HISTORICAL SPENCER MODEL 1860 LINKED TO THE MICHIGAN 5TH CAVALRY.

HISTORICAL SPENCER MODEL 1860 LINKED TO THE MICHIGAN 5TH CAVALRY. SN 1061. Cal. .52. (The following is the description written by Wiley Sword for Julia Auctions Oct. 1999 Lot # 14, for this Firearm when it was sold as lot 14.) An outstanding historical weapon, this Spencer Army rifle was most certainly part of the first shipment from the factory about December 1, 1862. Although 750 Spencer Navy rifles and perhaps 250 sporting Spencers carry lower serial numbers, records show the 500 army rifles shipped to the 5th Michigan Cavalry in Detroit were the first to leave the factory. This was part of the first War Dept. contract of June 19, 1862 for 7,500 army rifles with angular bayonets @ $40 each. Although the contract specified that 1,000 rifles were to be delivered in July, the first delivery occurred more than four months later. These 500 rifles, the first portion of an Ordnance Dept. assignment of 1,200 Spencers to Col. Joseph T. Copeland’s 5th Michigan Cavalry, were shipped to Detroit, and arrived on December 5th. Yet they were one day too late! The Detroit Advertiser & Tribune of Dec. 6th duly reports the arrival of the “first” Spencers manufactured, but the 5th Michigan Cavalry had left via railroad for Washington, D.C> on December 4th. These rifles thus had to be reshipped there, Accordingly, it was the end of December before the 500 Spencers caught up with the regiment at “Camp Copeland” (see my article “Those Damned Michigan Spencers” in Man at Arms Magazine, Sept./Oct. 1997, pp. 23 ff.) All but Co.’s K and E were issued these first lot of Spencers, Additional shipments in lots of 100 were received during January 1863, with about 200 to 300 going to the 5th, and about 400 or 500 being issued to the 6th Michigan Cavalry (Co.’s A,C,D,E,H, and possibly G). The basis fot the 5th Michigan Cavalry being the first to receive Spencer rifles is traced back to June 1862, when Lt. Col. Copeland, then of the 1st Michigan Cavalry, proposed to raise a regiment of “mounted riflemen or sharpshooters.” During the summer of ’62 Copeland organized his unit, designated the “1st Michigan Mounted Rifles,” but had to wait for the desired Spencer rifles to be manufactured, Michigan Governor Austin Blair and others soon put heavy pressure on the War Dept. and the Chief of Ordnance, Brig Gen James W. Ripley. Since Ripley was not in favor of repeating rifles, he nearly canceled the long overdue contract. Hence the Spencer firm’s urgency in first getting out the army rifles. Copeland’s regiment was assigned to the defenses of Washington, D.C., but together with the 6th Michigan Cavalry, they joined the Army of the Potomac prior to the famous cavalry action at GETTYSBURG. Copeland was relieved from command of his brigade due to political circumstances, and newly appointed Brig. Gen. GEORGE A. CUSTER lead the “Wolverines” in furious fighting against J.E.B. Stuart’s cavalry at Gettysburg on July 3rd. The 5th Michigan’s Spencers proved to be important in the hard fought victory of the Michigan Cavalry brigade at Rummel’s Farm that day. Due to the almost continual combat action of the brigade throughout 1863, and continuing to into 1864, these Spencers were subjected to very arduous service. Many worn out, lost, or damaged rifles were replaced with Spencer carbines beginning in early 1864. As such, few of the orig 500 Spencer rifles appear to have survived. Roy Marcot, author of Spencer Repeating Rifles, states in a personal letter April 23, 1985 that “true Spencer M1860 Army rifles in the low 1000 to 1500 serial number range are almost non-existent. In fact, in my six year survey of almost 3,000 Spencers (plus Tom Lewis’s 20 year search) only two showed up in this range.” Spencer Army rifle #1081 (ten numbers removed from this rifle) is owned by the great grandson of George W. Hood of Co. B, 5th Michigan Cavalry. Based upon documented and recorded serial numbers, the first “army” lot of 500 approximates the 1000 to 1500 serial number range. PROVENANCE: Charles Radcliffe Collection; ex-Wiley Sword Collection. CONDITION: This rifle has survived in good but well used condition. Certain parts (including receiver) have been polished and refinished. Matching numbers “1061”, are stamped on the bbl and receiver. The forearm is a replacement from another orig Spencer rifle. AS a very rare survivor of the orig lot Spencer rifles issued to the famous 5th Michigan Cavalry of Custer’s Michigan Brigade, this is an artifact of much historical significance. Indeed, its story is hard to exceed-one of the best Civil War firearms from perhaps its most famous cavalry organization, linked to CUSTER and GETTYSBURG! A rare find! 4-39628 BDT171 (4,000-6,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2010

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
