LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2007 June Civil War Grand Format Auction #663  / 

72243

A Deringer Owned by Confederate Major General Jo

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:2,500.00 USD Estimated At:10,000.00 - 12,000.00 USD
A Deringer Owned by Confederate Major General Jo
<B>A Deringer Owned by Confederate Major General John B. Magruder</B></I> This .41 caliber Deringer was owned by John Bankhead Magruder when he was appointed a colonel in the Confederate army in 1861. Magruder had been a career army officer, having graduated from West Point in 1830. He fought in the Seminole War and in Mexico and was later stationed at Newport where he earned the nickname “Prince John” for his courtly manner and lifestyle.<BR><BR>Magruder, a native Virginian, resigned his commission as an army captain in April 1861 and signed on with the Confederacy and was appointed a colonel. He was to be at that rank only briefly because he became a quick hero to the Confederacy through his victory at Big Bethel, the first major action of the war.<BR><BR>This Deringer muzzle-loading pistol was owned by him during that brief interval between his commissioning as a Confederate colonel and his promotion to brigadier general for his victory at Big Bethel. An ornately engraved .41 caliber pistol, it has a 3” barrel and has copper-nickel or 'German silver' hardware. The hammer and trigger function perfectly and the walnut stock is in very good condition. There is an inlaid presentation medallion on the top of the stock behind the barrel bearing the engraved inscription "Col. J. B. Magruder". The barrel has a nice light gray, even patina and the ramrod is original to the gun.<BR><BR>Attaining the rank of major general, at the end of the Civil War Magruder refused a parole and instead traveled to Mexico where he served as a major general under Maximillian serving in the Franco-Mexican Army. He later returned to the United States and became a public speaker lecturing about his escapades in the wars in which he fought.<BR><BR>This is a very attractive and historic piece that has descended through a family whose ancestor was given the gun by an attorney at Galveston where Magruder had his headquarters at the close of the war.<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Miscellaneous Collectibles, Smal (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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