HISTORIC AND IMPORTANT ABRAHAM LINCOLN PRESIDENTIAL PRESENTATION FIREARM TO SENATOR J. J. CRITTENDEN, ONLY ONE OF TWO KNOWN LINCOLN PRESNETATION FIREARMS. THE ONLY LINCOLN PRESENTATION FIREARM EVER SOLD AT PUBLIC AUCTION.

HISTORIC AND IMPORTANT ABRAHAM LINCOLN PRESIDENTIAL PRESENTATION FIREARM TO SENATOR J. J. CRITTENDEN, ONLY ONE OF TWO KNOWN LINCOLN PRESNETATION FIREARMS. THE ONLY LINCOLN PRESENTATION FIREARM EVER SOLD AT PUBLIC AUCTION. SN 593. A once in a lifetime opportunity one of only two known Lincoln presented firearms and the only one in private hands. This early production 2nd Model Burnside carbine, serial number 593, was presented to John J. Crittenden, former Governor of Kentucky, Attorney General and Senator. The presentation is inscribed on an engraved oval 3″ x 1-1/2″ silver plaque which reads, “Presented to the Hon. J. J. Crittenden by A. Lincoln, President of the United States as a testimony of affection and regard for his long and patriotic service, for which a grateful people bear willing testimony. February 1, 1862” Lincoln, is known to have presented only two guns; the other being a cased pair of Colt Revolvers presented to the Sultan of Turkey during his administration (this particular pair of pistols are possibly the most valuable American guns known. A $5 million offer was purportedly made for these guns prior to their donation to the Metropolitan Museum of Art) Crittenden, a good friend of Lincoln, and one of America’s most prominent and defining Politicians was born in Kentucky in 1787, his father having emigrated there following the American Revolution. He was educated in Kentucky, as well as at William and Mary College in Virginia. Having studied law, he began his practice in 1807, and quickly became the best known lawyer in western Kentucky. He also turned his attention to politics, and beginning in 1811, he was elected to the state legislature for six successive terms. He was chosen speaker of the House in 1815 and 1816. During these years, Crittenden also performed military service in the War of 1812, receiving a special governor’s commendation for his actions during the Battle of the Thames. Following the war, Crittenden served for two years in the United States Senate, before returning to Kentucky in 1819 to practice law. The internal political strife in Kentucky between the Old Court and New Court factions, however, drew Crittenden back to politics. Siding with the conservatives, he reentered the legislature, where from 1829-32, he was again speaker of the House. In national politics, he aligned himself with Henry Clay and the administration of John Quincy Adams against Andrew Jackson. Beginning in 1835, with his election to the United States Senate, Crittenden’s political career was generally connected with the federal government. He was a leading Whig opponent of the Jackson and Van Buren administrations, and after campaigning aggressively for the Whig candidate, William Henry Harrison, in 1840, he was appointed Harrison’s attorney general. Harrison’s death, followed by President John Tyler’s conflict with the Whig party, brought about Crittenden’s resignation in September 1841. He reentered the Senate the following year, where he opposed the annexation of Texas. Following the Mexican War, he abandoned Clay to support the nomination of GeneralZachary Taylor in 1848, whom he considered more likely to win. Crittenden’s action ended his long friendship with Clay. While Crittenden did not accept a cabinet post in the Taylor administration, he agreed to serve Taylor’s successor, Millard Fillmore, as attorney general, holding the post until the end of Fillmore’s term. Two years later, in 1854, he was elected again to the Senate. The reopening of the slavery question with the Kansas-Nebraska Act disappointed Crittenden, who regretted the abandonment of the Missouri Compromise. Reflecting his border-state and conservative character, he stood for any course that would restore sectional peace. He considered the possible dissolution of the Union as “the greatest evil” that could befall the country. In the election of 1860, he supported the Constitutional Union party ticket. Following Lincoln’s election, Crittenden introduced in the Senate his propositions, the most important of which restored by constitutional amendment the Missouri Compromise line. Known as the “Crittenden Compromise” he was unable to gain passage of his proposals or to get a popular referendum on them. He also failed in his efforts to secure adoption of the program of the Peace Convention which assembled in Washington in February 1861. Compromise having failed, Crittenden returned to Kentucky, where he actively sought to keep the state from seceding. On April 17, just days after the bombardment of Fort Sumter, Crittenden again urged his state to remain in the Union. Kentucky’s divided loyalties were reflected in Crittenden’s own family; two of his sons would lead opposing armies during the Civil War. Kentucky ultimately refused to join the Confederacy, and Crittenden was elected