Original Item: One of a Kind. This is a lovely soldier-identified example of an original New Model 1863 Military Vertical Breech Carbine, converted to .50-70 Government caliber, serial number 70409. This features a later version of the Sharps action with an improved gas seal and vertical breech. It looks to have seen light service on the frontier after conversion to .50-70, and most likely not much actual firing use. The bore is in very good condition, showing strong lands and grooves with a mostly bright finish on the three groove rifling. There is some evidence of past fouling and oxidation, as well as wear, but it is definitely one of the better bores we have seen recently on a Sharps.

Page 69 of Civil War Sharps Carbines & Rifles by Earl J. Coates & John D. McAulay lists serial number 70409 as having been issued to both John Schousler and Augustus Schmidt of Company G, 1st Maryland Cavalry during the Civil War. Augustus Schmidt joined the regiment on August 8th, 1861, being mustered in on August 25th, at the age of 21. Schmidt went through every major campaign with the regiment. On August 16th, 1864, both Schmidt & Schusler were wounded in action at the Second Battle of Deep Bottom, Virginia, while one was carrying this carbine. The next month, September 1864, Schmidt was discharged from the service, as his term of service had expired. John Schousler, whose name on muster rolls is actually John Schusler (This is due to him having been born in Germany, so his name was difficult to understand or write properly), was mustered into the regiment on the very same day as Schmidt, so they were certainly in service together for a long while, and may have even switched the carbine back and forth between them. As they were both wounded on the same day, they were discharged around the same time in September 1864. It is a truly remarkable feat to find a Sharps Carbine which is identified to two separate wounded Cavalrymen of the same company.

The 1st Maryland Cavalry Regiment is credited with participation in the Battle of Greenbrier River, Battle of Ball's Bluff, Battle of Hancock, First Battle of Winchester, Battle of Cedar Mountain, First Battle of Rappahannock Station, Second Battle of Bull Run, Battle of Chantilly, Battle of Harpers Ferry, Battle of Fredericksburg (present but not engaged), Chancellorsville Campaign, Stoneman's 1863 Raid, Battle of Brandy Station, Battle of Aldie, Battle of Middleburg, Battle of Gettysburg, Bristoe Campaign, Mine Run Campaign, Second Battle of Deep Bottom, Siege of Petersburg, Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Battle of Darbytown and New Market Roads, Battle of Darbytown Road, Battle of Fair Oaks & Darbytown Road, and the Appomattox Campaign.

The falling block action lent itself to conversion to the new metallic cartridges developed in the late 1860s, so many were converted in the late 1860s and were used during the Indian Wars in the decades immediately following the Civil War, such as this one was. The carbine shows overall wear from service, having had the exterior cleaned and possibly refinished over the years, which has made some markings faint.

The markings are still clear and crisp on the right side lock plate:-

R.S. LAWRENCE PAT
APRIL 12TH 1859

C. SHARPS' PAT
OCT 5TH 1852

The left side of the receiver has seen a more wear, and the markings are mostly worn away:

[C. SHARPS PAT
SEPT 12TH] 1848

The “NEW MODEL 1863” marking on the top of the breech end of the barrel has been completely worn away, and the rear sight still just “ghosts” of the original markings visible on the spring:-

[R.S. LAWRENCE
PATENTED
FEB 15TH 1859]

The markings in front of the sight are almost always completely missing, which is true on this example:-

[SHARPS RIFLE
MANUFG. CO.
HARTFORD. CONN.]

The large number of markings these were made with is a testament to the number of innovations that went into the creation of the sharps rifle. The breech, the pellet primer system, all were patented innovations.

A clear matching serial number is marked on the receiver tang and under the fore stock-

70409

There were approximately 60,000 of this model made, serial numbers 71235 to 99999, and then second series C1 to C49528. This example was made relatively early in the production, so it was most likely made in early-mid 1864. This puts it in the perfect timeframe to have been issued to Schmidt & Schulser before they were wounded in August 1864. There are some faint marks on the under side of the barrel under the fore grip next to original serial number 95737. This indicates that this carbine was converted to .50-70, which required replacement of the barrel to one compatible with the new centerfire cartridge. They were removed and converted, but often not re-mounted on the same frame, however this one was.

The walnut wood stocks are in good condition, showing long use during the war and afterwards. They now show a matured dark red brown color, and all of the original stock cartouches have been completely worn away. The froe stock is missing a good amount of wood on the left side by the wood line, probably having splintered off, after which it was smoothed out. The butt stock shows less wear, but there are definitely still some repairs in areas.

Originally this carbine was set up for tape "pellet" primers, and still has the housing, however it has been disconnected from the lock and had most of the internals removed. The action cycles well, with the ejector presenting well, and the firing pin resetting when the breech is opened. The hammer still holds correctly at half cock, firing at full.

