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SCARCE CIVIL WAR INSCRIBED HENRY MODEL 1860 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:10,000.00 USD Estimated At:20,000.00 - 30,000.00 USD
SCARCE CIVIL WAR INSCRIBED HENRY MODEL 1860 LEVER ACTION RIFLE.
SN 4608. Cal. 44 RF Henry. Usual configuration with 24-1/4" oct bbl, integral mag and early style, slightly thinned, German silver, half moon front sight and a reproduction 900 yd Henry ladder rear sight. Mounted with uncheckered straight grain American walnut, straight stock and early style crescent buttplate with round heel and large trap that contains an original 4pc brass and steel cleaning rod. Left side of stock has a factory sling swivel with a corresponding staple on the left side of the bbl. The two bevel headed buttplate screws are matching numbered to this rifle. Stock screws, although not numbered are original Henry screws. Serial number is found on the top flat of bbl between receiver and rear sight, left side of lower tang under the wood, inside top tang channel of buttstock and inside toe of buttplate. Receiver is period engraved on the right side plate, in script "T: C: Woodward / Comp: F: 25th Regt Wis: Vol: / Battle Of Resaca / Battle Of Dallas". Left side plate is engraved in matching script "Battle Of Kenesaw (sic) MT / Battle Of Decatur / Siege Of Atlanta / Battle Of Jonesboro / Siege Of Savanah (sic)". Accompanied by a large volume of research material for Thomas Canada Woodard. Given that the engraver misspelled Kennesaw and Savannah it stands to reason that he also would have misspelled Woodard, adding a "W" to make it Woodward. The engraving certainly has all of the appearance of period work, showing wear and nicks and scratches through the engraving. Thomas Canada Woodard was born Feb, 1837 and enlisted Aug 14, 1862 for 3 years and was mustered in Sept 14, 1862 as a Private in Company F, 25th Reg Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. His unit initially was assigned duty on the northwestern frontier at New Ulm, MN until Nov, 1862, at which time they were ordered to march about 300 miles to Camp Randall, WI, arriving on Dec 13. They remained there until Feb, 1863 before traveling to Cairo, IL arriving on Feb 17. They were moved around the region from Missouri to Memphis to Louisiana until July 25 when they participated in the siege of Vicksburg. In Feb, 1864 they participated in the Meriden campaign, then removed back to Cairo, IL; to Waterloo, AL; marched to Decatur, Florence, Athens and Mooresville during March & April, 1864. In May they participated in the Battle of Resaca, GA and later in the Battle of Dallas, GA; June Battle of Kennesaw Mtn; in July Battle of Decatur, GA; July to Sept, 1864 battles and skirmishes around Atlanta and Jonesboro, GA; Dec 9 to Jan 3 skirmishes around Savannah, GA; Jan 13 to April 14, 1865 with Sherman's Carolina's campaign until the end of the war. The unit was mustered out June 7, 1865 and returned to Madison, WI on June 11, 1865. Mr. Woodard rose to the rank of full Sargent during his term of service in which a contracted typhoid fever. He died Nov, 1920 from complications of the typhoid fever. Also accompanied by a 3-page letter from renowned Winchester historian and author, George Madis, wherein he details most of the technical information about this rifle. PROVENANCE: Barnes Family Collection. CONDITION: Very good. Bbl retains a dark chocolate brown artificially aged patina with a few very light spots of surface rust; bbl address is light but completely legible; SN appears to have been re-stamped. Receiver shows remains of having been polished bright a long time ago with most of the receiver now a medium to dark mustard patina; receiver and sideplates have moderately worn and rounded edges; lever and hammer are a brown patina. Stock has a chip by the top tang and hairlines at the end of the top and bottom tangs with usual nicks and scratches and retains a fine hand worn patina. Both buttplate screw holes in the stock are stripped. Mechanics are fine; strong dark bore with moderate to heavy pitting. 4-47611