GUN SPRING 2018
The live portion of this session begins on Wednesday, March 21, 2018.
EXTRAORDINARY NIMSCHKE STYLE ENGRAVED COLT FACTORY SILVER AND GOLD PLATED 1851 NAVY REVOLVER PRESENTED TO LT COMMANDER LEROY FITCH, HERO OF THE BATTLE OF NASHVILLE WITH SUPERB ROSEWOOD COLT FACTORY CASE. COLT 1851 NAVY 139699 36 ESA Cal. 36. 7-1/2" bbl. This most important and beautiful historical Colt 1851 Navy was "Presented to Lieutenant.Commander Leroy Fitch / A token of / Friendship and Esteem / from / A. Mast. Frederick Read / A. A. Surgn Geo. W. Shields / May 6, 1865". Subject revolver is silver plated with gilt cyl, rammer, trigger and hammer. Profusely and beautifully engraved in the Nimschke style. Backstrap engraved "Leroy Fitch". "P" for plated on backstrap, trigger guard and frame. Magnificent carved ivory grips with high raised relief American eagle in flight above a ship and sea serpent. Most unusual and attractive motif.
Leroy Fitch (1834-1875) Fitch graduated from the Naval Academy in 1856 and served in the service until his death. There are over 1,000 pages in the official records with his name or report. He is best known as Commander of the "Brown Water Navy" where his gunboats would support land forces with naval artillery fire. During the Battle of Nashville in December 1864, Fitch battled Confederate Cavalry under Nathan Bedford Forrest at Kelly's Point at what is now called The Battle of West Nashville. This was possibly the only time in General Forrest's career that he was surprised and out-maneuvered in a military operation. Fitch was Commander in Charge of the riverboat fleet from his flagship USS Moose, along with USS Carondelet, USS Neosho, USS Fairplay, USS Silverlake, USS Reindeer, USS Brilliant and USS Springfield. This little known hero's career is summarized in the recent 2013 432-pg text by Myron Smith Leroy Fitch: The Civil War Career of Union Gunboat Commander. Though Fitch died quite young, his naval career is intriguing. A US destroyer, USS Fitch was named in his honor, launched June 14, 1941. The orig bronze commissioning plaque for the "first of the Fitch Class Destroyers" descended in the Fitch family along with this spectacular Colt. The USS Fitch Commissioning Plaque is also being offered for sale in this auction. PROVENANCE: Leroy Fitch 1865; Mary Fitch 1875; ancestor of Loree Collins, 1913; Loree Collins, USN, Summit, NJ; the spectacular collections of Ray Bentley featuring the finest and rarest deluxe antique Winchesters in the world. CONDITION: Commander Fitch's 1851 Navy retains nearly all of its orig silver plating on bbl, frame, trigger guard and backstrap. Retains most gold gilt on cyl, rammer, trigger and hammer. Bore is excellent. Screws retain much orig bluing. Gilding on trigger is period. Case is in excellent condition with beautiful Civil War era engraving with presentation to Cmdr. Fitch on escutcheon. Casing retains very rare American Flask and Cap Co. slant charger Navy flask with almost all orig silver. Silver plated Colt's patent mold, nipple wrench and package of Colt cartridges for Colt's Navy pistol. Lining has faded but is mostly intact with some missing where front side rubbed against partition. All together a striking and most historical ensemble presented to a Naval Commander with significant Civil War service. 53091-130 MRZ (25,000-50,000)