Winchester Model 1873 Lever Action Saddle Ring Carbine Identified as Owned by Captain Jack Crawf...

Winchester Model 1873 Lever Action Saddle Ring Carbine Identified as Owned by Captain Jack Crawford, 1880. Serial number 51687, .44-40 caliber, nickel finished barrel and frame with proper roller engraved markings, the tang marked 'MODEL. 1873,' set trigger, replaced dust cover, walnut stock; with binder of documents relating to Crawford and the carbine as well as an inscribed copy of Crawford's book The Poet Scout. Barrel lg. 20, overall lg. 38 3/4 in. Condition: Very good overall condition with approx. 70% of the plating remaining and toned to gray/brown where the plating is worn, hammer and lever are toned to gray/brown, stock has remnants of old dark finish well worn in the handling areas, minor hairline cracks at the wrist, bore has light pitting but strong rifling, action functions properly. Footnotes: Note Within the accompanying documentation is a list of items lent for the 100th anniversary of Fort Bliss by Irene Shontz, Captain Jack Crawford's granddaughter, listing the carbine by serial number as 'Winchester gun used by Capt. Jack in 'West' Shows.' A letter signed by the same granddaughter in 1962 when the carbine was sold also identifies it by serial number as belonging to her grandfather. Captain Jack Crawford's life was very much filled with adventure in the Wild West, and he, like his onetime friend Buffalo Bill Cody, capitalized on the popularity and romanticization of the American frontier. Crawford, 'The Poet Scout' was born John Wallace Crawford in 1847 in Ireland and came to the United States when he was 14, during the early years of the Civil War. Being devoted to his new country, Crawford joined the 48th Pennsylvania Infantry when he turned 17 and was wounded at both Spotsylvania and Petersburg. In 1875, he headed to the West to seek his fortune. During the black Hills Gold Rush, he served as a journalist in the camps and as the lead scout of the Black Hills Rangers. During the Bighorn and Yellowstone Expeditions, he acted as a war correspondent and a scout under Brigadier General George Crook. While serving under Crook, he became friends with Buffalo Bill Cody and became head scout when Cody returned to the East. Crawford gained national attention after riding 350 miles in only six days to deliver news of Crook's triumph over Chief American Horse at the Battle of Slim Buttes in September 1876. Later that same year, Crawford joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. The partnership was short lived, however. He left the show in the summer of 1877 after he was shot in the groin in Virginia City, Nevada, during a mock horse battle by a drunken Buffalo Bill. Soon thereafter, Captain Jack moved his family to New Mexico and worked as a scout during the Apache and Victorio's Wars. In 1889, he was appointed as special agent for the U.S. Justice Department to investigate the illegal trafficking of alcohol in Indian Country. In the 1890s and early 20th century, he again gained national attention by speaking and performing throughout the U.S. He was reported to have regularly appeared with his Winchester carbine while he told his tales. Crawford wrote over one hundred stories, seven books of published poetry and four plays. He stopped touring for a couple of years to search for gold in the Klondike at the turn-of-the-century. Upon returning home he rejoined his lecture circuit and spent the next ten years travelling throughout the country entertaining. Crawford died in 1917 and newspapers across the country reported his death and ran stories of his exploits. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing