In keeping with the guidelines set for this thread; this is one of my favorites! This is a late #3 Ballard in .22RF, with a presentation plaque inlaid into the left buttstock. It reads, "To Lt. Charles Phillips, From the 3rd Regt., 4th Maine Artillery"
This is one of only a few guns I've purchased off an internet auction, and I was very excited when I stumbled across it. Apparently I was the only one excited, as I got it for the seller's opening bid, as nobody else bid on it! Fools!
The original owner of the Ballard was given the gun as a gift on his promotion to Captain, and transfer to another unit. Rare for enlisted men to think enough of an officer to give him any gift, so I was impressed and wanted to learn more about Lt. Charles Phillips. He graduated West Point 13th in his class in 1881, and went on to serve over 40 years in the Army as an artillery officer. Serving during the Spanish American War, and WWI, and after retiring he took a post as a Colonel at a base in the Puget Sound with an Army Reserve unit. Later on his 2nd retirement he was returned to the rank of Brigadier General. By chance; the young Lieutenant's first duty assignment was at the mouth of the Columbia River, about 85 miles from my home! His last assignment was about 150 miles north of me!
As much as I admire the General's long military career, the owner I got the gun from is also very interesting, and modest. She sold the gun through a broker, and I asked for history of how she came by the gun. She said her brother was given the gun in the 1930's by the General, as he was a family friend and liked her brother Heath Hovey. Heath died in a car crash in Death Valley, near their home, and his father put the gun up. At his passing, Marjorie inherited the gun and it stayed in her possession until I bought it.
Her parents owned the first radio station in Death Valley, and Marjorie went on to college, and a career in journalism. She did sports reporting for the San Francisco Chronicle under the name of "Mike" and was the first female sports reporter West of the Mississippi! Once her true identity was discovered, she was already a well read reporter, so the Chronicle simply let her put her true name on her articles. Her omission of her personal history seems overly modest now. I've often wondered how unusual it is for two people with such illustrious careers could end up owning the same gun?
This surely isn't the most expensive, or prettiest gun I own. But it certainly is one of my favorites, and I am happy I was the only person who thought it was worth bidding on!
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... d=73414782&
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/G ... 2891*.html
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic ... dSn8OkbXJ8