Other Imported Guns

Not only Leetch and Calisher seem to have had friends here, but gunmakers outside of New York speculated on foreign imports, large and small. For example, F. H. Lawson, Cincinnati, delivered 100 Enfield sword bayonet rifles at $22 on December 18, 1861. W. Baily Lang & Company, New York, from June 1862 through April, 1863, delivered $93,537.92 worth of Enfields. John P. Moore’s Sons, New York, delivered a steady flow of small lots of two basic types, the long and short; and of two basic origins, English and U. S. make. On June 10, 1862, 840 guns and on June 30, 240 more priced at $15 each were delivered under the designation of “American rifle, long Enfield pattern, and appendages.”

Final identification of these rare American rifles, delivered by Moore, is uncertain, but it seems probable that a variety of Enfield arms, bearing on the lockplate behind the hammer a spread eagle surmounting a Federal shield, with the initial M in the field of stars, is the Moore-delivered rifle. These arms have dates of 1861, 1862, and 1863 observed fohward of the hammer on the locks, which are conventional Enfield locks in form, with the typical double-line engraved edge border. A carefully detailed analysis of one such long rifle, three clamping bands, was made by Bob Riley in The Gun Report, January 1960. He found a small stamp looking like a B with the bottom curve broken away, on virtually every part, usually in association with an arrow-like stamp made of three incisions or punch marks, which could be a simulation of either the British Broad Arrow or the Liege proof mark. These evidently were assembly marks and appear in- conspicuously inside.
Very visible on the barrel breech in the location where a British proof mark might be, is a cypher seemingly composed from two or three interlaced initials. Riley suggests that, by filling in the broken parts of the die stamp, the initials “N B” could be made out. On the barrel this is stamped 1 inch forwarl of the back flat. But on Riley’s gun the same mark appears on the stock, Vz inch behind the trigger guard tang.
Fuller (Firearms of the Confederacy, by Fuller and Steward) notes that he found a part case of these guns, “all badly damaged, but not showing any particularly hard wear.” He concluded these were the Blunt rifle, of which Orison Blunt of New York had 500 ready for delivery, but never had them accepted by the Union. He states categorically “the barrel carries the regular British proof marks, all indicating that the completed barrel was an importation.”
Fuller’s statement doubtless reflects what he thought was correct, but that he did not know what he was talking about is shown on the face of the statement. There are no marks affixed to British-made firearms which by any stretch of the imagination can be characterized as simply “the regular British proof marks.” There are in fact the special markings denoting proof at the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers of London, and also marks denoting proof at the Proof House in Birmingham. And there are British military proof marks. None of these are common, one set to the other. The cypher Riley describes resembles the inter- laced script letters VBP for Birmingham Provisional Proof stamped on the barrel when presented for proof in the finished state, ready also for Definitive Proof. Our opinion is that the cypher on the “Eagle M” muskets is a fraudulent simulation by J. P. Moore of the Birmingham proof. Viewed upside down, it appears to be EPU in script. As to mysterious marks, Fuller cites one eagle-M Enfield which on the brass trigger guard tang is “stamped L. S. M. in heavy, crude letters.” While this is supposed to mean “Louisiana State Militia” it could also mean “Logan Square Mercury,” an automobile dealer in Chicago—the verification at this moment is as valid for either meaning. This author has seen Birmingham-proved barrels on guns with “Eagle-M” locks. The locks and barrels did not fit each other at the cone seats. Inference: they were Birmingham Long Enfields with Eagle-M locks recently attached to enhance the price. The story is still not complete. Three styles of this rifle are noted:

1. Dated 1861, barrel 34V2 inches, with a long knob for saber bayonet on right side of muzzle.
2. Dated 1862, 31 Vi-inch barrel, no bayonet knob. Inside lockplate is stamped “250.”
3. Dated 1863, 39-inch barrel rifle musket, at National Military Park, Fredericksburg, Virginia. Inside of lockplate is marked “100.”

All have brass butt-plates and guards; and iron bands. While Fuller surmises the “M” could mean Mississippi, or Marshall, or McElwaine, for Confederate factories, it seems more reasonable that it means “Moore,” and that these rifles, plainly marked “American rifles”—for do they not have the Yankee eagle and shield adapted from the National emblems? —were of the 1,080 supplied in June, 1862. Later dates are not conflicting; obviously Moore, finding it possible to sell them to the Ordnance Department buyers, also was able to sell a few to state and Volun- teer purchasers. With the flood of contract Springfields available in 1864, it is not surprising to find the latest date to be but 1863. Most of the regular Enfields also tapered off in deliveries after 1863.