A lovely example of a Civil War Carbine, identified to two wounded Cavalrymen of the 1st Maryland Cavalry Regiment, and later reissued for use during the Indian Wars. It shows some fantastic wear from service but still has a lovely bore. Ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Years of Manufacture: 1860-1863
Caliber: .50-70 Government
Ammunition Type: Center Fire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 22 Inches
Overall Length: 39 Inches
Action: Lever Action Falling Block
Feed System: Single Shot

Second Battle of Deep Bottom:-

The Second Battle of Deep Bottom, also known as Fussell's Mill (particularly in the South), New Market Road, Bailey's Creek, Charles City Road, or White's Tavern, was fought August 14–20, 1864, at Deep Bottom in Henrico County, Virginia, during the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign (Siege of Petersburg) of the American Civil War.

During the night of August 13–14, a force under the command of Major General. Winfield Scott Hancock crossed the James River from the south at Deep Bottom to threaten Richmond and attract Confederate forces away from the Petersburg, Virginia, trenches and the Shenandoah Valley.

On August 14, the X Corps closed on New Market Heights while the II Corps extended the Federal line to the right along Bailey's Creek. During the night, the X Corps was moved to the right flank of the Union line near Fussell's Mill and Charles City Road. On August 16, Union assaults near the mill were initially successful, but Confederate counterattacks drove the Federals back.

After days of indecisive skirmishing, the Federals returned to the south side of the James on the night of August 20. The Confederates achieved their objective of driving back the Union threat, but at a cost of diluting their forces, the result the Union wanted.

History of the Sharps Carbine:-

The Sharps, which used a nitrated linen or paper cartridge, was available in rifle or carbine models. Approximately 3,000 New Model 1859 Carbine produced early in the production run featured brass furniture and a brass patchbox. Many of these saw service with Georgia troops during the Civil War. About 30,000 more were produced with iron furniture and an iron patchbox. All featured a pellet priming system as part of the lock plate. The New Model 1863 and New Model 1865 Carbines were essentially the same as the earlier model, the differences being confined to barrel markings. SN 32532

This popular Civil War carbine in .52 caliber fired a linen cartridge by either disc primer or percussion cap. It was manufactured by Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company, Hartford, Connecticut. The breechblock drops down to open the chamber on lowering the trigger guard lever. Early model Sharps carbines are brass trimmed and later models are iron trimmed. The principal single-shot carbines of the Civil War were "NEW MODEL 1859" and "NEW MODEL 1863". The only noticeable difference is that many New Model 1859's, but not all, have patch boxes.

The New Model 1863's were made without patch boxes, a wartime procedure to do away with extras. It has a 21 1/2-inch barrel, measures 37 1/2 inches overall, and has a two- piece walnut stock. The barrel and, on some, the buttplate were blued. The frame, lock, and barrel band were casehardened in mottled colors. The fact that the Confederates manufactured copies of the Sharps carbine in Richmond, Virginia, in quantity testifies to its general popularity. This carbine was based on Christian Sharps' patents of 1848 and 1852 and on Richard S. Lawrence's patents of 1859.

Christian Sharps (1811-1874) was the originator of a line of sturdy, practical, and popular military and sporting rifles and handguns that were associated with several events that shaped American history in 19th century, including armed conflict in Kansas during the 1850s, the Civil War, the era of the Plains buffalo hunter, and the rise of modern long-range competition shooting during the 1870s. Sharps worked at John Hall's Rifle Works in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, where he learned the principles of arms manufacturing. His first breechloading rifle design was patented in 1848, and the toggle-linking trigger guard and vertically operating sliding wedge breechblock of later Sharps rifles and carbines date from that patent. These features are still with us today, and have seen use in both rifle and artillery breech mechanisms. The spring lever-toggle-breech mechanism of the Borchardt-Luger semi-automatic pistol also had its roots in Christian Sharps' lever-linked breech.

In 1850, Sharps moved to Mill Creek, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, and contracted with the firm of A. S. Nippes to manufacture two of his sporting rifle designs, which became known as the Model 1849 and Model 1850. Faced with difficulty in obtaining financing for further ventures, Sharps left the Philadelphia area in 1851 and relocated to Hartford, Connecticut, where he formed the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company. Lacking production facilities, he contracted with the Windsor, Vermont firm of Robbins & Lawrence to manufacture his new breechloader. This venture continued until 1855.

Among the Sharps-designed firearms manufactured under this association were the Model 1851 "Box Lock" Carbine, which featured the Maynard tape primer system, and the Model 1852 and Model 1853 "Slanting Breech" Carbines, which were equipped with the Sharps-patented pellet primer system as an integral part of its breech mechanism. Model 1853 Carbines were nicknamed "Beecher's Bibles," after noted New York clergyman and abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher. Approximately 900 of these arms were shipped in heavy crates marked BIBLES for use by anti-slavery "Free Soil" settlers who were fighting against pro-slavery forces in "Bleeding Kansas" during the 1850s. One of the most famous Free "Soilers" was John Brown, who later used 300 Model 1853 Carbines in his ill-fated attempt to capture the U.S. Armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859. Christian Sharps served as technical advisor to the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company, receiving royalties on the manufacture of their firearms. His relationship with the company was a rocky one, and in 1853, Sharps severed all connections with the firm. There is no evidence that he ever had any further association with the company that continued to bear his name.

