Pettengill .44 Army Revolver ID'd to 1st Arkansas Cavalry

This is a rather scarce example of a Pettengill Revolver with a very special history. Only 3,400 were manufactured...with approx. 2,000 units purchased by the US government during the Civil War. These were issued to 3rd Michigan Cavalry, 1st Arkansas, 3rd Illinois, 3rd Kentucky, and 3rd & 5th Missouri Militia (See page 318, Flaydermans, 8th ed.) This particular revolver is one of only a handful of Pettengill's identified in the National Archives as being issued to a specific unit during the Civil War. Over the years through my travels, I have been fortunate to scrounge up all four volumes of US Martial Arms Serial Numbers published by Springfield Research Service. On the last couple of pages in Volume Four, there are some odds and ends listed of lesser known martial guns which includes a very short list of Pettengill revolvers. The list shows the serial numbers of 57 Pettengills that went to just a single company of the 1st Arkansas Volunteer Cavalry. To my complete amazement, there was this exact gun listed by serial number on page 457. It's been years since I've come up with a match but never on such an obscure martial weapon as the Pettengill. This revolver went to Company M of the 1st Arkansas Volunteer Cavalry on April 29, 1863. Best of all, the notation by the information states "ISSUED" meaning it was given to a specific soldier. There is a good chance through further research at the National Archives that the specific soldier who carried this revolver can be identified.

The First Arkansas Volunteer Cavalry was formed in 1862 in northern Missouri mainly from pro-Union Arkansans who had been forced to flee the northwestern parts of the state after the federal government withdrew their forces earlier that year. Without a Federal presence, pro-Union families were left alone in a vastly pro-Confederate state that had seceded from the Union. The unit was formed to act as a counter-guerilla against marauding Confederates. They also escorted wagon trains and conducted patrols, and skirmished with Confederates on an almost daily basis. They were later garrisoned in Fayetteville, AR which was attacked on April 18, 1863. While the attack was repelled, the unit was forced to abandon Fayetteville temporarily on April 25, 1863. Note that this Pettengill was issued four days later. Here is a good link about the 1st Arkansas Cavalry and their exploits:

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=1168

The Pettengill is one of the only revolvers ever adopted with a self-cocking hammerless design ever adopted by the US military. True, there was a small field trial conducted by the US Cavalry during the 1880's using Smith and Wesson hammerless DA revolvers but these were never adopted. The US government had originally planned on purchasing 5,000 Pettengill Revolvers but after a poor showing in field trials, the order was reduced to just 2,000 units. Pettengill Revolvers were manufactured by Rogers, Spencer & Co. during the early part of the Civil War and prior to the company's manufacture of their own revolver...a.k.a. the Rogers and Spencer revolver. Note how R&S incorporated some of the Pettengill design into the Rogers and Spencer Revolver. The barrel and loading levers appear to be almost, if not completely identical. Overall, the Pettengill is almost a dragoon-sized revolver measuring 14" overall. It is .44 caliber with six shot cylinder measuring 2-1/4" in length, and a 7-1/2" octagon barrel. The cast frame incorporates a unique double action hammerless design.

Overall condition grades to NRA Antique Good+ with the metal having turned to a mostly smooth brown patina. Top of frame is stamped with Charles S. Pettengill's of New Haven, CT and later Ilion, NY's 1856 patent date along with Raymond and Robitaille's (both from Brooklyn NY) 1858 patent. There are US inspector stamps, "WW" located on the left side of the barrel, frame, and the cylinder. The grips are in Good+ condition, having never been sanded or refinished...so all of the little nicks and scratches from combat during the Civil War are right there on the surface plus 150 years of age and patina. Under a strong glass, one can make out the partial border of the original government inspector's cartouche located just above the flare at the base of the left grip panel. The action is in working order and appears to be completely original. Due to the fact that the hammer is internal and cannot be manipulated by the user's hands...cycling the action results in the hammer striking the cones on the back of the cylinder. That said, while all the cones are original, several have noticeable wear and chips from strikes. Bore is good condition.

A scarce US Martial Revolver ID'd to a Union Cavalry Regiment. Given their rather low production, fragile mechanics, service in combat, plus surviving an additional 150 years, Pettengills are hard to come by...but to find a US Martially marked example (2,000) that can be positively ID'd (57) to a Cavalry unit that saw combat during the Civil War is going to be hard to top. If someone takes the time to research this a bit further, there is a very good chance this can be ID'd to a specific soldier in Company M of the 1st Arkansas Cavalry.

Item# 1398

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