Ballard #3 presentation rifle.

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:47 pm

Here's one I recently came across that has some neat history. It was given to a regular US Army advisor at the end of the Spanish American War, by the group of Maine Volunteer Militia that served under him, when they mustered out. It is inscribed on a silver inlaid plaque, "Presented to Lieut. Charles L. Phillips, by the Hamlin Rifles, Co.G, 2nd. Regt., M.V.M." It came with a letter and picture from the family.
I traced 1st Lt Phillips as an 1881 graduate of West Point, 13th in his class, who went on to become a General in th US Army 4th Artillery.
Thought you history buffs might enjoy this.

1886 · Post by **1886** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:02 pm

V, another beauty. You are going to need to build an addition to your home in order to house all those interesting, old arms. Maybe a museum? 1886.

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:27 pm

My 9 year old gandaughter said something similar. Only she preceded it with, "I should have known it was another gun Opa!" as I opened the box when it arrived.

GEOFF · Post by **GEOFF** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:12 pm

mm93,

That is great that you came up with additional information!!

He would have come out of West Point a Lt., and gone up from there during the Indian Wars, then maybe downsizing the military put him back down in rank???????? Kinda like Custer was a General in the war between the states then knocked down to Col. during the Indian Wars??? Did you find when Mr. Phillips became a General???

VERY COOL to have such a traceable authentic firearm. I'll never forget looking at the flintlock dueling pistols at General Andrew Jacksons home that Laffayette gave to General George Washington at Valley Forge. I'd say those are the most MOVING arms that I have ever viewed!!!!!!!!!

Could you enlighten a bit on the tang sight on that Ballard??

Thanks for the great pictures and congrats on a fine piece of history!

Geoff

Post by **Hobie** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:39 pm

You do have some of the most interesting guns! Thanks for sharing Vall.

rafter-7 · Post by **rafter-7** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:58 pm

MM

nice rifle with some cool history

Whats the calibur of that rifle?" and are you going to shoot it?

rafter

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:01 pm

Fascinating!

It amazes me how people will let stuff like that get out of the family...

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:06 pm

Val
I am gona start charging you for all these ruined keyboards.

Once again an excenlent rifle you have there.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:29 am

Val, another beautiful rifle to make the rest of us

Thanks for sharing that. Neat provenance.

Nate Kiowa Jones · Post by **Nate Kiowa Jones** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 2:15 am

way cool,

I really love reading about these old guns with somewhat obscure but traceable histories. You read about Rooseveltâ€™s â€œBig lion medicineâ€

Bruce · Post by **Bruce** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 4:49 am

Val,

Do you have more information on the Hamlin Rifles Company. That is my last name and my family originally came from Maine (to Florida). The Civil War finally split our family up and too this day they have not reestablished family ties.

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 9:26 am

marlinman93 wrote:My 9 year old gandaughter said something similar. Only she preceded it with, "I should have known it was another gun Opa!" as I opened the box when it arrived.

Marlinman, I see you are German. (Opa) Thats what we called my mother's father. My father's father was called "nooney". (Italian)

Anyway, you got yourself one fine piece there. As you know, guns with provenance are the most difficult ones to come by. Talk about money in the bank! The true tenacity of people comes out when a guy walks in a show with a gun like yours, that he is selling. BTW, what caliber is it?-------------Sixgun

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 9:35 am

Very nice rifle with an interesting history. Are you going to honor it and the Lt. by shooting it or will it be a wall hanger/dust collector?

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 1:17 pm

JReed wrote:Val
I am gona start charging you for all these ruined keyboards.

Once again an excenlent rifle you have there.

+1. Wow is that neat!

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:43 pm

Geoff,
Charles L Phillips was born in Illinois, and appointed to West Point from Maine. He graduated as a 2nd Lt in 1881, then rose to 1st Lt in 1887, in 1899 at the end of the Span-Am War he was promoted to Capt., in 1906 to Major, by WWI he was a Lt. Col, and at War's end a full Colonel. Sometime in the 1920's he was promoted to General. I am sending for his military records through the National Archives, but since I'm not a relative I can't get them online. Need to pay a fee for a search.
Sixgun,
Yep, we're Opa and Oma to the grandkids, as was my dad and mom. My grand parents were Germans who escaped from Russia in the 1880's, during the turmoil.
All:
The gun is chambered in .22 Short, and I'll have to shoot it a bit, but carefully! The General actually gave the gun to his friend's son in the 1930's. The son went in the military in WWII, and never came home. His sister inherited the gun when her father died, and when she died her daughter sold it. That's how it came my way. I received the gun's written history from the mother, and pictures of the son who died in WWII.