RARE IDENTIFIED WYOMING BUFFALO HUNT ERA SHARPS MODEL 1874 SINGLE SHOT RIFLE.

Revised: 3/12/2011

Additional Information: The consignor has provided an extensive amount of research and information about the history of the gun and its ownership dating back to 1934 when it was purchased by his grandfather from descendants of Thomas Dewees. The material will be made available with the firearm.

RARE IDENTIFIED WYOMING BUFFALO HUNT ERA SHARPS MODEL 1874 SINGLE SHOT RIFLE. SN C53427. Cal. 44-77 Sharps. Standard 1874 Sharps sporting rifle with 28″ medium weight oct bbl, Sharps dovetailed front sight with German silver Rocky Mtn. blade and Lawrence Patent ladder rear sight. Top flat of bbl is marked with the 3-line Sharps Hartford address just forward of rear sight with “CALIBRE 44” over chamber area. Top of bbl, in rebated area of bbl root, is stamped with a tiny “20”. Receiver has usual markings, and a double set trigger. Mounted with uncheckered, straight grain American walnut with pewter tipped rnd Sharps forearm and straight stock with smooth steel, Sharps buttplate. SN was observed in usual place on top tang, bottom flat of bbl under forearm, inside lockplate, inside trigger plate, inside toe of buttplate, inside bbl channel of forearm and on face of buttstock under the metal, making this a completely matching Sharps rifle. Accompanied by a Sharps Rifle Co. letter which identifies this rifle as having been “Invoiced June 27, 1871 to T.B. Dewees of Fort Fred Steele, Wyoming Territory.” The rifle is listed as being in caliber 44 with 28″ oct bbl, dbl set triggers, open sights and oil finish stocks. It also notes that “It used the 2-1/4″ Berdan shell.” The 44-77 cartridge uses a 2-1/4″ case. Also accompanying is a packet of research material on Thomas Bull Dewees, born July 1834 and died July 1886, buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Thomas Bull Dewees served as Private through 1st Sergeant in the 2nd U.S. Dragoons from March 1858 to November 1861, when he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Cavalry. He was brevetted Captain in June 1863 for gallantry in the Battle of Beverly Ford, Virginia where was severely wounded and captured by the enemy. He was a POW 1863-1864 when he apparently was exchanged and returned to his regiment where he remained until the end of the war. After the Civil War Captain Dewees remained in the Army and was assigned with the 2nd Cavalry to various western postings, initially at the reduced rank of 2nd Lieutenant as is customarily found for officers who remained on active duty after the Civil War. He was eventually promoted through the ranks reaching the rank of Major. Immediately after the war Dewees was posted with the 2nd Cavalry to Fort Riley, Kansas and then to Wyoming Territory at Laramie, Fort D.A. Russell and other posts in the southern half of Wyoming Territory. He was assigned to Fort Fred Steele from about August 1870 to November 1871. He apparently took a Leave of Absence from November 1871, until April 1872 during which time he very likely was buffalo hunting with his new Sharps rifle. In April 1872 he returned to Fort Steele and remained there until February 1874. Subsequent to that he and several troops of the 2nd Cavalry participated in the Sioux Expedition under Gen. Crook as Commander of Company A, 2nd Cavalry and fought the Indians at the Battle of the Rosebud and subsequent to the Custer fight at the Little Big Horn. He continued in service with the 2nd Cavalry until about 1881 when he was promoted to Major and assigned to the 9th Cavalry. Little is known of his life after that and he died July 5, 1886. Capt. Dewees is pictured on p. 37 of the Time Life series book Gettysburg as a cavalry officer leading his troop. Thomas B. Dewees was a gallant and brave soldier who devoted much of his life to the service of his country in the Indian Wars from 1858 to 1861 and again from 1866 to 1881 as well as throughout the entirety of the Civil War. Also accompanying is a printout of an email from someone named Mark Miller at the University of Wyoming who states that he apparently was part of a team who had “done quite a bit of archeology at the site” (Fort Fred Steele) and that Capt. Dewees had been there for more than a year. Mr. Miller states that there is a creek named “Deweese” (sic) on his family ranch north of the Fort which he believes is named for Capt. Dewees. He further states that Capt. Dewees is mentioned in an article from 1972 about Fort Steele by Bob Murray which appeared in the Annals of Wyoming. He further states that Capt. Dewees is photographed along with other officers during the Black Hills Expedition which was published in Paul Hedren’s With Crook in the Black Hills. And finally this Sharps rifle was on loan and on exhibit at the Woolaroc Museum from Jan. 2002 to Jan. 2007. That this Sharps rifle was present in Wyoming & Montana during the era of the Great Buffalo Hunts is incontestable and further that its owner, a decorated military officer, took about six months out of his career not long after his new Sharps rifle had been delivered is also well-documented and it is likely that he spent this time shooting buffalo. It is also reasonably well-documented that virtually all of the military officers assigned to the frontier posts and outposts had their own personal hunting firearms which they took with them wherever they went. Therefore it is further reasonable to assume that Capt. Dewees would have taken his Sharps rifle with him both on the Black Hills expedition with Gen. Crook and again with Gen. Crook in pursuit of the Sioux which culminated in the battles at the Rosebud and Little Big Horn. CONDITION: Fine, all matching as noted above. Bbl retains traces of blue in the most sheltered areas being mostly a smooth blue/gray patina. Receiver & lockplate retain smoky case colors in the most sheltered areas being mostly faded to silver. Wood is sound showing heavy wear with a wonderful hand worn patina. Mechanics are crisp, dbl set triggers function, strong bright bore showing moderate to heavy wear with moderate pitting. This is a fine, documented historic Sharps rifle comparable to the Fort Stockton, Texas, Sharps rifles. 4-41734 JR97 (17,500-27,500)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2011