	2440	$3,450.00	HISTORICAL SPENCER MODEL 1860 LINKED TO THE MICHIGAN 5TH CAVALRY. SN 1061. Cal. .52. (The following is the description written by Wiley Sword for Julia Auctions Oct. 1999 Lot # 14, for this Firearm when it was sold as lot 14.) An outstanding historical weapon, this Spencer Army rifle was most certainly part of the first shipment from the factory about December 1, 1862. Although 750 Spencer Navy rifles and perhaps 250 sporting Spencers carry lower serial numbers, records show the 500 army rifles shipped to the 5th Michigan Cavalry in Detroit were the first to leave the factory. This was part of the first War Dept. contract of June 19, 1862 for 7,500 army rifles with angular bayonets @ $40 each. Although the contract specified that 1,000 rifles were to be delivered in July, the first delivery occurred more than four months later. These 500 rifles, the first portion of an Ordnance Dept. assignment of 1,200 Spencers to Col. Joseph T. Copeland’s 5th Michigan Cavalry, were shipped to Detroit, and arrived on December 5th. Yet they were one day too late! The Detroit Advertiser & Tribune of Dec. 6th duly reports the arrival of the “first” Spencers manufactured, but the 5th Michigan Cavalry had left via railroad for Washington, D.C> on December 4th. These rifles thus had to be reshipped there, Accordingly, it was the end of December before the 500 Spencers caught up with the regiment at “Camp Copeland” (see my article “Those Damned Michigan Spencers” in Man at Arms Magazine, Sept./Oct. 1997, pp. 23 ff.) All but Co.’s K and E were issued these first lot of Spencers, Additional shipments in lots of 100 were received during January 1863, with about 200 to 300 going to the 5th, and about 400 or 500 being issued to the 6th Michigan Cavalry (Co.’s A,C,D,E,H, and possibly G). The basis fot the 5th Michigan Cavalry being the first to receive Spencer rifles is traced back to June 1862, when Lt. Col. Copeland, then of the 1st Michigan Cavalry, proposed to raise a regiment of “mounted riflemen or sharpshooters.” During the summer of ’62 Copeland organized his unit, designated the “1st Michigan Mounted Rifles,” but had to wait for the desired Spencer rifles to be manufactured, Michigan Governor Austin Blair and others soon put heavy pressure on the War Dept. and the Chief of Ordnance, Brig Gen James W. Ripley. Since Ripley was not in favor of repeating rifles, he nearly canceled the long overdue contract. Hence the Spencer firm’s urgency in first getting out the army rifles. Copeland’s regiment was assigned to the defenses of Washington, D.C., but together with the 6th Michigan Cavalry, they joined the Army of the Potomac prior to the famous cavalry action at GETTYSBURG. Copeland was relieved from command of his brigade due to political circumstances, and newly appointed Brig. Gen. GEORGE A. CUSTER lead the “Wolverines” in furious fighting against J.E.B. Stuart’s cavalry at Gettysburg on July 3rd. The 5th Michigan’s Spencers proved to be important in the hard fought victory of the Michigan Cavalry brigade at Rummel’s Farm that day. Due to the almost continual combat action of the brigade throughout 1863, and continuing to into 1864, these Spencers were subjected to very arduous service. Many worn out, lost, or damaged rifles were replaced with Spencer carbines beginning in early 1864. As such, few of the orig 500 Spencer rifles appear to have survived. Roy Marcot, author of Spencer Repeating Rifles, states in a personal letter April 23, 1985 that “true Spencer M1860 Army rifles in the low 1000 to 1500 serial number range are almost non-existent. In fact, in my six year survey of almost 3,000 Spencers (plus Tom Lewis’s 20 year search) only two showed up in this range.” Spencer Army rifle #1081 (ten numbers removed from this rifle) is owned by the great grandson of George W. Hood of Co. B, 5th Michigan Cavalry. Based upon documented and recorded serial numbers, the first “army” lot of 500 approximates the 1000 to 1500 serial number range. PROVENANCE: Charles Radcliffe Collection; ex-Wiley Sword Collection. CONDITION: This rifle has survived in good but well used condition. Certain parts (including receiver) have been polished and refinished. Matching numbers “1061”, are stamped on the bbl and receiver. The forearm is a replacement from another orig Spencer rifle. AS a very rare survivor of the orig lot Spencer rifles issued to the famous 5th Michigan Cavalry of Custer’s Michigan Brigade, this is an artifact of much historical significance. Indeed, its story is hard to exceed-one of the best Civil War firearms from perhaps its most famous cavalry organization, linked to CUSTER and GETTYSBURG! A rare find! 4-39628 BDT171 (4,000-6,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2010 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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