IDENTIFIED, INSCRIBED & ENGRAVED COLT MODEL 1851 NAVY REVOLVER.

IDENTIFIED, INSCRIBED & ENGRAVED COLT MODEL 1851 NAVY REVOLVER. Cal. 36. SN 98243. This revolver was the property of Capt. Ethan O. Hurd who enlisted for three years in July 1861 and resigned March 1864. He was promoted to Captain July 3, 1862 and assigned to Company B of the 39th Ohio Regiment. His unit fought in numerous engagements in Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia & the Carolinas. On October 14, 1863, while camped near Colliersville, TN, his unit was ordered to proceed to an area about 20 miles away, that a train carrying Gen. Sherman had been attacked at an outlying station. When the Confederate force of about 2,500 attacked the train with its Union soldiers numbering about 600, the Union troops retreated to a knoll near the railroad station and engaged the Confederates. They successfully drove off the attacking force thereby saving Gen. Sherman from harm or capture by the Confederates. They lost fifteen killed & thirty wounded in the battle. This account is carried in an address by Capt. Hurd given at Cincinnati, OH, March 7, 1900 as printed in History of Fuller’s Ohio Brigade, 1861-1865, Smith, a copy of which accompanies this lot. It can be stated with almost undeniable certainty that Capt. Hurd’s action in rescuing Gen. Sherman changed the history and course of the Civil War to what we know today. Had Gen. Sherman been captured or killed at Colliersville, it may not have changed the ultimate outcome of the war but very likely would have prolonged it to a large extent. Revolver has 7-1/2” oct bbl with dovetail front sight and 1-line Hartford address. It has silver plated brass grip frame, inscribed on the front strap “E.O. Hurd. Cin. O”. It is fitted with beautiful 1-pc ivory grip with a deep relief carved Mexican eagle on left side. Ivory appears to be mastadon type, rather than regular elephant ivory. It is engraved by Gustave Young with full coverage foliate arabesque patterns on frame & recoil shields with wolf’s heads on sides of hammer nose with his deluxe extra engraving on bbl lug, top side flats of bbl and on rammer pivot. Mr. Young incorporated an unusual horse’s head in the engraving pattern on left side of bbl lug in place of his usual dog’s head. Right side incorporates leaves & blossoms. It has his style of fan at top of backstrap with engraved buttstrap & triggerguard to match. Accompanied by a period commercial lightweight flap holster made of fine black leather with sewn back edge and a sewn in plug. In addition to the book relating the above described incident this lot is also accompanied by a very large packet of research information regarding Capt. Hurd and his Civil War service. Capt. Hurd, after resigning from the Army in 1864, apparently resumed his civilian life in the Cincinnati, Ohio area and died March 24, 1913 in Cincinnati and is buried there. CONDITION: Very fine, all matching including wedge. Grip is unnumbered. Bbl retains traces of blue in the most sheltered areas, being mostly a mottled silver/gray patina with scattered fine pitting. Frame retains dark case colors in sheltered areas, being mostly a silver patina. Grip frame retains 70-75% orig silver plating with balance a light mustard patina. Cyl is a gray/brown patina with a few spots of fine pitting and retains about 50% Ormsby naval battle scene. Grip has several age lines with crack near top and repaired crack on right side with some areas of fill. Mechanics are fine, bright shiny bore with a few scattered spots of fine pitting. Holster is dry & crackled but still supple, with a hole at the front sight and missing some leather from the edge of the flap. Orig tab has been replaced. 4-31131 JR486 (25,000-40,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 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
	169	$21,850.00	IDENTIFIED, INSCRIBED & ENGRAVED COLT MODEL 1851 NAVY REVOLVER. Cal. 36. SN 98243. This revolver was the property of Capt. Ethan O. Hurd who enlisted for three years in July 1861 and resigned March 1864. He was promoted to Captain July 3, 1862 and assigned to Company B of the 39th Ohio Regiment. His unit fought in numerous engagements in Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia & the Carolinas. On October 14, 1863, while camped near Colliersville, TN, his unit was ordered to proceed to an area about 20 miles away, that a train carrying Gen. Sherman had been attacked at an outlying station. When the Confederate force of about 2,500 attacked the train with its Union soldiers numbering about 600, the Union troops retreated to a knoll near the railroad station and engaged the Confederates. They successfully drove off the attacking force thereby saving Gen. Sherman from harm or capture by the Confederates. They lost fifteen killed & thirty wounded in the battle. This account is carried in an address by Capt. Hurd given at Cincinnati, OH, March 7, 1900 as printed in History of Fuller’s Ohio Brigade, 1861-1865, Smith, a copy of which accompanies this lot. It can be stated with almost undeniable certainty that Capt. Hurd’s action in rescuing Gen. Sherman changed the history and course of the Civil War to what we know today. Had Gen. Sherman been captured or killed at Colliersville, it may not have changed the ultimate outcome of the war but very likely would have prolonged it to a large extent. Revolver has 7-1/2” oct bbl with dovetail front sight and 1-line Hartford address. It has silver plated brass grip frame, inscribed on the front strap “E.O. Hurd. Cin. O”. It is fitted with beautiful 1-pc ivory grip with a deep relief carved Mexican eagle on left side. Ivory appears to be mastadon type, rather than regular elephant ivory. It is engraved by Gustave Young with full coverage foliate arabesque patterns on frame & recoil shields with wolf’s heads on sides of hammer nose with his deluxe extra engraving on bbl lug, top side flats of bbl and on rammer pivot. Mr. Young incorporated an unusual horse’s head in the engraving pattern on left side of bbl lug in place of his usual dog’s head. Right side incorporates leaves & blossoms. It has his style of fan at top of backstrap with engraved buttstrap & triggerguard to match. Accompanied by a period commercial lightweight flap holster made of fine black leather with sewn back edge and a sewn in plug. In addition to the book relating the above described incident this lot is also accompanied by a very large packet of research information regarding Capt. Hurd and his Civil War service. Capt. Hurd, after resigning from the Army in 1864, apparently resumed his civilian life in the Cincinnati, Ohio area and died March 24, 1913 in Cincinnati and is buried there. CONDITION: Very fine, all matching including wedge. Grip is unnumbered. Bbl retains traces of blue in the most sheltered areas, being mostly a mottled silver/gray patina with scattered fine pitting. Frame retains dark case colors in sheltered areas, being mostly a silver patina. Grip frame retains 70-75% orig silver plating with balance a light mustard patina. Cyl is a gray/brown patina with a few spots of fine pitting and retains about 50% Ormsby naval battle scene. Grip has several age lines with crack near top and repaired crack on right side with some areas of fill. Mechanics are fine, bright shiny bore with a few scattered spots of fine pitting. Holster is dry & crackled but still supple, with a hole at the front sight and missing some leather from the edge of the flap. Orig tab has been replaced. 4-31131 JR486 (25,000-40,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 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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