1853 Enfield with Confederate “Caleb Huse” Cartouche / SOLD
Caleb Huse was the principal buyer for the Confederacy in Europe. In 1861 he beat Union buyers in some cases by only days or just a few hours in securing contracts for large quantities of English made weapons, primarily the Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle. While Huse badly wanted to buy arms from the London Armory Company, they were locked up in contracts to the British government for most of 1861. Fortunately for Huse the director of the company, Archibald Hamilton, knew every small arms maker in London and Birmingham and offered his services to Huse for a 2-3% commission on each rifle. Soon, Hamilton had every small arms maker in London producing 1853 Enfields for the South. Arms inspected by Caleb Huse and his viewers are marked with a circular cartouche with “CH1” just forward of the buttplate tang.
This example features the “CH1” cartouche on the stock and is marked “Tower 1861” on the lock plate. The lock holds and functions on all positions, and the nipple is in very good condition. All steel parts have a pleasing, untouched grey/brown patina and the brass parts are unpolished and retain a deep aged patina. The stock has been varnished and has some slivers of wood missing along the ramrod channel. Both sling swivels are missing, and the ramrod is a replacement from a Model 1863 Rifle Musket. The bore is dark with visible rifling. This is a very attractive Confederate imported Enfield.
Inventory Number: RIF 135 / SOLD