Murdaugh Condemns the Revolver

Murdaugh, who was stationed in Paris, varied the terms to the extent of inspecting the first run of Navy guns at the Girard Factory. His report of June 23 was highly unflattering, confirming the trouble found with these guns two years earlier by Bulloch.

Paris, June 23, 1864 Sir: In obedience to your order of the 13th instant, I have inspected the pistols made by C. Girard & Co. under contract with the Navy Department and have the honor to report that from the general bad character of the workmanship I have declined to receive those which they had on hand ready for delivery. As a specimen of the workmanship, I would state that of the first seven examined, six had defects, as follows, viz: In one the grape-shot barrel went off at the fourth or fifth fire of the revolving cylinder from a defect in the hammer. On the next the cylinder would not revolve from defect in spring of revolving apparatus. In the next the hammer at times would miss striking the nipple altogether, seriously damaging it. In the other three the fixed and revolving barrels were not true with one another when in position for firing, and in one of these the hammer did not strike fair.
Of all those examined, none appeared to be reliable, and almost all of them had serious defects, such as those enumerated. In all the metal of which the faces of the hammers were made was too soft.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant W. H. Murdaugh
Flag Officer S. Barron,
Paris

Murdaugh’s condemnation sealed the fate of LeMat’s relations with the Confederacy. Judging by a letter of the following February, 1865, the intervening time was partly occupied in getting approval from Richmond to annul the Girard contract, and equally in trying to get serviceable revolvers delivered by Girard on his contract. The original document committed Girard to deliveries of 500 guns per month, the first delivery to begin 500 in November, 1863. Declared Barron in his letter of above date to Girard, “The terms stipulated in this agreement have by no means been complied with by you up to this day; nevertheless, so long as there was a chance of getting these arms into the Confederacy and cotton out to pay for them, I did not hesitate to take upon myself the responsibility of ordering the inspection and payment of such as were received.” Barron said to Commander Brooke, February 7, 1865, that only 100 revolvers under this contract had been reported ready for inspection. No indication of how many actually were received, though Lieutenant Murdaugh’s provisional inspection report five months

Typical Second Model LeMat, marking was hand engraved on top barrel flat. Significance of various LeMat markings is not understood by today’s collectors, though there should be some reason for distinctions between “Systeme” and “LeMat’s Patent.” etc. variations. Bottom view shows Baby LeMat marking. Gun is Second Model pattern, consistent with phrasing of mark.

before was not encouraging about quality. Accordingly, Barron notified Girard the contract was void and that there was no need to extend themselves further on any account of the Confederacy. The fall of Fort Fisher and the cotton shortage, plus money shortage, made Commander Bulloch more anxious to pay contractors who had been more diligent in fulfilling their obligations to the Confederacy.