Page 40 - JOA-July-22

Q: John, I was helping my parents move, and my dad gave me what I believe
is an M 1861 Union musket that is date stamped 1862. It has been in our
family for generations, and we have many relatives that fought for the Union
during the Civil War.
It does not have the bayonet any longer, and it’s not in the best condition.
Both the front and rear sites are missing from the barrel. It does have the sling
holder by the trigger guard; however, the one that used to be on the forearm
is no longer there.
I was wondering if you could give me any information about this gun and
if I was correct in my assumption. Also, what an approximate value might be.
We actually have the discharge papers for one of our relatives from the war
who was wounded a few days before the Battle of Antietam. I’ve always been
told that this was his musket.

JS: Indeed, your rifle is a model 1861 Springfield rifle/musket made in
1862; 450,000 of these arms were made. This was the workhorse of
the Union infantryman for the first years of the war. Average, complete
survivors sell between $800-$1,200.
Your ancestor’s gun was probably used after the war for hunting as the
forestock has been cut off to lose weight for a fowler. Military muskets
transitioning into sporting arms was common after the war by soldiers Above: the musket’s “Springfield” maker’s mark.
who were allowed to take muskets home. The market value of a “sporter-
ized” military longarm is greatly reduced. A cut-down 61 Springfield like Below: a model 1860 Springfield musket or rifle used during the Civil War but
yours can be found for $300-$400 in the general antique market. cut down afterward to make it lighter for hunting, $300-$400.

John Sexton is an independent appraiser and expert on Civil War memorabilia. He is an accredited member of various appraiser
organizations. He can be contacted at 770-329-4984. If you have a Civil War item for him to appraise, email a photo and a
description to him at: jsextonatlcom.ne@mindspring.com.

Recovered Bell from Fabled “Ship of Gold”

Donated To U.S. Naval Academy

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, at the bell’s May 23 dedica-
Maryland has received an important piece of American and naval history, tion ceremony.
the bell from the SS Central America, the legendary “Ship of Gold” that The bell was discovered
was led by Commander William Lewis Herndon (1813-1857). The 34 years ago, 131 years after
famous ship sank in 1857 while carrying 578 passengers and crewmem- the ship sank. It is larger than
bers and a king’s ransom of California Gold Rush treasures. most ships’ bells of the era,
Rare coin expert, real estate developer, philanthropist, and former measuring nearly two feet
sports agent Dwight Manley of Brea, donated the Central America’s tall and a little over two feet
268-pound bronze bell to the Academy where there has been an important wide at its lower flange edge.
tribute monument to Commander Herndon for the past 162 years. “The site of what we
A distinguished career naval officer, Herndon sacrificed his life in a thought might be the SS
brave effort to save the Central America. “He saved the lives of 152 Central America was discov-
passengers before he made the decision to go down with the ship,” ered in 1988 about 7,200 feet
according to the Naval Academy. below the ocean’s surface.
The Central America sank in the Atlantic Ocean 150 miles off the Using a robot submarine, we
North Carolina coast during a hurricane on September 12, 1857. In 1860, located a bell and could see
a 21-foot-tall granite obelisk was dedicated in Herndon’s honor near the part of the embossed lettering Using a remote-controlled submarine in 1988,
the 268-pound bell from the fabled “Ship of
center of the Naval Academy campus. on it, MORGAN IRON Gold,” the SS Central America that sank in
Prior to his important assignment as Master of the United States Mail WORKS NEW YORK 1857, was discovered 7,200 feet under the
Steamship Central America in 1855, Herndon served with distinction dur- 1853. That provided addi- surface of the Atlantic Ocean.
ing the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848 and led a successful South tional evidence that the ship- Photo: California Gold Marketing Group
America expedition in 1851 that resulted in his acclaimed 1854 report, wreck site was indeed the
Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon. Central America,” explained Bob Evans, the chief scientist and historian on
“Commander Herndon is a revered and honored name in the U.S. the recovery missions who also attended the bell’s dedication ceremony at
Navy. His legacy has been part of the annual rite of passage at the the U.S. Naval Academy. “The bell provided spectacular and undeniable
Academy with his monument scaled by the current year’s plebes. It is confirmation we located the ship.”
my extreme privilege to be able to unite the bell with the monument so The Central America was a 280-foot long, three-masted side-wheel
all in attendance each year can experience the sounds Commander steamship carrying what Life magazine later called “The Greatest Treasure
Herndon heard as he went down with the ship after 40 hours of valiant Ever Found,” tons of California Gold Rush-era gold coins and assayers’
effort to save every woman and child aboard,” said Manley who spoke ingots. The loss of the valuable cargo was a major factor in the economi-
cally devastating financial panic of 1857 in the United States.
38 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles