 1906: "HAMILTON, Schuyler, soldier, was born in New York city, July 25, 1832; son of John Church and Maria Eliza (Van den Heuvel) Hamilton; grandson of Gen. Alexander and Elizabeth (Schuyler) Hamilton; and great-grandson of Gen. Philip Schuyler. He was graduated at the U.S. military academy in 1841 ; entered the service as 2d lieutenant in the 1st infantry; was on the plains, and at West Point as assistant instructor of tactics ; service in the Mexican war, where he was brevetted 1st lieutenant for gallantry at Monterey, Sept. 21-23, 1846. and where from the effects of a ball in his abdomen, he was left on the field for dead, but revived and fought the battle; and was brevetted captain for gallantry at Mil Flores, Aug. 13, 1847, where he was severely wounded by being run through with a lance, which passed entirely through his body and left lung, in a hand to hand combat with a Mexican lancer. He was promoted first lieutenant in March, 1848; was acting aide to Gen. Winfield Scott, 1847-54, and resigned from the army May 31, 1855, at San Francisco, Cal. "When the Civil War broke out he marched as a private in the 7th regiment, N.Y.S.M., went with that organization to the defense of Washington and offered to pledge himself for canteens and haversacks furnished the regiment, and paid for their transportation. He afterward served on the staff of Gen. B. F. Butler; was appointed military secretary with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, U.S.A., on the staff of Gen. Winfield Scott, serving from May 9, 1861, until be retired Nov. 1, 1861 ; and in that capacity he was instrumental in preventing the murder of certain Confederate prisoners of war captured on the battle-field of Bull Run, July 21, 1861. He was thanked for this service by the President in the presence of General Scott and members of the cabinet, but no publicity could prudently be given to the service at the time. He was appointed additional aide-decamp to General Scott with the rank of colonel and served from Aug. 7 to Nov. 12. 1861, when the aide-de-camp were disbanded. He was then made assistant chief of staff to Gen. H. W. Halleck with rank of colonel, accompanied that officer from New York to St. Louis, and was promoted brigadier-general of volunteers, Nov. 12, 1861. He was with Grant's army operating in western Kentucky and Tennessee and suggested to General Pope the canal to cut off the enemy's position at Island No. 10, and in the assault on that island and New Madrid he commanded a division. He was promoted major- general of volunteers, Sept. 17, 1862, for "meritorious services" at New Madrid and Island No. 10, and had accepted his promotion in good faith, thus vacating his commission of brigadier-general of volunteers, which had been confirmed by the senate, when he was seized with swamp fever and incapacitated from active service. He soon after received a letter from General Halleck demanding his resignation, under the rule that no officer unable to take the field should be named to the senate for confirmation, and after consult-"
The accompanying 1840-1850 vintage cross belt plate depicting George Washington which has always accompanied this pistol is a variant of the "WASHINGTON GRAYS" a popular New York militia unit that also descended in the Schuyler/Van Rensselaer/Baylies family. This plate is in excellent condition, measuring about 4" x 3" polished German silver with gilted solder filled arabesque frame with applied silver plated bust of George Washington in profile. This is a very well made plate, in excellent condition with 3 soldered brass hooks on verso. This is a unique example and no identical examples found in Kerksis, Campbell & Howell, or O'Donnell.
PROVENANCE: Edmund Lincoln Baylies, 1829-1869; Schuyler Hamilton, April 1861; Edmund Lincoln Baylies Jr., 1857-1934; Harold R. Beacham, Boston, MA, 1905-1955; CONDITION: Fine to excellent overall, bbl and cyl retain about 50% bright finish with remainder flaked not worn with balance mottled gray/plum. Cyl retains crisp rolled stagecoach holdup scene with areas of staining and pitting. Frame and hammer retain 80-90% bright and muted case colors with balance silver/gray. Loading arm retains darkened case colors on protected areas with balance silver/gray with pin prick pitting. Markings are all crisp and well discerned including matching SNs on bbl, loading arm, frame, trigger guard, backstrap and cyl. Grips are well fit retaining virtually all their bright factory varnish with light edge wear and scattered tiny blemishes. Gun mechanically functions fine with crisp bright bore and cyl retains bluing in the individual chambers. Mahogany casing retains original Colt varnish with warped lid with broken lock. Bottom of case has pencil marking to the collection of Harold R. Beacham, Boston, Massachusetts, who was the last caretaker before consigned by his children to this sale. Interior of case has fading and wear to velvet lining and partitions which contain revolver and implements. 2-cavity Colt patent bullet mold retains about 40% bright blue finish with balance blue/gray having scattered tacking marks on sides. Accompanying double eagle flask with stars retains about 90% of its original dull varnish finish. 3 original Colt cartridge packs have good discernible labels with several balls and broken cartridges retained. Japanned cap container has green paper label that is loose. "Washington Grays" buckle is very fine overall, missing a small retaining wire on verso which is easily replaced. 50163-1 JS (8,000-12,000)