LEECH & RIGDON REVOLVER MADE IN GREENSBORO, GEORGIA.

LEECH & RIGDON REVOLVER MADE IN GREENSBORO, GEORGIA. SN 836. Leech & Rigdon #836, a percussion revolver which was manufactured at Greensboro, Georgia. All parts normally serial numbered are numbered including barrel, barrel latch, loading arm, cylinder, frame, triggerguard, backstrap, and wedge, serial number also penciled inside stocks. “N” is found stamped on both sides of trigger butt and bottom of left stock. Leech & Rigdon #836 is one of the finest examples known of the manufacturer. It is in excellent orig condition in every respect and has a very pleasing overall plum brown appearance, with some traces of orig blue finish. It is truly an outstanding specimen. Thomas Leech first comes to notice in the Memphis City directory in the mid-1850’s, as a cotton broker, and is also listed under “Guns, Pistols, Leech, Thomas, of Leech, T & Co.” Leech was probably an agent for a gun manufacturer, rather than a manufacturer at that time. Charles Rigdon, meanwhile, was listed in the St. Louis City directory as “C. H. Rigdon, Engineer”. It is believed that Rigdon and Abel Shawk were close friends, and that Rigdon rented his machinery to Shawk & McLanahan for their production of the Shawk & McLanahan percussion revolver. Next, we find Rigdon moving to Memphis, several blocks away from Thomas Leech’s Memphis Novelty Works, which he had established, and which was busily engaged in the manufacture of military cutlery and brass castings of all kinds: such items as cavalry sabres, infantry swords, artillery swords and Bowie knives of every description. Rigdon and his machinery had obviously joined up with Thomas Leech, and together they formed a partnership, still under the name and style of Memphis Novelty Works. In March of 1862, they bought 1.25 Acres of land in the heart of Columbus, Mississippi, and still advertising in the Memphis Appeal, “Swords! Swords! Swords!,….Large lot just received from our manufactory in Columbus, Mississippi, for sale at Novelty Works,(dropping the ‘Memphis’, for the first time). A later ad in May of 1862 in the Memphis Appeal: “Notice! Swords! Swords! … for sale cheap if application is made today …. we are going to start for Columbus, Mississippi, Friday morning … Leech & Rigdon Novelty Works” (the first time Rigdon appears in the company name). There was a very small production of revolvers at the Columbus location, one gun being found with “Leech Rigdon, Novelty Works, CSA”, which was a standard Leech& Rigdon made at Columbus. Late in 1862, with Columbus, Mississippi being threatened by the Union Army, Leech & Rigdon moved to Greensboro, Georgia, and shortly thereafter, submitted a brace of Colt-type revolvers, which had been made at Columbus, to the Confederate Government, for the purpose of obtaining a manufacturing contract. In March of 1863, about a month after purchasing the Old Greensboro Steam Factory, Leech & Rigdon contracted with the Confederate Government for the furnishing of 1500 Colt-type revolvers. They apparently ceased the manufacture of edged weapons at this time, and making revolvers was the major activity at Greensboro. Mid-December of 1863 saw the dissolution of the Leech & Rigdon partnership, with Rigdon taking his gun-making machinery and moving on to Augusta, Georgia, where, operating with a new partner, Jesse Ansley, under the firm name of Rigdon & Ansley, completed the Leech & Rigdon contract, and went on to manufacture the Rigdon & Ansley revolver. PROVENANCE: Fred Edmunds Collection. CONDITION: All metal surfaces smooth and sharp, traces of finish in protected areas. Action is tight. Rifling is good and well defined. Stocks retain much orig varnish with scattered scrapes and scratches. Marking including bbl address and SN are all well defined. 4-38124 JS32 (30,000-35,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2009

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
	2466	$63,250.00	LEECH & RIGDON REVOLVER MADE IN GREENSBORO, GEORGIA. SN 836. Leech & Rigdon #836, a percussion revolver which was manufactured at Greensboro, Georgia. All parts normally serial numbered are numbered including barrel, barrel latch, loading arm, cylinder, frame, triggerguard, backstrap, and wedge, serial number also penciled inside stocks. “N” is found stamped on both sides of trigger butt and bottom of left stock. Leech & Rigdon #836 is one of the finest examples known of the manufacturer. It is in excellent orig condition in every respect and has a very pleasing overall plum brown appearance, with some traces of orig blue finish. It is truly an outstanding specimen. Thomas Leech first comes to notice in the Memphis City directory in the mid-1850’s, as a cotton broker, and is also listed under “Guns, Pistols, Leech, Thomas, of Leech, T & Co.” Leech was probably an agent for a gun manufacturer, rather than a manufacturer at that time. Charles Rigdon, meanwhile, was listed in the St. Louis City directory as “C. H. Rigdon, Engineer”. It is believed that Rigdon and Abel Shawk were close friends, and that Rigdon rented his machinery to Shawk & McLanahan for their production of the Shawk & McLanahan percussion revolver. Next, we find Rigdon moving to Memphis, several blocks away from Thomas Leech’s Memphis Novelty Works, which he had established, and which was busily engaged in the manufacture of military cutlery and brass castings of all kinds: such items as cavalry sabres, infantry swords, artillery swords and Bowie knives of every description. Rigdon and his machinery had obviously joined up with Thomas Leech, and together they formed a partnership, still under the name and style of Memphis Novelty Works. In March of 1862, they bought 1.25 Acres of land in the heart of Columbus, Mississippi, and still advertising in the Memphis Appeal, “Swords! Swords! Swords!,….Large lot just received from our manufactory in Columbus, Mississippi, for sale at Novelty Works,(dropping the ‘Memphis’, for the first time). A later ad in May of 1862 in the Memphis Appeal: “Notice! Swords! Swords! … for sale cheap if application is made today …. we are going to start for Columbus, Mississippi, Friday morning … Leech & Rigdon Novelty Works” (the first time Rigdon appears in the company name). There was a very small production of revolvers at the Columbus location, one gun being found with “Leech Rigdon, Novelty Works, CSA”, which was a standard Leech& Rigdon made at Columbus. Late in 1862, with Columbus, Mississippi being threatened by the Union Army, Leech & Rigdon moved to Greensboro, Georgia, and shortly thereafter, submitted a brace of Colt-type revolvers, which had been made at Columbus, to the Confederate Government, for the purpose of obtaining a manufacturing contract. In March of 1863, about a month after purchasing the Old Greensboro Steam Factory, Leech & Rigdon contracted with the Confederate Government for the furnishing of 1500 Colt-type revolvers. They apparently ceased the manufacture of edged weapons at this time, and making revolvers was the major activity at Greensboro. Mid-December of 1863 saw the dissolution of the Leech & Rigdon partnership, with Rigdon taking his gun-making machinery and moving on to Augusta, Georgia, where, operating with a new partner, Jesse Ansley, under the firm name of Rigdon & Ansley, completed the Leech & Rigdon contract, and went on to manufacture the Rigdon & Ansley revolver. PROVENANCE: Fred Edmunds Collection. CONDITION: All metal surfaces smooth and sharp, traces of finish in protected areas. Action is tight. Rifling is good and well defined. Stocks retain much orig varnish with scattered scrapes and scratches. Marking including bbl address and SN are all well defined. 4-38124 JS32 (30,000-35,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2009 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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