Special Interests - Groups & Societies > The American Plainsmen Society
Speaking of 1840's weapons.....
flincher:
I've been reading Life Among the Apaches with keen interest since I am surrounded by some of the areas talked about in this book. I am a bit surprised at some of the references to weapons in relation to the dates being mentioned in the first and second chapters.
In the first chapter, Cremony talks about meeting a Comanche chief named Janamata in 1847 and when describing his weapons (pg. 15) he mentions that Janamata has a very good Colt's revolver carried in the top of his moccasin boot. Are there other references for Native tribes to have Colt revolvers in the 1940's?
Also, in the second chapter he talks about showing the contents of a wagon to a Lipan chief in 1849 and states (pg. 19) "The inside of the carriage was well supplied with Colt's and Sharp's rifles, Colt's pistols, a double-barreled shot gun, lots of ammunition, a spyglass, and a number of small but useful tools." The earliest reference I can find for Sharps rifles being produced is April of 1849. If Cremony has his dates correct then the first Sharps rifles made it out west rather quickly.
Cremony often describes in the book being armed to the teeth carrying 4 revolvers, 2 heavy holster revolvers and 2 belt revolvers. I know that a single reference source isn't enough to say the southwest desert was full of Colts and Sharps in the late 1840's but...
I'm beginning to think I'm going to have to buy a whole bunch a guns for this time period. ;D
St. George:
Probably be a better idea to buy a few more reference books.
Many of these accounts were written decades after the fact, and memories are hazy, at best.
Vaya,
Scouts Out!
flincher:
Yes and I did say that I know one reference isn't enough. This was published in 1868, two decades after the first recorded date in the book of 1847. Who can say that none of the material was written during the 20 years previous to being published? I agree that one reference is not enough. That does not mean that it should be tossed aside as fiction either. Very few first hand "books" exist from the 1840's. Most recorded information is in journals or letters that were not published in books and require much more thorough research if you can locate the material.
My question was stated in the original post, are there any other references to native tribes having Colts in the 1840's?
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Caleb Hobbs:
flincher, I've come across a number of references to Indians carrying revolvers, but none that early. Unless I could find an additional source, I'd be wary of Cremony's dates. That's not to say a Comanche couldn't have taken a revolver, especially a Paterson, off of someone like a Texas Ranger. In fairness, I haven't read Cremony's book, so I don't have an idea for how accurate he is on other details.
flincher:
I agree Caleb, the date seems a bit early. That's why I ask the question. It also seems a bit early to have the Sharps rifles in Texas right after the first ones have been made. The book is very detailed in descriptions of Native life and it's lengthy at over 300 pages. I have read other accounts of people being equipped with revolvers coming through the Tularosa basin from the Santa Fe trail to El Paso. All of these accounts seem to boast about the fact that they have 24 or more shots at the ready without the need to reload. I'll have to go back and look at the dates again as these were journals and not books.
It is a little easier to research the dates and equipment when several people have several references to cross check with each other. :)
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