Dingee’s Austrian Rifles

Silas Dingee originally offered Austrian make rifles which seem definitely to have been of the late Model 1854 Lorenz pattern, of the tige or skirmisher’s type with long range rear sight, and the line infantry model with plain sight. These sights are described variously as “short sight” and “long sight,” and “leaf sight” and “block sight.” Calibers of the arms supplied were .58, and also .577, as well as .54, .55, and .59. The model arm was bright; those to be delivered were to be “browned,” that is, finished with the cold-rust process to a satiny blue-black. The order specified arms of .58 caliber. Because of the differences, the matter ultimately was brought before Lincoln. He directed that the arms be assessed based on the contract price for arms equal to the standard, at $19, and all others should be valued accordingly. The prices eventually ranged between $16 and $17, as agreed upon by Major Hagner and Dingee’s office. By the middle of March, 1862, 8,000 to 9,000 of some 12,000 inspected had been delivered to the Government.
“These arms were much needed, and were urgently called for by General McClellan,” said Dingee, about 45,000 in all having arrived. The rest were on the way, and Dingee hoped the contract would be honored by Holt and Owen. To help wind up the deal, as possibly Dingee found he could turn his guns over to Boker if indeed he was not actually getting them through Boker, his counsel O. S. Halsted, Jr., suggested to General Ripley (June 6, 1862) that the balance of the contract could be filled by Dingee, with Enfield rifles, “to the number yet due under their contract, at the same price, $19.”
Halsted apparently had the good ear of some folks in high places; a fortnight later having had no favorable word from Ripley as to the final inspection and acceptance of some 3,060 guns of Dingee’s which were in Crispin’s store rooms, nor approval of the Enfield switch, he said to the Ordnance general, “Should it be deemed necessary to see the President again, I will cheerfully accompany the General, or get the Presi-

Pvt. Geo. Atkinson, born Yorkshire, England, enlisted in Yankee army at age 41 on 21 Aug. ’62 at Ft. Snelling, Minn, in Co. F, 9th Minn. Vol. Infy, as a 3-years man. He was issued at that time an Austrian Lorenz M1854-5 rifle a tige with leaf rear sight and typical quadrangular bayonet. Photo from Kay Fritz Archive collection.

dent to make an appointment to see us together at an early day.”
Holt and Owen sifted the arguments, came up with a reasonable solution. They recommended accepting Enfields to fill out the order, at $19, but in consideration of paying a premium price for Enfields then worth $15 in bond in the market, they declared no extension of time should be allowed on the contract. Time was sought by Dingee, as his agents had not been able to adhere to the very strict schedule of shipments which he had set up and which formed a part of the original contract. No Enfields were received from Dingee by Crispin; of some 45,000 guns presented for that worthy officer’s inspection, 21,915 were accepted at prices of $19 (for 540 only) down to $16.15. Precisely why nearly half the lot were refused, is not known.