to the Congress, where he introduced resolutions to the effect that the war was to preserve the Union, not to interfere with slavery or to subjugate the South. As the war took a different course, he opposed the confiscation acts and the Emancipation Proclamation. He was preparing to run for reelection to Congress in 1863, when he died in Frankfort, Kentucky. It is surprising that Abraham Lincoln, one of America’s most revered Presidents and a firearms technology aficionado chose to only present two firearms during his administration. Obviously the set of Colts were a diplomatic gift. The presentation of this important and historic carbine to J.J. Crittenden, however, is a testament to his admiration and respect for this stellar politician and friend. This gun is purportedly pictured and described in a reference book on Presidential firearms and was featured in a 2-page spread in the national collecting magazine “Man At Arms.” The provenance of this Burnside Carbine is irrefutable. This gun has been in the Crittenden family until recent times and was, for many years, on loan to the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort, Kentucky in a featured exhibition. This gun is directly listed in a Crittenden will which is illustrated here. This gun is accompanied by a presentation trunk to J. J. Crittenden . The large, early, rectangular mahogany trunk is 38” long x 24” wide x 19” deep sitting on four 1-3/4” tall feet. Lid is 4-1/4” thick and it has a fine, large, mortised brass lock in front with a rectangular escutcheon screwed to the face. Center of lid has a 4-1/4” x 3” brass plaque inscribed “JOHN J. CRITTENDEN”. Interior was, at one time, lined with royal blue velvet, most of which has deteriorated and been removed. Inside of lid has been reinforced with application of a 1” x 3” board screwed beneath a crack in top. Apparently it originally had a lid stop in left rear corner which is now missing and there are two locator pegs on front edge. Corners are all beautifully dovetailed. Also accompanied by a volume The Crittenden Memoirs, H.H. Crittenden. Inside cover is a newspaper clipping relating that Col. Henry Huston Crittenden of Kansas City, Missouri, visiting Owensborough, Kentucky as the guests of Mr. & Mrs. Thomas M. Galey. The flyleaf is inscribed in ink to “Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Mellon Galey, in memory of a delightful visit to their home in Independence Kansas. With sincere best wishes Henry Huston Crittenden March 18, 1938”. On following page is a newspaper clipping from the Kansas City Star March 4, 1943 regarding the death & obituary of Col. Crittenden. On the dedication page is a long note signed “Thomas M. Galey” regarding the November 2, 1938 visit of Col. Crittenden to Owensborough. The volume is a total of 542 pages including index. This particular carbine was very popular in the early days of the War. Only about 2,000 of the Second Model carbines were made, and most were well used and worn. At the beginning of the war, many of these Second Model Burnsides were being used by the Rhode Island Cavalry, which saw action as early as the Battle of Manassas. Also issued these guns were the 1st Maine, the 1st New Jersey, and the 1st Pennsylvania Cavalries. The .54 caliber Burnside carbine was designed and patented by Ambrose E. Burnside and the Second model was manufactured in Rhode Island by the Bristol Firearms Company A total of five different models were manufactured during its years of production. Lowering the trigger guard, which also served as the operating lever, would cause the breech to tilt up, revealing a cone-shaped cavity. The metallic cartridge for the Burnside, of a unique cone shape, was placed into this cavity. Closing the lever rotated the breech block into position, placing the cartridge in the chamber. A percussion ignition system with an external hammer fired the carbine. A small hole at the base of the cartridge would allow the fire to pass through and ignite the powder in the case. Ambrose Burnside, the inventor of this carbine, eventually rose to the rank of Major- General in the Union Army during the Civil War. His record as a commander is not well known due to dismal record of success on the battlefield. CONDITION: Metal surfaces overall are brown, untouched with scattered light pitting, especially around nipple and breech. Rifling in bbl is very good. Stock is sound with scattered scratches, retaining proper inspector’s cartouches. Silver plaque, applied with four silver pins, is cleaned; however, shows original patina in the several dents and in the protected areas around pins. Trunk is in good to very good condition. Lid has a 1/4” wide separation which is supported on inside by the aforementioned board. It also has several grain checks and retains most of a fine restored finish. Book is fine, the brown cloth cover shows corner wear with a minor stain or two and some yellowing to pages. Spine is sound and book is in good shape. 4-314834-31610 CW17 (400,000-500,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2007

