SPRINGFIELD MODEL 1873 TRAP DOOR RIFLE LOST AT THE BATTLE OF WOLF MOUNTAIN AND CAPTURED BY SIOUX WARRIORS UNDER CRAZY HORSE.

SN 27448. Cal 45-70. Standard 1873 rifle with 32-1/2″ bbl, square base front sight/bayonet lug and 1200 yard rear sight. Breech block has high arch and standard 1873 markings, as does the lockplate. Mounted in a 1-pc full length walnut stock with slotted head ramrod and two bands. Upper band has the stacking and sling swivel with corresponding sling swivel in the trigger guard. Buttplate is without trap. Consignor supplied information shows that this rifle was issued to Company D, 5th Infantry under Lt. Robert McDonald and was lost in the Battle of Wolf Mountain on January 8, 1877. Both the Sioux and Cheyenne reportedly were running low on ammunition and the leaders decided to move the main group of women and children to the Big Horn mountains about 60 miles south. Reportedly Crazy Horse sent a group of suicide warriors in an attempt to capture arms and ammunition which they apparently did. This rifle was given to Two Moons’ warriors to keep the soldiers occupied until dark so the rest of the warriors could escape. When Two Moons surrendered, this rifle was not turned in but was placed in the great Cheyenne weapons cache as recorded in Dr. Marquis’ diary. Dr. Thomas Bailey Marquis, in 1922 began his “Indian Diary”. Dr. Marquis became a trusted friend to many of the Little Big Horn Indian survivors who told him their stories about the battle which he recorded in many books and papers detailing these interviews. During these interviews he discovered that the Cheyenne had a great weapons cache which they had developed so that when the nations rose up again they would have the means to drive the whites from their hunting grounds. The location of this cache was known to very few, one of whom was Two Moons. Dr. Marquis purchased as many as 30 of these battle weapons and artifacts, some of which are on display at the Little Big Horn National Monument. He took meticulous notes, along with photographs and recorded the date and subject matter of each of these purchases. When he died in 1935 he left all of his materials to W.P. Moncure of Busby, Montana, which included the location of the Cheyenne cache. Moncure became good friends with Chief Two Moons and when Two Moons died had him reburied at Busby and erected a monument with a vault for Two Moons. In 1960 the vault was broken into and all of the materials stolen, including Dr. Marquis’ diary which also contained a list of SNs of captured weapons. As of this writing, the diary is not known. PROVENANCE: Wendell Grangaard Collection CONDITION: Fair to good. No orig finish remains with the metal being an overall dark brown patina; stock is sound with nicks, dings and scratches and retains a hand worn patina. Mechanics are fine, very dark worn bore. 4-49323 JR543 (10,000-15,000) – Lot 2252

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
	2252	$0.00	SPRINGFIELD MODEL 1873 TRAP DOOR RIFLE LOST AT THE BATTLE OF WOLF MOUNTAIN AND CAPTURED BY SIOUX WARRIORS UNDER CRAZY HORSE. SN 27448. Cal 45-70. Standard 1873 rifle with 32-1/2″ bbl, square base front sight/bayonet lug and 1200 yard rear sight. Breech block has high arch and standard 1873 markings, as does the lockplate. Mounted in a 1-pc full length walnut stock with slotted head ramrod and two bands. Upper band has the stacking and sling swivel with corresponding sling swivel in the trigger guard. Buttplate is without trap. Consignor supplied information shows that this rifle was issued to Company D, 5th Infantry under Lt. Robert McDonald and was lost in the Battle of Wolf Mountain on January 8, 1877. Both the Sioux and Cheyenne reportedly were running low on ammunition and the leaders decided to move the main group of women and children to the Big Horn mountains about 60 miles south. Reportedly Crazy Horse sent a group of suicide warriors in an attempt to capture arms and ammunition which they apparently did. This rifle was given to Two Moons’ warriors to keep the soldiers occupied until dark so the rest of the warriors could escape. When Two Moons surrendered, this rifle was not turned in but was placed in the great Cheyenne weapons cache as recorded in Dr. Marquis’ diary. Dr. Thomas Bailey Marquis, in 1922 began his “Indian Diary”. Dr. Marquis became a trusted friend to many of the Little Big Horn Indian survivors who told him their stories about the battle which he recorded in many books and papers detailing these interviews. During these interviews he discovered that the Cheyenne had a great weapons cache which they had developed so that when the nations rose up again they would have the means to drive the whites from their hunting grounds. The location of this cache was known to very few, one of whom was Two Moons. Dr. Marquis purchased as many as 30 of these battle weapons and artifacts, some of which are on display at the Little Big Horn National Monument. He took meticulous notes, along with photographs and recorded the date and subject matter of each of these purchases. When he died in 1935 he left all of his materials to W.P. Moncure of Busby, Montana, which included the location of the Cheyenne cache. Moncure became good friends with Chief Two Moons and when Two Moons died had him reburied at Busby and erected a monument with a vault for Two Moons. In 1960 the vault was broken into and all of the materials stolen, including Dr. Marquis’ diary which also contained a list of SNs of captured weapons. As of this writing, the diary is not known. PROVENANCE: Wendell Grangaard Collection CONDITION: Fair to good. No orig finish remains with the metal being an overall dark brown patina; stock is sound with nicks, dings and scratches and retains a hand worn patina. Mechanics are fine, very dark worn bore. 4-49323 JR543 (10,000-15,000) – Lot 2252 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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SPRINGFIELD MODEL 1873 TRAP DOOR RIFLE LOST AT THE BATTLE OF WOLF MOUNTAIN AND CAPTURED BY SIOUX WARRIORS UNDER CRAZY HORSE.