What is this? Tracking Down 1863 Spencer Regiment

[bds1914]

Hello. I am trying to get some help tracking down which regiment this 1863 Spencer was issued to. It is a 3-band Army Mod and the serial number is 23238. It is thought to have been issued to the 60th OVI but confirmation in the SRS database would be ideal. Any help is appreciated!

 

[JOHN42768]

Your serial number is not listed in the SRS books. Remember the books contain likely 10% or less of firearms issued

 

[plymouthairrifle]

Sorry #23238 is not listed.

 

[UCVRelics]

Hello. I am trying to get some help tracking down which regiment this 1863 Spencer was issued to. It is a 3-band Army Mod and the serial number is 23238. It is thought to have been issued to the 60th OVI but confirmation in the SRS database would be ideal. Any help is appreciated!

View attachment 442697

View attachment 442698

View attachment 442699

View attachment 442700

You might check the Ohio state archives as some states have their ordnance records, or dig into the regimental records of the 60th OVI. Let's us know what you find or if you need any further help.

 

[bds1914]

Thank you all for checking! Were there any SN's with regiment information that "bookended" this serial number though? For example if they were both regiments in the same brigade of as the 60th or in the 9th Corps, that would help my research. I will definitely continue to look through state records!

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

No rifle serials at all close to this one in the SRS database.
Do you know if the 60th Ohio was issued Spencer Rifles?

 

[bds1914]

No rifle serials at all close to this one in the SRS database.
Do you know if the 60th Ohio was issued Spencer Rifles?

Hey Jeff,
Currently the evidence that I have suggests that, but I do not have the all important paper trail yet. This rifle was the service rifle of my ancestor Cpl. Richard Bond and was donated to the Lake County Historical Society by his granddaughter in 1982. Richard enlisted into the 10th Independent Ohio Sharpshooters (which was attached and later absorbed into the 60th OVI as Company H) on Feb. 22nd, 1864. Prior to discovering that the museum had his rifle, I read an excerpt from another soldier's diary (Carruthers' Diary) that very directly points out how upset the sharpshooters were when they were issued Springfields in Alexandria before the Overland Campaign. Due to this disconnect, I am trying to solve the mystery of:

1. Did the 10th Sharpshooters get lucky and get issued Spencers from the start because they were smaller than the other sharpshooter regiment?
   1. Because they left Ohio without weapons originally, state records haven't helped as of yet.
2. Later in the war, the 60th was frequently deployed as skirmishers. Did they trade in their Springfields for Spencers?
   1. One would think a record of that exchange exists somewhere but I haven't been very lucky.

The mystery continues for now.

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

when I took a quick internet look, I saw that the 60th Ohio had both the 9th and the 10 Ohio Sharpshooters attached to it.

 

[bds1914]

when I took a quick internet look, I saw that the 60th Ohio had both the 9th and the 10 Ohio Sharpshooters attached to it.

Hey Jeff,
That is correct. The 9th and 10th were originally attached to the 60th as separate companies but were permanently transferred to the 60th Ohio on Feb. 24, 1865.

Yesterday, I was able to find some major breakthroughs after weeks of looking! Below are clippings from the "Guide to the American Civil War Military Equipage Archival Collection Text, Ohio-Wisconsin" which shows that the 60th was originally issued 1864 Springfields while the 9th and 10th Sharpshooters were issued 1863-64 Spencers.

I also found a picture of another 60th OVI soldier which seems to clearly show him posing with his Spencer Rifle while mustering out, further supporting the theory that the regiment traded up to the Spencer when they took on more skirmishing duties later in the war.

 

[TexBadger]

Hey Jeff,
That is correct. The 9th and 10th were originally attached to the 60th as separate companies but were permanently transferred to the 60th Ohio on Feb. 24, 1865.

Yesterday, I was able to find some major breakthroughs after weeks of looking! Below are clippings from the "Guide to the American Civil War Military Equipage Archival Collection Text, Ohio-Wisconsin" which shows that the 60th was originally issued 1864 Springfields while the 9th and 10th Sharpshooters were issued 1863-64 Spencers.

View attachment 442871
View attachment 442872

I also found a picture of another 60th OVI soldier which seems to clearly show him posing with his Spencer Rifle while mustering out, further supporting the theory that the regiment traded up to the Spencer when they took on more skirmishing duties later in the war.

View attachment 442873

I don't think that is a Spencer rifle. the trigger guard is bowed/wide as you would find in a number of rifle muskets (including Springfield), appears to be a sling swivel attached to trigger guard as well (again, as you would find on a Springfield). Also, this arm is much longer than a Spencer rifle.

 

[bds1914]

I don't think that is a Spencer rifle. the trigger guard is bowed/wide as you would find in a number of rifle muskets (including Springfield), appears to be a sling swivel attached to trigger guard as well (again, as you would find on a Springfield). Also, this arm is much longer than a Spencer rifle.

Thanks for the reply! And interesting. I went back and played around with some post-processing image editing and I think what I mistook as the distinctive "double hump" of the Spencer's lever and pivot point was actually the trigger guard and a very ill-placed reflection of light.

This actually makes sense because Hezekiah Bradds was part of Company C of the 60th which did not typically take part in flanking, skirmishing, or sharpshooting duties.