Description
The U.S. Ordnance Department purchased around 250 Model 1853 Sharps and issued them to the U.S. Dragoons patrolling the American West in the 1850s.
This is a very honest and solid example of a scarce cavalry carbine almost identical in form to the “John Brown” Model 1852 Slant Breech carbine (which doesn’t have the push button breech release or the long saddle bar). The stock shows wonderful field wear where the carbine sling buckle rubbed as the soldier galloped onwards! Unmolested examples of this weapon, which preceded the Model 1859, are not readily found on the collector market. Springfield Research service indicates that one unit that received these early carbines was the 11th New York Cavalry and this weapon is in the range of those examples documented as being still in service at the outbreak of the Civil War.
11th Regiment, New York Cavalry
OVERVIEW:
Organized at New York City December, 1861, to May, 1862. Left State for Washington, D. C., May 5, 1862. Attached to Military District of Washington and 22nd Army Corps, Dept. of Washington, May, 1862, to March, 1864. (A Detachment in 8th Army Corps, Middle Department.) District of LaFourche, Dept. of the Gulf, to June, 1864. District of Baton Rouge, La., Dept. of the Gulf, to August, 1864. 2nd Brigade, Cavalry Division, Dept. of the Gulf, to February, 1865. 2nd Brigade, Cavalry Division, District of West Tennessee, to July, 1865. Consolidated to a Battalion July 21, 1865. District of Memphis, Tenn., to September, 1865.
SERVICE:
Duty in the Defences of Washington, D. C., till March, 1864. Action at Blue Ridge Mountain, Va., June 18, 1862. Poolesville, Md., December 14. Near Fairfax Court House, Va., June 27, 1863 (Cos. “B” and “A,” “C”). Bolivar Heights June 30. Harper’s Ferry July 7. Near Harper’s Ferry July 14. Halltown July 15. Edwards’ Ferry, Md., August 27 (Detachment). Expedition from Leesburg August 30-September 2 (Co. “F”). Rockville, Md., September 22. Ordered to Dept. of the Gulf Msrch, 1864, and duty in the District of LaFourche, La., till June, and in the District of Baton Rouge, La., till August. Action at New River, La., May 15. Manning’s Plantation June 10 and July 20. Orange Grove, near Donaldsonville, July 31. Doyall’s Plantation and Donaldsonville August 5. Expedition from Baton Rouge, La., to Clinton, Greensburg, Osyka and Camp Moore October 5-9. Bayou Sara October 5. Lee’s Expedition from Baton Roiigo to Brookhaven, Miss., and skirmishes, November 14-21. Brookhaven, Miss., November 18. Near Jackson November 21. Clinton November 23. Liberty, Miss., November 24. Davidson’s Expedition from Baton Rouge, La., against Mobile & Ohio Railroad November 27-December 13. Franklinsville November 27. Ocean Springs December 27. Ordered to Memphis, Tenn., February, 1865. Expedition from Memphis, Tenn., into Northern Mississippi March 3-11. Germantown March 28 and April 18. Duty at Memphis, Tenn., and in District of West Tennessee till September. Mustered out at Memphis, Tenn., September 30, 1865, and honorably discharged from service.
Regiment lost during service 1 Officer and 22 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 319 Enlisted men by disease. Total 344.
