November 15 & 16, 2022 Extraordinary Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/15/2022
Massachusetts Arms Company manufactured Smith breechloading carbine with 21 - 5/8" round .50 caliber barrel with folding ladder carbine rear sight and German silver blade insert front sight. 2 piece walnut stock and forearm complete with single barrel band, staple with saddle ring, and military buttplate. Faint "JM" cartouche in an oval with "WXM" hand carved in to the stock on left side. The serial number on this carbine, 13955, is a match in a descriptive roll of the 3rd Maryland Cavalry as the weapon carried by William Mort. Paperwork includes data from Springfield Research Service. Mort enlisted in the 3rd Maryland in September 1863, at Frederick, mustering into Company I as a private on September 1 and being discharged for disability June 5, 1865. The regiment organized in late 1863 and early 1864 consisting of 10 companies, later consolidated to 6 (the company number on the descriptive list.) It served in Louisiana under General Banks in the Red River Campaign and then under Canby near Mobile, fighting at Mansura, Marksville, Yellow Bayou, and Morgan’s Ferry, losing 11 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, and likely several times that in men who were wounded and survived, or recovered enough to be mustered out. The regiment was also present at the taking of Forts Gaines, Morgan, Blakely, and Spanish Fort in Alabama. Mort seems to have been with them for all these actions. Muster rolls show him present with the company until he is absent for a short time on recruiting duty in September/October 1864, then back with his company by November and present until mustered out on a surgeon’s certificate of disability in June at New Orleans. Until then he apparently had managed to conceal epilepsy, from which he suffered even before enlistment. CONDITION: Good, with virtually all of the original finishes turned a brown-gray patina with handling marks throughout. Stock and forearm are good and have heavy handling marks throughout, especially on forearm. Mechanically fine. Bore is dark from use with corrosive black powder with well-defined rifling. An exciting opportunity to own a documented identified Civil War Carbine with wear consistent with use.
Manufacturer
Mass. Arms Co.
Paperwork
Folder of Research