Additional purchases:
Samuel McLean & Company, New York, 80 Enfield rifle muskets and appendages, in two parcels on May 5 and July 25, 1863.
J. Meyer, New York, about $41,000 worth of sabers but including 166 long Enfield rifles and appendages at $20 and $19.65, December 1861-January 1862.
John T. Mitchell, New York, 780 Enfield rifle muskets, August 6, 1861, at $19.
Naylor & Company, New York. Between December 7, 1861 and July 23, 1863, this firm, a steel maker principally who supplied steel to Sam Colt for the early Dragoon revolvers, in Sheffield, shipped 192,677 of privately purchased Enfields to the North. Enfields in several styles other than the tens of thousands of long rifle muskets, were imported by Naylor as follows:
June 23, 1862

197 short Enfield rifles (195 at $20)	$18.00 & 20.00
179 Enfield artillery carbines	14.83i/i
1 Enfield artillery carbine	12.83Vi
200 Enfield cavalry carbines and append ages	19.68
280 short Enfield rifles and appendages	19.68
240 Enfield artillery carbines and apendages	19.68
40 Enfield sapper’s and miner’s carbines and appendages	19.68

First delivery listed simply as “1840 rifles” on August 21 were by way of open purchase, Major Hagner, R. H. K. Whitely, or Captain Silas Crispin officiating. But in the Birmingham Gun Trade Association, pre- sided over by Mr. J. D. Goodman as chairman, a stir- ring of prosperity was felt with a desire to compete with the machine-made London Armoury guns.
Up to October, 1862, Naylor had shipped in 33,000 Enfields. An adjustment in price was agreed upon by the Secretary of War, acting through the Assistant Secretary, P. H. Watson. For Class 2 Enfields, Naylor (actually Naylor Company of New York, Boston
and Philadelphia, and Naylor, Vickers, Company, London, Liverpool and Sheffield) received a bonus due to their losses in exchange of 2 shillings more; for first class Enfields, (of which they delivered the most:
25,000 against 8,000, second class) they received 5s. extra.
Naylor became confident that the War was to drag on a good deal longer than it first appeared. The Queen’s embargo on shipment of arms to America was lifted, and the British Government made no moves to recognize the South as a nation, only recognizing their rights to receive arms as belligerents. Naylor with Goodman and the Birmingham Association made a proposal to furnish the North with 200,000 “of the best quality of hand-made Enfield rifles, to be delivered in New York, subject to the usual inspection, at the rate of not less than 7,000 per week until the whole number (200,000) is supplied, at the price of $17.50 for each gun, and sterling exchange above 123 per cent added.” Assistant Secretary Watson rejected this offer on October 20, but stated in reply that the United States would take 100,000 at $16, plus sterling exchange adjustment.
Watson’s letter was at once referred to the head office of Naylor, Vickers & Company in London and one of their men took the cars up to see Goodman. At Birmingham, Goodman gave the Naylor, Vickers man a letter of confirmation, accepting the order for the Birmingham Small Arms Trade. The letter was directly addressed to the War Department, and treated as if Naylor was merely bringing the order to Birmingham as some sort of agent. Said Goodman on November 4, 1862, to the Secretary of War: “I hereby agree, subject to the exceptions of strikes, accidents, as mentioned in Messrs. Naylor & Co.’s said letter of 17 Oct., to execute your valued order through the medium of Messrs. Naylor & Co., New York. I expect to commence deliveries on account of the order forthwith, and will certainly complete the quantity within fourteen and a half weeks from 10th December.”
Goodman’s letter was endorsed by Watson November 29, authorizing the Chief of Ordnance to furnish Captain Crispin with the necessary instructions for receiving the arms and inspecting them. A shipment of 99,720 long Enfields was received by Crispin under this order, plus additional guns accepted in open purchase, almost another 100,000 of them. Naylor had previously been commended for delivering guns which were superior at the price the United States was allowing for “medium quality Enfields,” which was another way of speaking of good handmade (non-interchangeable) guns. Many of the 99,720 were accepted at prices higher than the contract; others for slightly less. That Crispin or his sub-inspectors personally inspected each rifle seems very probable; deliveries show a break- down on 7,260 arms total, with 4 priced at one level, 54 at another, and 26 at a third lower price; 7,176 were paid for at $21.25, which was higher by reason of the compensating figure on the exchange Naylor had demanded.
While in Birmingham, Marcellus Hartley complained of the interference by Naylor buying Enfields. Doubtless unknown to him, Goodman had committed himself to the 100,000 guns for Naylor on November 4. Three weeks later, the day after this deal was approved by Watson, November 28, Hartley was in Birmingham. Writing to Secretary Stanton 29 November, he urged that Naylor be told that Enfields were only worth 42 shillings ($10.50). But Hartley was due back in the United States—his usefulness was at an end. The stopgap emergency arms shortage which it was his job to cover, had been covered. Now the Union could rely on Small Arms Trade Association guns from Naylor & Company.