December 14-17, 2021 Collectible Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/14/2021
Francis Stebbins Bartow was born in 1816 and was a Georgia attorney and politician who served in the state House of Representatives and the state Senate. A fervent secessionist, he led the seizure of Fort Pulaski from the U.S. government, voted to leave the Union as a delegate to the state’s Secession Convention, and was briefly chairman of the Military Committee of Confederate States Provisional Congress at Montgomery. He took his militia company, the Oglethorpe Light Infantry, to Richmond in order to join the Confederate service in violation of Governor Brown’s wishes to retain the state’s control of its forces, and was joined there by other Georgia militia units acting on their own, which were formed into the 8th Georgia Infantry under his command. Posted first in the Shenandoah, Bartow joined Beauregard’s forces at Manassas in June, and was given a brigade command, leading the 7th and 8th Georgia into battle on July 21. During the battle his horse was shot out from under him and he continued to rally his men. While continuing to encourage his men forward, he reportedly yelled “Follow me boys!” and was struck by a bullet. He was killed in action shortly after receiving this wound while reportedly saying, “Boys, they have killed me, but never give up the field.” He was the first Confederate brigade commander killed in battle, though still a Colonel. This 1854 pattern Brevete Lefaucheux patent 12mm pinfire revolver is stamped on the backstrap “F.S. Bartow” in small block letters matching stamps used by Samuel Sutherland in marking guns sold through his Richmond firearms and military goods establishment. He advertised as both “manufacturer and importer of fire-arms,” starting in business at least by 1845, expanding into cutlery and then into a variety of military goods during the Civil War, after which he changed into a more general “hardware merchant.” (See Bazelon, Vol. 2.) A Sutherland company marked example dated “circa 1861,” sold at Christies in 1998, supporting not only Sutherland’s sale of the pattern, but its 1860 date with serial number 6953. These pinfire revolvers were made exclusively for the Spanish Army in a state factory located in Oviedo Spain. The revolver is dated 1860 on top of the barrel and marked JRL on the left side of the frame. The Spanish Army had made this their official revolver and very few were exported to the south or Union Army. Sutherland knew that Colts wouldn't be available when the war started and ordered this revolver probably as a sample for customers. The gun is accompanied by a binder of research which includes copies of Bartow’s military records and research pertaining to Samuel Sutherland stamping patterns. CONDITION: Good, with virtually all of the original finishes turned an even chocolate patina with wear at high edges and handling marks throughout. Grips are strong with no major signs of distress. Action needs attention as hammer will not fully cock. Bore is frosted with well-defined rifling. JLD/TON
Manufacturer
Brevete Leafucheux
Paperwork
Binder with Research