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
	1301	$0.00	HISTORIC AND IMPORTANT ABRAHAM LINCOLN PRESIDENTIAL PRESENTATION FIREARM TO SENATOR J. J. CRITTENDEN, ONLY ONE OF TWO KNOWN LINCOLN PRESNETATION FIREARMS. THE ONLY LINCOLN PRESENTATION FIREARM EVER SOLD AT PUBLIC AUCTION. SN 593. A once in a lifetime opportunity one of only two known Lincoln presented firearms and the only one in private hands. This early production 2nd Model Burnside carbine, serial number 593, was presented to John J. Crittenden, former Governor of Kentucky, Attorney General and Senator. The presentation is inscribed on an engraved oval 3″ x 1-1/2″ silver plaque which reads, “Presented to the Hon. J. J. Crittenden by A. Lincoln, President of the United States as a testimony of affection and regard for his long and patriotic service, for which a grateful people bear willing testimony. February 1, 1862” Lincoln, is known to have presented only two guns; the other being a cased pair of Colt Revolvers presented to the Sultan of Turkey during his administration (this particular pair of pistols are possibly the most valuable American guns known. A $5 million offer was purportedly made for these guns prior to their donation to the Metropolitan Museum of Art) Crittenden, a good friend of Lincoln, and one of America’s most prominent and defining Politicians was born in Kentucky in 1787, his father having emigrated there following the American Revolution. He was educated in Kentucky, as well as at William and Mary College in Virginia. Having studied law, he began his practice in 1807, and quickly became the best known lawyer in western Kentucky. He also turned his attention to politics, and beginning in 1811, he was elected to the state legislature for six successive terms. He was chosen speaker of the House in 1815 and 1816. During these years, Crittenden also performed military service in the War of 1812, receiving a special governor’s commendation for his actions during the Battle of the Thames. Following the war, Crittenden served for two years in the United States Senate, before returning to Kentucky in 1819 to practice law. The internal political strife in Kentucky between the Old Court and New Court factions, however, drew Crittenden back to politics. Siding with the conservatives, he reentered the legislature, where from 1829-32, he was again speaker of the House. In national politics, he aligned himself with Henry Clay and the administration of John Quincy Adams against Andrew Jackson. Beginning in 1835, with his election to the United States Senate, Crittenden’s political career was generally connected with the federal government. He was a leading Whig opponent of the Jackson and Van Buren administrations, and after campaigning aggressively for the Whig candidate, William Henry Harrison, in 1840, he was appointed Harrison’s attorney general. Harrison’s death, followed by President John Tyler’s conflict with the Whig party, brought about Crittenden’s resignation in September 1841. He reentered the Senate the following year, where he opposed the annexation of Texas. Following the Mexican War, he abandoned Clay to support the nomination of GeneralZachary Taylor in 1848, whom he considered more likely to win. Crittenden’s action ended his long friendship with Clay. While Crittenden did not accept a cabinet post in the Taylor administration, he agreed to serve Taylor’s successor, Millard Fillmore, as attorney general, holding the post until the end of Fillmore’s term. Two years later, in 1854, he was elected again to the Senate. The reopening of the slavery question with the Kansas-Nebraska Act disappointed Crittenden, who regretted the abandonment of the Missouri Compromise. Reflecting his border-state and conservative character, he stood for any course that would restore sectional peace. He considered the possible dissolution of the Union as “the greatest evil” that could befall the country. In the election of 1860, he supported the Constitutional Union party ticket. Following Lincoln’s election, Crittenden introduced in the Senate his propositions, the most important of which restored by constitutional amendment the Missouri Compromise line. Known as the “Crittenden Compromise” he was unable to gain passage of his proposals or to get a popular referendum on them. He also failed in his efforts to secure adoption of the program of the Peace Convention which assembled in Washington in February 1861. Compromise having failed, Crittenden returned to Kentucky, where he actively sought to keep the state from seceding. On April 17, just days after the bombardment of Fort Sumter, Crittenden again urged his state to remain in the Union. Kentucky’s divided loyalties were reflected in Crittenden’s own family; two of his sons would lead opposing armies during the Civil War. Kentucky ultimately refused to join the Confederacy, and Crittenden was elected to the Congress, where he introduced resolutions to the effect that the war was to preserve the Union, not to interfere with