A U.S. Civil War Smith carbine-with a “possible” Fenian Raid (Canadian) involvement.

[drm2m]

This is a Civil War period Smith carbine (Sn. 21198) with the name
“C.H. Duba” neatly stamped in four places on the stock.

(Click on the bar to enlarge the images.)





















I had the research people at “The Horse Soldier” in Gettysburg do a search on
C.H. Duba…which is a bit of a particular name….it turned up a few Dubas but no C.H Duba.

It is on record that Smith Carbines were issued to the 12th Illinois cavalry,
and the results of the research shows a John Duba was mustered
into "E" Co. Il. 12th Cavalry 1/24/1862, and mustered out on 12/31/1865.

Duba, is an unusual name,... but C.H Duba is not John Duba.

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As I had been communicating with Joe Bilby on some other stuff I asked him if he had seen these types of markings on other guns of that period.


Joe Bilby.




This is how the story played out which led into another story that involves my mother’s grandfather.
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My question to Joe.

In your experience, have you seen these types of stamps before on other guns?
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As a matter of fact, yes - Fenians had a tendency, if two of the conversion muskets are an indication, to mark guns like this.
One that a friend of mine owns has "Sgt. Noonan" stamped into the wood.

Joe


The 1866 Fenians were armed with rifle muskets and Smith carbines -- some of the Canadians
had Spencers, and the Canadian government bought more Spencers in the wake of the "invasion."
Unless they were personal weapons, the Fenians never used Spencers.
I mention this in passing in my new book on the Spencer and Henry.
The Fenians of 1870 were armed with the Needham conversion of the Model 1863 rifle musket.
The story is mentioned in Flayderman's "Guide" the guns were converted in
Trenton by Trenton Arms Company, and a Fenian leader was a silent partner in the company.

Joe
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Irish Republican Army (Fenian Brotherhood), Vermont/Quebec Border, May 1870.



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Background:
In 1866 The Fenians started their raids into Canada, as indicated below
thousands of Irish Brigade, Union and Confederate army veterans
were members of this movement.

Following the Fenian Raid of 1866 a well-to-do farmer Asa Westover, called
a meeting of his immediate neighbors and they agreed to form a Home Guard Unit
(The Red Sashes) .

Asa Westover and my mother’s great grandfather James G. Pell , both excellent marksmen,
were authorized to purchase arms for the Home Guard, and traveled
to Massachusetts to visit various arms makers.

They ended up purchasing 40 Ballard Rifles, which were used
against a force of 400 Fenians on May 24 1870 at the Battle of Eccles Hill
which is located in the Eastern Townships of Quebec just across
the Northern Vermont border.


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Having written a book on the Irish Brigade, and being of Irish American heritage myself,
I am very familiar with the Fenians, as well as the perpetual
bungling that characterized their efforts. :-)

The 1866 invasion was actually tactically successful, if I recall,
but the victorious Fenians suffered the usual leadership lapse
after the Battle of Ridgeway. At that point most Fenian troops were CW vets.

By 1870, the vets had better things to do, and the Fenian force
that crossed into Canada with weird looking conversions
of CW muskets (designed by a Brit and made in a factory in
Trenton NJ by a firm that had a Fenian leader as secret partner)
were a lot of unemployed kids swept up off the streets of NYC --
of course the Canadians had no way of knowing that.
Am familiar with the Ballard story -- they chose wisely
-- very accurate long range guns, and the long range fire from the Ballards,
if I recall, made the Fenians decide they had business elsewhere. :-)

I like the personal relationship to the Ballard story.

Joe

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Some photos of the Home Guard following the Battle of Eccles Hill in 1870
against the Fenians and an example of the Ballard rifle that they used at that battle.


My mother's grandfather is dressed in white in both photos below.








Captured Fenian cannon.




An example of the Ballard rifle that they used at that battle.





A little History-for they that may be interested.

The Fenian Raid and Battle of Ridgeway June 1-3, 1866.

The links.

Fenian Raid into Canada, 1866

The Fenian Raids

David

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