Heritage, 2009, Volume 2 Page: 35
39 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Touching History
Texas history is filled wti
:an-life C(
and their daring exploits.
In this special firearms pictorial, we highlight
weapons that were either owned or used by some famous-
and infamous-Lone Sta rsonalities.-:b
-lAThe collection at the Rosenberg Library in Galveston includes this
pair of Sam Houston's dueling pistols. According to records at the
Rosenberg Library, they are flintlock, dark hardwood stock, octagonal
blue finish barrel, with ornamented silver mountings and have a silver
butt cap. The weapons were presented to General Houston in 1836
and have the engraving "General Sam Houston from his Cincin friends
1836." They are from the estate of Miss M.F. Royston, who inherited
the pistols from Major M.H. Royston, a nephew of Mrs. Sam Houston.
From the Rosenberg Library, Galveston.AThe Texas Civil War Museum in Fort Worth has an array of firearms but is especially
proud of these two very interesting weapons.
Top: Model 1855 Colt revolving carbine, .44 caliber, six-shot cylinder; used by Colonel
B.F. Terry, Terry's Texas Rangers, also known as the 8th Texas Cavalry Regiment. Made in
1859 by the Colt Firearms Company in Hartford, Connecticut.
How the gun made its way to Colonel Terry is unknown, however, Colt firearms were
sold in large numbers in the South before the Civil War. All Colt models were in high demand in
Texas because they were considered to be of the highest quality. Museum officials speculate that
Terry's carbine was probably sold to a gun dealer in the Houston area and then purchased by
Terry. The cylinder is engraved "B.F. Terry" "8th Texas Cavalry Regt."
The gun turned up at a Texas Gun Collectors show in the 1960s and was purchased by
Gaines deGraffenried of Waco. It was displayed at the Texas Rangers Museum in Waco
before it came to the Texas Civil War Museum.
Bottom:.44 caliber J.H. Dance and Brother revolver. Made in Columbia, Texas in 1862
by the J.H. Dance and Brother Company, six-shot cylinder, total production 475. This is a
rare and very valuable weapon. From the Texas Civil War Museum, Fort Worth.4Another prized gun owned by Sam Houston is this .36 caliber, six-
shot 1861 Navy Colt that, according to the Institute of Texan Cultures,
was one of three presentation pistols that were given to Houston, John
"Jack" C. Hays, and Ben McCulloch. This pistol was donated to the Sam
Houston Memorial Museum by the Houston family. From the collection of
the SHMM, Huntsville.
HERITAGE Volume 2 2009
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Texas Historical Foundation. Heritage, 2009, Volume 2, periodical, 2009; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth254213/m1/35/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Foundation.