- Joined
- Apr 7, 2012
- Messages
- 724
- Reaction score
- 961
There's a thread about Colt sending a large shipment of revolvers to Virginia on or right after Fort Sumpter fight started the Civil War.
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/rare-colt-1860.143300
Samuel Colt also shipped the famous McCullough colts (Cimmaron makes 2 copies of the type) to Texas. Only one of these Cimarrons is called McCullough but the much cheaper one differs only in the finish. It's in blue like the originals were leaving the factory, instead of antiqued like the Mccoulloughs appear today.
Colt only sold 3000 guns made in his large new factory powered by a giant water wheel in Patterson between 1837 and 1842. This included two shipments of 500 to the Republic of Texas (for their navy). This was the only decent size purchase order for Pattersons. The navy disbanded after the war (Texas v Mexico / the Alamo et.al). Texas ranger captains like McCullough, Hayes, Walker took the Pattersons stored in a warehouse that nobody else in the Texas military wanted. But the rangers loved them. And used them.
A few years later in 1847 Walker sent a letter to Colt, an unexpected letter which raised the Colt firearms business from the dead. Colt's factory and all company assets had been seized away from him (bankruptcy) in 1842. Now thanks to Ranger Walker, Colt got an order from the U.S. government for 1000 improved revolvers. This order allowed Colt to borrow money from banks to build a new company, and in a year or so later, another even more outrageously large factory. Before the 'Walker' govt. contract, Colt was not welcome at any bank and few persons would reply nicely to his letters. He was sort of persona non grata.
The rangers (Hays, McCullough) also helped Colt designed the 1851 Navy soon after, and Colt named it the "Ranger" revolver in gratitude.
Colt was a Democrat, not a Republican, and these Northern Democrats opposed going to war. McCullough's rangers were going to leave Texas for the war. This would leave all the isolated settlers in Texas at risk to deadly violent Comanche raids. Colt rushed two shipments of 1860 (early models with long flutes) to McCullough on the very day or some say a couple days after Sumpter fell. It was done for humane reasons, the many debts Colt owed to Texas and it's rangers, and Colt was not all that big a supporter of the coming war, to say the least.
2 of the 3 types of engravings on percussion Colts (naval battle, Indian fight) had to do with the Texas rangers. Had there been no Texas and no rangers Colt might have ended up on skid row so to speak, instead of one of the richest men in America. He owed Texas and the rangers everything.
Back in that day, Northern newspapers attacked Colt for these types of shipments. Some of them called for his arrest. But Colt was quick to announce he never shipped any guns after the word got to him that war had been declared, and that no more shipments South would be forthcoming. (He did ship to border States like Kentucky. And two men who planned to become Southern officers after they enlisted, bought hundreds for their troops). One was Nathan Bedford Forrest who I think bought 500, I forget who the other officer was).
Colt did not remain controversial in the North for long. Colt built god knows how many thousands of muskets for the Union. And about 125,000 1860 revolvers, and tens of thousands of other revolver types for the Union during the war. None for the Confederate States. Colt died in the middle of the war 1862. and his factory burnt down for unknown reasons in 1864. The war ended in 1865.
All the above came from my reading the latest and probably best biography of Colt: "Revolver"
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/rare-colt-1860.143300
Samuel Colt also shipped the famous McCullough colts (Cimmaron makes 2 copies of the type) to Texas. Only one of these Cimarrons is called McCullough but the much cheaper one differs only in the finish. It's in blue like the originals were leaving the factory, instead of antiqued like the Mccoulloughs appear today.
Colt only sold 3000 guns made in his large new factory powered by a giant water wheel in Patterson between 1837 and 1842. This included two shipments of 500 to the Republic of Texas (for their navy). This was the only decent size purchase order for Pattersons. The navy disbanded after the war (Texas v Mexico / the Alamo et.al). Texas ranger captains like McCullough, Hayes, Walker took the Pattersons stored in a warehouse that nobody else in the Texas military wanted. But the rangers loved them. And used them.
A few years later in 1847 Walker sent a letter to Colt, an unexpected letter which raised the Colt firearms business from the dead. Colt's factory and all company assets had been seized away from him (bankruptcy) in 1842. Now thanks to Ranger Walker, Colt got an order from the U.S. government for 1000 improved revolvers. This order allowed Colt to borrow money from banks to build a new company, and in a year or so later, another even more outrageously large factory. Before the 'Walker' govt. contract, Colt was not welcome at any bank and few persons would reply nicely to his letters. He was sort of persona non grata.
The rangers (Hays, McCullough) also helped Colt designed the 1851 Navy soon after, and Colt named it the "Ranger" revolver in gratitude.
Colt was a Democrat, not a Republican, and these Northern Democrats opposed going to war. McCullough's rangers were going to leave Texas for the war. This would leave all the isolated settlers in Texas at risk to deadly violent Comanche raids. Colt rushed two shipments of 1860 (early models with long flutes) to McCullough on the very day or some say a couple days after Sumpter fell. It was done for humane reasons, the many debts Colt owed to Texas and it's rangers, and Colt was not all that big a supporter of the coming war, to say the least.
2 of the 3 types of engravings on percussion Colts (naval battle, Indian fight) had to do with the Texas rangers. Had there been no Texas and no rangers Colt might have ended up on skid row so to speak, instead of one of the richest men in America. He owed Texas and the rangers everything.
Back in that day, Northern newspapers attacked Colt for these types of shipments. Some of them called for his arrest. But Colt was quick to announce he never shipped any guns after the word got to him that war had been declared, and that no more shipments South would be forthcoming. (He did ship to border States like Kentucky. And two men who planned to become Southern officers after they enlisted, bought hundreds for their troops). One was Nathan Bedford Forrest who I think bought 500, I forget who the other officer was).
Colt did not remain controversial in the North for long. Colt built god knows how many thousands of muskets for the Union. And about 125,000 1860 revolvers, and tens of thousands of other revolver types for the Union during the war. None for the Confederate States. Colt died in the middle of the war 1862. and his factory burnt down for unknown reasons in 1864. The war ended in 1865.
All the above came from my reading the latest and probably best biography of Colt: "Revolver"
