Civil War Remington

Topics related to Pre - 1898 Remington Pistols
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mikesibley
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2020 7:15 pm

Civil War Remington

Post by mikesibley »

I posted my post in the wrong category under shotguns pre-1899. I don't know how to move it here and hate to clog the board with identical posts. Maybe the administrators can move it?
mikesibley
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2020 7:15 pm

Re: Civil War Remington

Post by mikesibley »

I decided that I would put the post over here, forgive my mistakes, I am a complete newbie here!Hello all,

I'm new here and would like to ask for your assistance. I have a Remington, don't know if it is a 1858 or 1863 Army. It is engraved and it is both gold and silver plated with ivory grips. It was presented to Confederate General Henry Hopkins Sibley who fought in Texas and New Mexico during the Civil War. It is a boxed presentation set and it is engraved on the back with Henry Hopkins Sibley, New Orleans.

I am a distant relative of the general. It is serial number 24,450. How can I find any information about this gun, when it was manufactured and any history that I can learn about the weapon. I know it is of significant value so I took it out of the safety deposit box to take these photos, unfortunately I didn't have good light for the photos.

I have a couple of other Remington Army revolvers but they have much higher serial numbers, 36,809 and 56,834. These are not in great shape and I am just trying to learn about them. Any direction from you folks would be greatly appreciated.
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aardq
Posts: 439
Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2005 1:02 pm

Re: Civil War Remington

Post by aardq »

Hello Mike,

That is a very nice revolver. It is an early, New Model Army, aka the 1863 Model. The serial means that it was made in May, 1863. There are no inspector’s marks that I can see, so the gun was for the civilian market. No telling how the gun got from Remington to an engraver, and then to someone who gave it to Sibley. Many civilian sales were made, and an intermediary could have bough the gun for Sibley. Unless you can find written references in your family, there is no way to know the history of the gun.

Is there any record of who, or when he was given the gun? Maybe talk to your family member to see if any of them heard stories of the gun, or the General.

Did he serve in NO? Maybe newspaper stories of the time. How long was he there? Did he stay in the CSA Army after his 1863 Court Martial?

38, 809 = Oct 1863
56,834 = Feb 1864
Both are also New Model Army revolvers. Neither of them show any inspector’s marks, so both are probably civilian sales.
Sorry that I can’t help you any further than that.

Good luck with your historical search,
Dan
mikesibley
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2020 7:15 pm

Re: Civil War Remington

Post by mikesibley »

Thanks Dan.

Sibley was born in Natchitoches Louisiana and attended West Point. He resigned his commission and joined the Confederacy. There is no family history of the weapon and it wasn't handed down, my father purchased it about 1970, I looked in the New Orleans newspapers and did not find a reference to it. My sister and I inherited it when my father passed away,

I don't know where inspectors marks would be and I don't mind looking. The standard grips were replaced by the ivory ones so I am assuming that would be where some of the inspection marks would be. I am from Natchitoches originally and it is quite interesting that we both have the same surname and are both from the same community. We are related, but distantly.

Are there any records anywhere that might show the history of the gun? I'm just not sure where to turn.
aardq
Posts: 439
Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2005 1:02 pm

Re: Civil War Remington

Post by aardq »

Hi Mike,

The inspector's marks are a single, capital letter. They will be stamped on the frame, loading lever, trigger, and bbl. If it was a US gun with wood grips, the left, lower grip would have a cartouche stamped in it.

Because you have the same last name, and you said that you inherited the gun, I presumed that it was a family heirloom. There are some scattered records on some military guns, but nothing on civilian guns. There may be (a very, very long shot) a name or date penciled on the inside of one of the grips.

Remington factory records don't exist, so there is no way to track the gun, like there is with Colts. Just a fact of life for Remington collectors.

Check on the underside of the trigger guard tab, and the left, lower frame to see if all the numbers match.

After looking at close ups of the engraving, it appears to be done by a beginner, or someone not that good at engraving. The Back Strap doesn't have his rank, which is almost always included for military men, especially a general. That is very suspicious, and leads me to think that the gun was engraved after the Civil War. Maybe many years after the war, in order to make the gun more saleable, or bring a higher price. That is just a guess. If Sibley was kicked out of the CSA army, he might have had the engraving done by someone who worked cheaper than other engravers, and that would explain why no rank in used.

There are just so many possibilities, that we could make guesses til the cows come home, and not guess the right answer.

Just enjoy the gun for what it is, and pass it on to you children with this story. In 100 years it will be an interesting gun, with an interesting, is short, history.

Dan
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