In 1855, the Sharps Company introduced the Model 1855 Carbine. These arms retained the slanting breech and buttstock patch boxes of earlier models, but featured the Maynard tape primer system. Approximately 800 .54 caliber carbines were manufactured for the U.S. government, and an additional 6,000 Model 1855s in .577 caliber were purchased by Great Britain. While these carbines were in production, both Robbins & Lawrence and Sharps suffered serious financial losses. The latter corporation went bankrupt, and their operations were taken over by Sharps and moved to Hartford. The Sharps New Model 1859, introduced in that year, was available as a carbine, and in round-barrel military rifle or octagonal-barrel sporting rifle versions.

Its straight-breech design is credited to Richard S. Lawrence, formerly of Robbins & Lawrence, who had become the superintendent of the Sharps Rifle Company. This design, in conjunction with a breechblock-mounted plate capable of slight rearward movement when under pressure, created a moderately effective gas seal. New Model 1859 arms also employed an improved version of the Sharps pellet primer system which allowed the pellet feed mechanism to be disengaged. Ordinary percussion caps could then be used, with the supply of pellet primers held in reserve. Like earlier Sharps designs, the Model 1859 fired a glazed linen combustible .52 caliber cartridge. When closed, the breechblock sheared off the rear of the cartridge, exposing the propellant.

During the Civil War, the Federal government bought over 80,000 Sharps carbines and nearly 10,000 Sharps Rifles. These arms were highly regarded by the troops who used them. Sharps Carbines found favor with Federal cavalry troopers, and New Model 1859 Rifles were used with great success by famous infantry units such as Colonel Hiram Berdan's U.S. Sharp Shooters, perhaps the first specialty troops in the history of modern warfare, as well as the 5th New York (Duryea's Zouaves) and the 13th Pennsylvania Reserves (Bucktails). Even the Confederate government recognized the superiority of the New Model 1859 Carbine, contracting with the Richmond firm of S.C. Robinson for the production of 5,000 copies.

The New Model 1859 was followed by the New Model 1863 and New Model 1865 Carbines and Rifles. These were nearly identical to the New Model 1859, differing primarily in barrel stampings, the omission of buttstock patchboxes, and in the design or absence of bayonet lugs. Many versions of all three arms were later converted for use with .50-70 and .52-70 caliber metallic cartridge ammunition in the years following the Civil War. The New Model 1869 Carbine and Rifle, available in .44-77, .50-70, and .60 calibers, were the first Sharps arms designed for use with metallic cartridges. In 1874, the firm was reorganized as the Sharps Rifle Co., with operations remaining in Hartford.

In 1876, manufacturing was moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where it remained until 1881. This period saw the manufacture of some of the more notable of Sharps longarms, beginning with introduction of the Model 1874 Rifle. Nicknamed "Old Reliable," this arm, available in a variety of calibers, barrel lengths, sights, and other features, became a favorite with both Plains buffalo hunters and competition shooters. Many Fancy-Grade models featured engraving which ranged from simple scrollwork to elaborate hunting or western scenes on their surfaces. The Sharps Model 1877 shared in the popularity of its predecessor. These deluxe-grade heavy-barreled .45 caliber rifles were designed specifically for Creedmoor and other long-range target shooters. Only 100 of these were produced, and they are as sought-after today by collectors as they were by competitors at the time of their introduction.

The last rifle to be produced by the Sharps Rifle Company was the Model 1878 Sharps-Borchardt Rifle. This arm was developed by Hugo Borchardt, who later became famous for his automatic pistol designs. These rifles, with their flat-sided frame and hammerless appearance, differ notably from earlier Sharps designs. Like the Model 1874, the Sharps-Borchardt was available in a variety of stocks, barrel lengths and weights, sights, calibers, and other features, including deluxe grade models. These popular rifles were produced until 1881, when the Sharps Rifle Company went bankrupt and ceased operations.

Although his association with the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company ended in 1853, Christian Sharps continued to work as a designer and manufacturer of firearms. He returned to Philadelphia and formed C. Sharps & Co., a manufacturer of percussion revolvers, breechloading single-shot pistols and pistol-rifles, and four-shot pepperbox pistols. In 1862, Sharps entered into a partnership with William Hankins. Their new company, known as Sharps & Hankins, continued to produce pepperbox pistols, as well as the single-shot .52 caliber Model 1861 Navy Rifle and the Model 1862 Carbine, both of which featured sliding breech actions. The partnership was dissolved in 1866, and Sharps reverted to the C. Sharps & Co. name. This firm ceased operations in 1874 with the death of Christian Sharps on March 12 of that year.

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