GUN SPRING 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, April 11, 2017.
CONFEDERATE COL. JOHN S. MOSBY PRESENTATION COLT MODEL 1851 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER. COLT NAVY 142683 36 Cal. 36. This gun originally was in the extensive John S. Mosby Collection of the late Bob Daly of Middleburg, Virginia who had large collection of personal Mosby objects, including many orig letters and documents direct from the Mosby descendants.. Usual configuration with 7-1/2″ oct bbl, brass cone front sight and 1-line New-York U.S. America address, "COLTS PATENT" on left side of frame and Cal. marking on left shoulder of trigger guard, brass trigger guard and back strap with 1-pc walnut grip. Backstrap is engraved in period script "To J.S. Mosby from R.H.D." and buttstrap is inscribed in matching script "Welbourne". John Singleton Mosby was born in Virginia in 1833, educated locally and in 1849 entered the Univ. of Virginia. In 1852 he was expelled for shooting another student, a bully, who had insulted him. He was convicted of the crime and was sentenced to one year in jail and a $500 fine. He was pardoned by the Governor and the fine rescinded. At the outbreak of the Civil War he joined the Confederate Army as a private even though he was opposed to secession. He later stated that he fought for Virginia, not for slavery. In his early career he rode with the Washington Mounted Rifles but was recognized for his intelligence gathering abilities and in early 1862 was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and was authorized to form & command the 43rd Battallion, 1st Virginia Cavalry, Partisan Rangers. He was promoted to Captain and then Major in March 1863, to Lt. Col. in January 1864 and Colonel in December 1864. His command was notorious for their lightning-like and stealthy raids on Union supply trains and encampments. He was known by one & all as the "Grey Ghost". At the end of the war he did not surrender his command but simply disbanded them. After the war he became a staunch Republican and worked on Gen. Grant's campaign for president and subsequently was appointed Consul to Hong Kong 1878-1885. He served in numerous other government & state positions throughout the remainder of his career and died in 1916. The initials in the presentation on back strap of this revolver, "RHD", are thought to be for Richard Henry Dulany (1820-1906), also a Virginian and cavalryman for the Confederacy. The Dulanys are a very old and venerated Virginia family and members of the wealthy Virginia aristocracy having arrived from Ireland in 1703. The Dulany ancestral home is called "Welbourne" and remains in the Dulany Family today as a public Bed & Breakfast Inn. In July 1861, Richard H. Dulany personally equipped a company of mounted riflemen, the Dulany Troop. Col. Mosby and Dulany were apparently friends during the war with recorded instances of Mosby and his troops resting and recuperating at Welbourne. Richard Dulany was originally a Captain in the 7th Virginia Cavalry in command of the Dulany Troop then was appointed Lt. Col. in October 1862 and Colonel in October 1864. He was wounded on three separate occasions and survived numerous campaigns and battles including Jackson's Valley Campaign, Cedar Mountain, Second Manassas, Antietam, Wilderness Campaign, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor & several others. Accompanied by a packet of information regarding Col. Dulany including copies of his military record and copies of several photographs of Col. Mosby both in and out of uniform and with his family. Also included is the book The Dulanys of Welbourne, A Family in Mosby's Confederacy, Vogtsberger, which consists primarily of letters between Col. Dulany and his family. Col. John Mosby was one of the most famous and enigmatic characters of the Civil War. Due to his unpredictability and daring & dashing raids against the Union troops his capture and/or death was greatly pursued by the Union. This cataloguer recalls reading somewhere that there was, unusually for a military person, a substantial reward offered for his capture or proof of his death. Apparently his continuing raids and the inability of the Union to capture him was greatly demoralizing to the Union Army in that area. Mosby supposedly preferred the 1851 Navy to all other hand guns as did so many other Confederate officers. If this gun could only speak and tell us how Dulany obtained this pistol made at the height of the Civil War in early 1863 and gave it to his comrade. Dunlay's wartime letters should be read. PROVENANCE: Ex-Collection Bob Daly, Middleburg, VA. CONDITION: Very good, all matching except wedge which is numbered "20364" and the rammer handle which is numbered "2688". (Grip was not checked.) Bbl & frame retain a gray/brown patina with traces of blue in most sheltered areas of bbl. Rammer handle is also a gray patina with traces of case colors in sheltered areas. Grip frame is an even light mustard patina, having been cleaned and polished in the past, now beginning to regain a patina. Grip is sound showing heavy edge wear with nicks, dings and scratches and retains about 50-60% orig varnish. Cylinder is a matching patina to the frame and retains about 60% Ormsby Naval battle scene. Mechanics are fine, strong dark bore 51619-1 JS (15,000-25,000)