Other Producers

Two partners in Memphis need to be mentioned here though their productivity was nil, their influence on the War nothing, so far as military arms are concerned. Two revolvers of Colt 1851 type exist, identified as output of this partnership. One has a full octagon barrel and a brass frame, with “6.” stamped as a serial (?) on cylinder, backstrap, trigger guard, barrel, hammer, and rammer. The top of the barrel is marked schneider & glassick, memphis, tenn. in one line. It is said this marking is with a die, not individually hand stamped.

While the author once made such a promulgation about a pistol he had examined very carefully (page 365, The Story of Colt’s Revolver) it appears in this case he was wrong. Another advanced collector with a knack of keeping check on fakery stated he had been present and seen such stamping applied, with individual letters, in as neat a line as if put on with a roller die. Further, with values of C. S. pistols sky-high, it is even potentially profitable to make up a name-stamping die in the old fashion to give a semblance of authenticity; hence such statements must be considered and reconsidered, in examining the authenticity of any odd Confederate relic. All we know is what we read in the papers—the Memphis Daily Appeal again, for December 8, 1861:
Memphis Manufacture. We were yesterday shown by Messrs. Schneider & Glassick, of Jefferson street, between Front and Main streets, a six-shooter Navy pistol of their own manufacture. It is a beautiful weapon, not inferior to the Colt’s make in any particular. The finish of the whole, the accuracy of the parts and the excellent working of the mechanism are admirable. Iron, brass work, and wood work are all specimens of skill. We are proud that Memphis can turn out such splendid workmanship.
It will be remembered that three weeks before (November 15) the Memphis Daily Appeal was making big noises about the machinery being set up in the Eagle Foundry “for the manufacture of Colt revolvers.” It appears Memphis was a scene in November of ’61 of just the sort of speculative spirit which in New York at that time threw the Yankees’ contracts into confusion
Henderson, Jr., Savannah, Ga.

First Model LeMat carried by General P. G. T. Beauregard has “cavalry” spur guard and compound loading lever on right side of half-round barrel. Hammer nose has tiny studs on sides of movable tip. Barrel latch is pivoted in frame above trigger guard base.

Unique First Model LeMat engraved on octagon breech of halfround barrel COL LEMAT’S PATENT is serial No. 8, bears special LeMat trade cypher unlike later “star-LM” mark. Gun is said to be one of dozen sent to Gen. Beauregard for gifts to Confederate big-wigs. Photo courtesy Maj. L. P. 

and called for Holt and Owen. Alas for Southern arms collectors, there were no “Holt and Owen” in Dixie to come to the aid of later researchers. How much of the Schneider & Glassick pistol was made by them; how much pieced together from parts; how much borrowed from the Eagle Foundry or from Rigdon or from the little known gunmaker Frank J. Bitterlich, of Nashville, Tennessee, is impossible to surmise. Bitterlich definitely did make pocket pistols for S & G to sell with their names on them; whether Bitterlich also sub-contracted the fabrication of a few pistols to be shown around as specimens of Memphis handiwork is anybody’s guess. Exact uniformity was not attained in the Schneider & Glassick product, apparently. No. 20 exists of this series, and the trigger guard is more nearly the size of the Colt small guard, smaller than No. 6.’s guard. The trigger, adapted for a larger guard, has been bent slightly to fit. An additional specimen is marked 12M in several places and in one place 12Mdl. The meaning of these marks is not known. The barrel breech was hand-made by filing, not on a lathe, as the rear edge is not at right angles to the axis of bore as would normally be the case. The bullet cut-out is small, not the large cut of the 1860’s. Each shoulder is notched and a nose on the hammer rests in a slot to lock the cylinder between chambers for “safety.” Individually hand-stamped SCHNEIDER & GLASSICK, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE on the top fiat of the part-round barrel, it resembles the others about as much as it resembles the Colt. The trigger
guard is more ovaled, as if stretched a litde to fit over a long trigger.
These few arms were the total of revolvers produced in the Eastern Confederacy which achieved any recognizable production. That even the Schneider & Glassick, with three reputed specimens and Cofer with less than
10 are mentioned, indicates the extremely low productivity of the South in this respect. Probably not over 7,500 revolvers of Confederate origin were ever produced in the Memphis-Richmond-Columbus-Macon complex of industries.
That they were good guns, is attested by the surviving specimens. That out of such a small number a goodly amount should have survived, is no great surprise. They were objects of local pride when fabricated, and were retained near there. In later years when “junque” dealers would remodel them into attractive desk lamps, or sell them at auction for old brass, there were enough collectors around to help preserve the remains.
Today, because of the demand, faking is common in this field. Opportunities to buy “Confederate” guns are greater than the guns themselves; hence any purchase should be carefully considered. The natural cupidity of the collector in refusing to share his fortune with his friends until after title passes will permit a good many hasty buyers to get stung in the future. For the lucky collector who does own an example of “the Confederate Colt,” he can be proud he has a memento of brave men and brave days, long gone by.