Posted: 9/26/2014 6:51:46 AM EDT
|
That's the number issued to Mississippi from 1875 to 1897 for use by the state militia.
Anyone have a book that might have a list of serial numbers on these? My Colt book doesn't. AR15 members can do anything, let's find those that survived the ages and bring them home to Mississippi. Anyone up for a little detective work? |
|
Nothing so far, but I found a cool story while looking. http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/10/10/1904-colt-45-peacemaker-donated-chickasaw-cultural-center-151613 |
|
Got to talk to John today. He told me unless Mississippi marked the gun it will be next to impossible to track them down. He gave a serial number range of 16,000 to 18,000 would cover the period. Going through his lists he did offer some dates.
September 22nd 1875 Colt shipped 100. Then it gets into the small orders. June 27th 1884, 5 guns. In 1885 February 26th, 5 guns and June 18th, 7 guns. On to 1886, July 20th, 4 guns, that same year in September 2 guns, October 2 guns and December 2 guns. March 29th 1887 was 2 guns and November of that year was 2 guns. He didn't offer any more other that to say Mississippi was not a big spender at that time. He doesn't have a book with Mississippi militia serial numbers. I got the impression it would be lots of dollars to research it. Wouldn't be much to check one serial number in the range given if we happen on one. Least we tried. |
| Good point Mikerl. If we knew who to talk to, shouldn't be hard to find records where they were received by Mississippi from Colt. Probably would have serial numbers since it was state property. Over the 22 year period the largest number was the first order of 100. But all the Colt invoices will probably all be together. |
|
Maybe here......
http://mdah.state.ms.us/new/research/research-requests/ |
|
A date to start would be September 22nd 1875 [Colt shipped] and work forward looking There has to be something where 100 was received from Colt. This should have them listed with serial numbers
Edit: Or if possible to narrow a search just receipts from Colt Manufacturing Company from 1875 to 1897. |
|
Spent about 2 hours at the archives. I can tell you about the pianos, soap, tobacco, guitar strings, blotter paper, and receipt paper the state bought in 1875, but so far no guns. I did find a list that included how many pistols were bought in the state and the taxes paid on them, but no state orders. Will update with some document searches later but actual photography of the documents is prohibited. The main problem is the sheer amount of documents in the category we probably want to look. Protip: When you ask for all disbursements, vouchers, and receipts from 1875 you get them...all of them  . |
|
I was hoping there were some property receipts in September or October when they were received and disbursed. A guy at the archives pointed out that there may be some correspondence from the Governor's office considering the type and significance of the purchase. I pulled some of the stuff from Adelbert Ames' second term but it's such a huge quantity of information to wade through. If Colt knows when they were paid it would help a great deal because I have no clue when the money disbursement would show up on the auditor's books without it. Not that it would help if Colt was paid prior to shipping because the serial numbers would probably not be included. I don't mind looking for a needle in a haystack but knowing which field of haystacks to look in would start narrowing it down. I'm pretty sure it's in there somewhere the trick is figuring out where to look. |