SHARPS MODEL 1859 CONVERSION SADDLE RING CARBINE THAT BELONGED TO SIOUX WARRIOR LITTLE-BIG-MAN USED AT THE BATTLE OF LITTLE BIG HORN.

SN 34275. Cal 50 CF. Standard carbine with 22″ rnd bbl, German silver front sight and 800 yard carbine ladder rear sight. Left side of receiver and wrist have a sling bar and ring. Mounted with very heavily weathered and worn, uncheckered walnut stock and forearm with straight grip and Sharps carbine buttplate. Consignor, who is a retired bridge and highway construction company owner from South Dakota employed many local Native Americans over the years and became extremely friendly with them. One of those Indians was a Sioux named Benjamin Black-Elk whose father, Black-Elk, fought with Little-Big-Man in an attack on a wagon train (The Sixth Grandfather, Neihardt p. 170). In June 1876 Gen. Crook left Fort Fetterman with two regiments of Cavalry and two regiments of Infantry to join up with Gens. Terry and Gibbon (including Custer’s 7th Cavalry) to confront the hostile Indians. The column consisted of 120 wagons, 1,000 pack mules and stretched for over four miles. By the time they were camped on Goose Creek several days later, they had acquired a group of 261 Crow and Shoshone Indian scouts. The 175 Crow scouts were armed with 50-70 caliber Sharps carbines and the 86 Shoshone scouts were armed with 44 caliber Frank Wesson rifles. When the Sioux attacked the column, Crazy Horse killed a Crow scout with his hatchet and grabbed his Sharps carbine before it hit the ground. Little-Big-Man shot one of the Crow scouts but his carbine hit the ground, breaking the stock. Another one of the Sioux, One-That-Makes-Him-Walk and Little-Soldier killed two more Crow scouts and took their Sharps carbines. One-That-Makes-Him-Walk carried his Sharps carbine, SN 34621 through the Battle of Little Big Horn and surrendered it on Sept 5, 1876 at Slim Buttes as documented on pg 14 of Volume 4, Springfield Research Service Serial Numbers of US Martial Arms. This carbine, SN 34275, being so close to the identified carbine of One-That-Makes-Him-Walk is almost certainly one that was issued to Gen. Crook’s scouts. Black-Elk related that Little-Big-Man carried a Sharps carbine at the Battle of Little Big Horn, Slim Buttes and Wolf Mountain and surrendered on May 5, 1877 with Crazy Horse but was allowed to keep his carbine since he had signed up to be a scout. He remained a scout into 1879 and then joined the Pine Ridge Police force. He never turned in his carbine and many years later it was sold by his family. PROVENANCE: Wendell Grangaard Collection. CONDITION: Fair. No orig finish remains being an overall dark plummy/brown patina; stock has a crack back of the top tang, shows very heavy wear and abuse with a deep, dark hand worn patina and a deep worn groove on the left side of the buttstock probably from saddle wear. Mechanics are fine, strong bright bore. 4-49325 JR533 (10,000-15,000) – Lot 2246

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2014

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
	2246	$29,900.00	SHARPS MODEL 1859 CONVERSION SADDLE RING CARBINE THAT BELONGED TO SIOUX WARRIOR LITTLE-BIG-MAN USED AT THE BATTLE OF LITTLE BIG HORN. SN 34275. Cal 50 CF. Standard carbine with 22″ rnd bbl, German silver front sight and 800 yard carbine ladder rear sight. Left side of receiver and wrist have a sling bar and ring. Mounted with very heavily weathered and worn, uncheckered walnut stock and forearm with straight grip and Sharps carbine buttplate. Consignor, who is a retired bridge and highway construction company owner from South Dakota employed many local Native Americans over the years and became extremely friendly with them. One of those Indians was a Sioux named Benjamin Black-Elk whose father, Black-Elk, fought with Little-Big-Man in an attack on a wagon train (The Sixth Grandfather, Neihardt p. 170). In June 1876 Gen. Crook left Fort Fetterman with two regiments of Cavalry and two regiments of Infantry to join up with Gens. Terry and Gibbon (including Custer’s 7th Cavalry) to confront the hostile Indians. The column consisted of 120 wagons, 1,000 pack mules and stretched for over four miles. By the time they were camped on Goose Creek several days later, they had acquired a group of 261 Crow and Shoshone Indian scouts. The 175 Crow scouts were armed with 50-70 caliber Sharps carbines and the 86 Shoshone scouts were armed with 44 caliber Frank Wesson rifles. When the Sioux attacked the column, Crazy Horse killed a Crow scout with his hatchet and grabbed his Sharps carbine before it hit the ground. Little-Big-Man shot one of the Crow scouts but his carbine hit the ground, breaking the stock. Another one of the Sioux, One-That-Makes-Him-Walk and Little-Soldier killed two more Crow scouts and took their Sharps carbines. One-That-Makes-Him-Walk carried his Sharps carbine, SN 34621 through the Battle of Little Big Horn and surrendered it on Sept 5, 1876 at Slim Buttes as documented on pg 14 of Volume 4, Springfield Research Service Serial Numbers of US Martial Arms. This carbine, SN 34275, being so close to the identified carbine of One-That-Makes-Him-Walk is almost certainly one that was issued to Gen. Crook’s scouts. Black-Elk related that Little-Big-Man carried a Sharps carbine at the Battle of Little Big Horn, Slim Buttes and Wolf Mountain and surrendered on May 5, 1877 with Crazy Horse but was allowed to keep his carbine since he had signed up to be a scout. He remained a scout into 1879 and then joined the Pine Ridge Police force. He never turned in his carbine and many years later it was sold by his family. PROVENANCE: Wendell Grangaard Collection. CONDITION: Fair. No orig finish remains being an overall dark plummy/brown patina; stock has a crack back of the top tang, shows very heavy wear and abuse with a deep, dark hand worn patina and a deep worn groove on the left side of the buttstock probably from saddle wear. Mechanics are fine, strong bright bore. 4-49325 JR533 (10,000-15,000) – Lot 2246 Auction: Firearms - Spring 2014 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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SHARPS MODEL 1859 CONVERSION SADDLE RING CARBINE THAT BELONGED TO SIOUX WARRIOR LITTLE-BIG-MAN USED AT THE BATTLE OF LITTLE BIG HORN.