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	2514	$74,750.00	Revised: 3/12/2011 Additional Information: The consignor has provided an extensive amount of research and information about the history of the gun and its ownership dating back to 1934 when it was purchased by his grandfather from descendants of Thomas Dewees. The material will be made available with the firearm. RARE IDENTIFIED WYOMING BUFFALO HUNT ERA SHARPS MODEL 1874 SINGLE SHOT RIFLE. SN C53427. Cal. 44-77 Sharps. Standard 1874 Sharps sporting rifle with 28″ medium weight oct bbl, Sharps dovetailed front sight with German silver Rocky Mtn. blade and Lawrence Patent ladder rear sight. Top flat of bbl is marked with the 3-line Sharps Hartford address just forward of rear sight with “CALIBRE 44” over chamber area. Top of bbl, in rebated area of bbl root, is stamped with a tiny “20”. Receiver has usual markings, and a double set trigger. Mounted with uncheckered, straight grain American walnut with pewter tipped rnd Sharps forearm and straight stock with smooth steel, Sharps buttplate. SN was observed in usual place on top tang, bottom flat of bbl under forearm, inside lockplate, inside trigger plate, inside toe of buttplate, inside bbl channel of forearm and on face of buttstock under the metal, making this a completely matching Sharps rifle. Accompanied by a Sharps Rifle Co. letter which identifies this rifle as having been “Invoiced June 27, 1871 to T.B. Dewees of Fort Fred Steele, Wyoming Territory.” The rifle is listed as being in caliber 44 with 28″ oct bbl, dbl set triggers, open sights and oil finish stocks. It also notes that “It used the 2-1/4″ Berdan shell.” The 44-77 cartridge uses a 2-1/4″ case. Also accompanying is a packet of research material on Thomas Bull Dewees, born July 1834 and died July 1886, buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Thomas Bull Dewees served as Private through 1st Sergeant in the 2nd U.S. Dragoons from March 1858 to November 1861, when he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Cavalry. He was brevetted Captain in June 1863 for gallantry in the Battle of Beverly Ford, Virginia where was severely wounded and captured by the enemy. He was a POW 1863-1864 when he apparently was exchanged and returned to his regiment where he remained until the end of the war. After the Civil War Captain Dewees remained in the Army and was assigned with the 2nd Cavalry to various western postings, initially at the reduced rank of 2nd Lieutenant as is customarily found for officers who remained on active duty after the Civil War. He was eventually promoted through the ranks reaching the rank of Major. Immediately after the war Dewees was posted with the 2nd Cavalry to Fort Riley, Kansas and then to Wyoming Territory at Laramie, Fort D.A. Russell and other posts in the southern half of Wyoming Territory. He was assigned to Fort Fred Steele from about August 1870 to November 1871. He apparently took a Leave of Absence from November 1871, until April 1872 during which time he very likely was buffalo hunting with his new Sharps rifle. In April 1872 he returned to Fort Steele and remained there until February 1874. Subsequent to that he and several troops of the 2nd Cavalry participated in the Sioux Expedition under Gen. Crook as Commander of Company A, 2nd Cavalry and fought the Indians at the Battle of the Rosebud and subsequent to the Custer fight at the Little Big Horn. He continued in service with the 2nd Cavalry until about 1881 when he was promoted to Major and assigned to the 9th Cavalry. Little is known of his life after that and he died July 5, 1886. Capt. Dewees is pictured on p. 37 of the Time Life series book Gettysburg as a cavalry officer leading his troop. Thomas B. Dewees was a gallant and brave soldier who devoted much of his life to the service of his country in the Indian Wars from 1858 to 1861 and again from 1866 to 1881 as well as throughout the entirety of the Civil War. Also accompanying is a printout of an email from someone named Mark Miller at the University of Wyoming who states that he apparently was part of a team who had “done quite a bit of archeology at the site” (Fort Fred Steele) and that Capt. Dewees had been there for more than a year. Mr. Miller states that there is a creek named “Deweese” (sic) on his family ranch north of the Fort which he believes is named for Capt. Dewees. He further states that Capt. Dewees is mentioned in an article from 1972 about Fort Steele by Bob Murray which appeared in the Annals of Wyoming. He further states that Capt. Dewees is photographed along with other officers during the Black Hills Expedition which was published in Paul Hedren’s With Crook in the Black Hills. And finally this Sharps rifle was on loan and on exhibit at the Woolaroc Museum from Jan. 2002 to Jan. 2007. That this Sharps rifle was present in Wyoming & Montana during the era of the Great Buffalo Hunts is incontestable and further that its owner, a decorated military officer, took about six months out of his career not long after his new Sharps rifle had been delivered is also well-documented and it is likely that he spent this time shooting buffalo. It is also reasonably well-documented that virtually all of the military officers assigned to the frontier posts and outposts had their own personal hunting firearms which they took with them wherever they went. Therefore it is further reasonable to assume that Capt. Dewees would have taken his Sharps rifle with him both on the Black Hills expedition with Gen. Crook and again with Gen. Crook in pursuit of the Sioux which culminated in the battles at the Rosebud and Little Big Horn. CONDITION: Fine, all matching as noted above. Bbl retains traces of blue in the most sheltered areas being mostly a smooth blue/gray patina. Receiver & lockplate retain smoky case colors in the most sheltered areas being mostly faded to silver. Wood is sound showing heavy wear with a wonderful hand worn patina. Mechanics are crisp, dbl set triggers function, strong bright bore showing moderate to heavy wear with moderate pitting. This is a fine, documented historic Sharps rifle comparable to the Fort Stockton, Texas, Sharps rifles. 4-41734 JR97 (17,500-27,500) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2011 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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