slavery or to subjugate the South. As the war took a different course, he opposed the confiscation acts and the Emancipation Proclamation. He was preparing to run for reelection to Congress in 1863, when he died in Frankfort, Kentucky. It is surprising that Abraham Lincoln, one of America’s most revered Presidents and a firearms technology aficionado chose to only present two firearms during his administration. Obviously the set of Colts were a diplomatic gift. The presentation of this important and historic carbine to J.J. Crittenden, however, is a testament to his admiration and respect for this stellar politician and friend. This gun is purportedly pictured and described in a reference book on Presidential firearms and was featured in a 2-page spread in the national collecting magazine “Man At Arms.” The provenance of this Burnside Carbine is irrefutable. This gun has been in the Crittenden family until recent times and was, for many years, on loan to the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort, Kentucky in a featured exhibition. This gun is directly listed in a Crittenden will which is illustrated here. This gun is accompanied by a presentation trunk to J. J. Crittenden . The large, early, rectangular mahogany trunk is 38” long x 24” wide x 19” deep sitting on four 1-3/4” tall feet. Lid is 4-1/4” thick and it has a fine, large, mortised brass lock in front with a rectangular escutcheon screwed to the face. Center of lid has a 4-1/4” x 3” brass plaque inscribed “JOHN J. CRITTENDEN”. Interior was, at one time, lined with royal blue velvet, most of which has deteriorated and been removed. Inside of lid has been reinforced with application of a 1” x 3” board screwed beneath a crack in top. Apparently it originally had a lid stop in left rear corner which is now missing and there are two locator pegs on front edge. Corners are all beautifully dovetailed. Also accompanied by a volume The Crittenden Memoirs, H.H. Crittenden. Inside cover is a newspaper clipping relating that Col. Henry Huston Crittenden of Kansas City, Missouri, visiting Owensborough, Kentucky as the guests of Mr. & Mrs. Thomas M. Galey. The flyleaf is inscribed in ink to “Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Mellon Galey, in memory of a delightful visit to their home in Independence Kansas. With sincere best wishes Henry Huston Crittenden March 18, 1938”. On following page is a newspaper clipping from the Kansas City Star March 4, 1943 regarding the death & obituary of Col. Crittenden. On the dedication page is a long note signed “Thomas M. Galey” regarding the November 2, 1938 visit of Col. Crittenden to Owensborough. The volume is a total of 542 pages including index. This particular carbine was very popular in the early days of the War. Only about 2,000 of the Second Model carbines were made, and most were well used and worn. At the beginning of the war, many of these Second Model Burnsides were being used by the Rhode Island Cavalry, which saw action as early as the Battle of Manassas. Also issued these guns were the 1st Maine, the 1st New Jersey, and the 1st Pennsylvania Cavalries. The .54 caliber Burnside carbine was designed and patented by Ambrose E. Burnside and the Second model was manufactured in Rhode Island by the Bristol Firearms Company A total of five different models were manufactured during its years of production. Lowering the trigger guard, which also served as the operating lever, would cause the breech to tilt up, revealing a cone-shaped cavity. The metallic cartridge for the Burnside, of a unique cone shape, was placed into this cavity. Closing the lever rotated the breech block into position, placing the cartridge in the chamber. A percussion ignition system with an external hammer fired the carbine. A small hole at the base of the cartridge would allow the fire to pass through and ignite the powder in the case. Ambrose Burnside, the inventor of this carbine, eventually rose to the rank of Major- General in the Union Army during the Civil War. His record as a commander is not well known due to dismal record of success on the battlefield. CONDITION: Metal surfaces overall are brown, untouched with scattered light pitting, especially around nipple and breech. Rifling in bbl is very good. Stock is sound with scattered scratches, retaining proper inspector’s cartouches. Silver plaque, applied with four silver pins, is cleaned; however, shows original patina in the several dents and in the protected areas around pins. Trunk is in good to very good condition. Lid has a 1/4” wide separation which is supported on inside by the aforementioned board. It also has several grain checks and retains most of a fine restored finish. Book is fine, the brown cloth cover shows corner wear with a minor stain or two and some yellowing to pages. Spine is sound and book is in good shape. 4-314834-31610 CW17 (400,000-500,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2007 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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