Civil War Catalog
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6 Civil War News November 2020 Confederate general in command at that famous cavalry fight. John is an certified appraiser with International Society of Appraisers specializing in Civil War memorabilia. He authenticates and evaluates other rare and valuable historic items as well. His website is www.civilwardealer. com. He is coauthor of the book Confederate Bowie Knives (2012) The loading lever was originally attached to barrel; the stud is by Jack Melton, Josh Phillips and still present. John Sexton, that was published LeMat Revolver by Mowbray Publishing, Inc. Send “Ask The Appraiser” questions and photographs to Dear John: serial number “227” can be read [email protected]. My dad was born in 1943 and on both the barrel and cylin- he found this relic LeMat re- der. About 400 1st models were volver as a child. He found it in thought made. a clump of dirt behind a store in I have only seen one excavat- Verona, Mississippi. He has had ed relic Lemat revolver before. it since then, and now he would It was a transitional model found like to sell it. near the Franklin Battlefield in Leslie Tenn., and was thought to have Tupelo, Miss. been carried by one of Nathan Bedford Forrest’s cavalrymen. Overall left side cocked with selector on hammer in position to Dear Leslie: It sold in auction in 2010 for fire shotgun barrel. This is a nice 1st Model LeMat $8,050. It was fully loaded when revolver. It appears all original lost. The relic that sold in auction and “as found” except for the would rank higher in marketabil- added carved wood grips. ity as it was identified to the bat- The LeMat “grapeshot” revolv- tlefield, the troops who carried it, er was the most exotic handgun and because it was fully loaded. of the Civil War. Unlike Colt In auction I could see this rel- six-shot revolvers, LeMats had ic selling for $4,000-5,000, or a nine-shot, 42-calibre cylinder maybe more. Brice’s Crossroads revolving around an 18-gauge battlefield is near where it was Serial number 227 stamped shotgun barrel for firing buckshot found. N.B. Forrest was the on cylinder. with a selector switch on hammer nose to change barrels; it was the ultimate in firepower for a caval- ryman. Produced exclusively for the Confederacy, LeMats were carried by several Confederate Over half the extant 1st models are missing the fragile loading generals including J.E.B. Stuart, assembly. Braxton Bragg, and P.G.T. Beauregard, who was an original principal in their manufacture. About 2,500 LeMat revolv- ers were made in Paris for the Confederacy. The 1st models have the loading assembly at- tached to the barrel on the right side; they are the scarcest and most desirable models. Yours is too pitted to read “Col Lemat’s Patent” on the top barrel flat but Subscribe online at This excavated sold twice in auction, $8,000 (2010), and $15,000 (2016). CivilWarNews.com Closeup showing pitting on the iron parts. Civil War Catalog Featuring a large assortment of Civil War and Indian War autographs, accoutrements, memorabilia, medals, insignia, buttons, GAR, documents, photos, & books. Please visit our fully illustrated online catalog at www.mikebrackin.com Free copy mail catalog Mike Brackin PO Box 652, Winterville, NC 28590 • 252-565-8810.