RECOVERED RELIC ENGLISH P1858 RIFLED MUSKET FROM THE BLOCKADE RUNNER “MODERN GREECE”.

RECOVERED RELIC ENGLISH P1858 RIFLED MUSKET FROM THE BLOCKADE RUNNER “MODERN GREECE”. The relic of an English pattern 1858 Enfield rifled musket having a 39-1/2” rnd bbl mounted on a walnut stock with brass furniture. This rifle was recovered off the North Carolina coast from the wreckage of the Confederate Blockade Runner “Modern Greece.” It is accompanied by an oct iron bolt and an Enfield .577 cal. bullet, also recovered from the wreckage. This freight ship was built in Stockton, England and was purchased by Zechariah Pearson. Pearson registered a company and became actively engaged in the West Indies trade with the Confederate States of America through a Bermuda based agent named John T. Bourne. The ship had a depth of 17’, was 210’ long, 29’ wide, and, with her dimensions, was only marginally suitable for blockade running. On May 16, 1862, the US Consul at Falmouth reported “The departure of the ‘Modern Greece’ from that port on the 2nd ultimo with a cargo, it is suspected, for the rebels”. The ship approached the North Carolina coast just below Fort Fisher and was spotted by two US ships, the “USS Stars and Stripes” and the “USS Cambridge”, which immediately opened fire upon her. The “Modern Greece” immediately hoisted the British flag and made full steam to attempt to reach the cover of Fort Fisher’s guns by running parallel to the shore. About a half mile south of Fort Fisher, the ship ran hard aground. Orders were given to abandon ship and both of the US vessels fired upon the stricken “Modern Greece” for several hours. The shelling affectively chopped off the top of the ship so that by two months later, her spar deck was level with the waterline. The Confederates mounted a salvage expedition and begin to recover munitions and supplies from the wreck. A public auction was had of salvaged civilian cargo shortly thereafter in Wilmington, North Carolina. A century later, in the early spring on 1962, a fierce storm with high winds and raging water uncovered much of the wreck from its sandy grave. Several Federal departments did surveys and limited salvage operations, however, private salvage operations recovered some of the cargo as well. Sometime around the mid-1980’s, a number of artifacts from the “Modern Greece” appeared on the public market. Included is a letter of provenance from Mr. Adamson in which he states he purchased this lot from Mr. Troy Church of Winston Salem, North Carolina who obtained it from a friend during the 1950’s. CONDITION: Walnut stock is intact and has been conserved. Rifle is missing one if its brass bbl bands. Tip of the percussion hammer has been eroded away. Orig tompion is lodged in the muzzle. 4-56094 CW53 (1,500-2,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2005

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
	2098	$920.00	RECOVERED RELIC ENGLISH P1858 RIFLED MUSKET FROM THE BLOCKADE RUNNER “MODERN GREECE”. The relic of an English pattern 1858 Enfield rifled musket having a 39-1/2” rnd bbl mounted on a walnut stock with brass furniture. This rifle was recovered off the North Carolina coast from the wreckage of the Confederate Blockade Runner “Modern Greece.” It is accompanied by an oct iron bolt and an Enfield .577 cal. bullet, also recovered from the wreckage. This freight ship was built in Stockton, England and was purchased by Zechariah Pearson. Pearson registered a company and became actively engaged in the West Indies trade with the Confederate States of America through a Bermuda based agent named John T. Bourne. The ship had a depth of 17’, was 210’ long, 29’ wide, and, with her dimensions, was only marginally suitable for blockade running. On May 16, 1862, the US Consul at Falmouth reported “The departure of the ‘Modern Greece’ from that port on the 2nd ultimo with a cargo, it is suspected, for the rebels”. The ship approached the North Carolina coast just below Fort Fisher and was spotted by two US ships, the “USS Stars and Stripes” and the “USS Cambridge”, which immediately opened fire upon her. The “Modern Greece” immediately hoisted the British flag and made full steam to attempt to reach the cover of Fort Fisher’s guns by running parallel to the shore. About a half mile south of Fort Fisher, the ship ran hard aground. Orders were given to abandon ship and both of the US vessels fired upon the stricken “Modern Greece” for several hours. The shelling affectively chopped off the top of the ship so that by two months later, her spar deck was level with the waterline. The Confederates mounted a salvage expedition and begin to recover munitions and supplies from the wreck. A public auction was had of salvaged civilian cargo shortly thereafter in Wilmington, North Carolina. A century later, in the early spring on 1962, a fierce storm with high winds and raging water uncovered much of the wreck from its sandy grave. Several Federal departments did surveys and limited salvage operations, however, private salvage operations recovered some of the cargo as well. Sometime around the mid-1980’s, a number of artifacts from the “Modern Greece” appeared on the public market. Included is a letter of provenance from Mr. Adamson in which he states he purchased this lot from Mr. Troy Church of Winston Salem, North Carolina who obtained it from a friend during the 1950’s. CONDITION: Walnut stock is intact and has been conserved. Rifle is missing one if its brass bbl bands. Tip of the percussion hammer has been eroded away. Orig tompion is lodged in the muzzle. 4-56094 CW53 (1,500-2,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2005 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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