This exact Spencer carbine, serial number 59103, is recorded by serial number in U.S. records as issued to Augustus McCurdy, Co. G, 18^th New York Cavalry. The carbine is complete and all original. The barrel retains front and rear sights and has good coverage of original blue from muzzle to the area of the forestock, where is shades to brown. The rear sight is complete. The wood to metal fit is tight. There are a couple of light dings to the forestock on left and right, with a few more on the underside near the nose and one small chip, all pretty common for a carbine with some field use. The barrel band is smooth and has good color.

The Spencer address on the breech is legible, though the breech and receiver show salt-and-peppering and brown tones mixing with gray. The mechanics are good. The loading assembly shows smooth gray metal when lowered, with perhaps a hint of casehardened color. The raised shoulder of wrist, opposite the hammer, shows some battering. The base of the sling bar and the ring are crusty. The serial number is crisp. The bore is semi-gray, with areas of minor peppering, but strong rifling. The buttstock, like the forestock, has a tight fit. The right flat shows five or six small dings, and the left flat has similar wear. There is a small, shallow chunk of wood out from the top, just forward of the buttplate tang.

We include copies of the soldier’s records and the ordnance records listing this carbine as issued to “Pvt. McCurdy” of Co. G, 18^th NY Cavalry 5/10/1865. The regiment had been dismounted in January, but the company was then being issued saddles and other horsegear as well, indicating they were being mounted for service again and in May they transferred from Louisiana to the Military Division of West Mississippi, and in November to Texas, where it mustered out at Victoria 5/31/1866.

McCurdy, born in 1844, first served in Co. K of the 55^th New York Infantry. On 8/16/61 at Hyde Park, NY, he lied about his age to enlist or had his parents’ permission, being officially registered as 18 and mustering in 8/28/61. During his service with that unit they were in the 4^th Corps, Army of the Potomac, and saw action in the Peninsular campaign, with significant losses (103 killed and wounded) at Fair Oaks and also at Malvern Hill. The Peninsula was notoriously unhealthy and McCurdy was discharged for disability at Harrison’s Landing in August. By September the regiment’s losses would force their consolidation into a battalion of four companies.

McCurdy reenlisted 7/16/1863 at Poughkeepsie, NY. Perhaps on the basis of his previous service he was promoted to corporal in Co. G 10/13/63, the day the company officially mustered in. After a brief stay in Washington, they shipped out for the Department of the Gulf, seeing service in the 19^th Corps during Banks’ Red River Campaign from March to the end of May 1864. Muster rolls show him present with the company all through the period, during which Phisterer credits them with participating in 26 fights. The May/June roster lists him as sick, perhaps from the rigors of the campaign, but which may explain his return to private when he comes back in July, in time for fights at Pattersonville, Centerville, and Franklin, La. (along with fights by two companies posted to Texas.) He is sick again on the September to December 1864 rolls, but back again by January. March and April list him as absent without leave at some point, but he is present to receive the carbine by May 10. Soon after, however, he is taken sick once more and sent to the hospital on May 23, after which he is caught up in a bureaucratic snafu, being sent to various hospitals and eventually evacuated to a General Hospital in Pennsylvania and New York Harbor, with no mention of it on the company rolls, which resulted in him being listed as a deserter from San Antonio as of 2/19/1866 - a neat way to close out the books, but rather inaccurate on his service.

He was born in 1844, meaning he lied about his age to join the army. His muster in roll in the 18^th Cavalry describes him as born in NY City, a blacksmith by profession, 5’ 51/2” tall, with red hair and blue eyes. His obituary, however, reveals he was born in Hyde Park. After the war he worked as a station agent in Pine Plains and later ran a bakery in Rhinebeck. He was member of the GAR and commander of the Armstrong Post. He died 27 April 1918, leaving a wife and three children and is buried in Hyde Park, NY.

Spencers are the classic Union army cavalry carbine. They were robust, respected, and in demand as a repeating carbine carrying 7 rounds of rimfire ammunition. Captured arms would have even seen wide use in the Confederacy had it not been for the difficulty of obtaining ammunition. This is a good example with a legitimate record of issue to an active soldier.  [sr] [ph:L]

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