| How do I know if it was a genuine Civil War pistol? - 2 |
Quite a few pistol relics have been found on Civil War battlefields and in Civil
War camps. Some may have been dropped by killed or wounded soldiers.
Some soldiers may have had the pistols knocked out of their hands and did not
have the time to retrieve them. Soldiers dropped pistols for a myriad of
reasons. Those pistols found in camps may have been inadvertently lost or
even thrown away. See, we can only surmise the truth! However, those pistols
dug on a site known to be connected with the Civil War and found in an
undisturbed strata of dirt can at least be associated with that location.
Extensive research might lead to the identification of the regiment that fought
or camped in that area.
Was a pistol carried by a Confederate or a Union soldier? Still don't know!
Guns were picked up on battlefields by soldiers of both sides. Usually the
victors got to pick the battlefield clean. Over 25,000 muskets and other small
arms were picked up at Gettysburg alone. A pistol could go back and forth
multiple times during the course of the war.
Some pistols bear hand-carved initials or names. Research, again. Suppose a
Civil War-era pistol has the name G ROBERTSON. The last name returns a
possible 5,366 soldiers during the Civil War. Add a first initial of "G" and you
are down to 297.
So, how will we ever know? Despite tons of research, we might never know
the true provenance of a pistol. Even with a handful of original letters and
supporting evidence, we'll still occasionally get that nagging question in our
minds, "Is it all true or not?" My answer? Enjoy that pistol. Look at it. And
wonder, "If it could only talk!
War camps. Some may have been dropped by killed or wounded soldiers.
Some soldiers may have had the pistols knocked out of their hands and did not
have the time to retrieve them. Soldiers dropped pistols for a myriad of
reasons. Those pistols found in camps may have been inadvertently lost or
even thrown away. See, we can only surmise the truth! However, those pistols
dug on a site known to be connected with the Civil War and found in an
undisturbed strata of dirt can at least be associated with that location.
Extensive research might lead to the identification of the regiment that fought
or camped in that area.
Was a pistol carried by a Confederate or a Union soldier? Still don't know!
Guns were picked up on battlefields by soldiers of both sides. Usually the
victors got to pick the battlefield clean. Over 25,000 muskets and other small
arms were picked up at Gettysburg alone. A pistol could go back and forth
multiple times during the course of the war.
Some pistols bear hand-carved initials or names. Research, again. Suppose a
Civil War-era pistol has the name G ROBERTSON. The last name returns a
possible 5,366 soldiers during the Civil War. Add a first initial of "G" and you
are down to 297.
So, how will we ever know? Despite tons of research, we might never know
the true provenance of a pistol. Even with a handful of original letters and
supporting evidence, we'll still occasionally get that nagging question in our
minds, "Is it all true or not?" My answer? Enjoy that pistol. Look at it. And
wonder, "If it could only talk!