Colt Model 1862 Police Revolver Inscribed to Medal of Honor Recipient Andrew Henry Embler - 71st NYSM

American Civil War

.36 caliber. 5.5" round barrel. SN: 2526 (mfg. ca.1861). Blued and color casehardened finish, silver plated brass backstrap and trigerguard, one-piece walnut grip. Single action percussion revolver with five-chambered fluted cylinder. Barrel with weak, one-line New York address with standard COLT'S/PATENT mark on the lower left of the frame. Patent date marking in cylinder flute. Matching serial numbers on barrel, frame, triggerguard, butt, and in the grip, with the cylinder and wedge mismatched, numbered 2514 and 2718 respectively. There is no legible serial number on the arbor pin. Standard hammer nose notch rear sight and brass post front sight. The backstrap of the revolver is engraved in two lines: A Henry Embler/71st Regt. NYSM.

Andrew Henry Embler (1834-1918) was 27 years old and from Montgomery, NY when he joined the 71st New York Volunteer Infantry on April 19, 1861 only days after the firing upon Fort Sumter. He was commissioned a 1st lieutenant into Company H of the 71st on May 3, 1861. He fought at the Battle of First Bull Run on July 21, 1861, where he was wounded in the hip. He was mustered out of service on July 31, 1861 with the rest of the 90-day regiment and apparently continued his convalescence. On December 5, 1861 he was commissioned into Company K of the 82nd NY Infantry. He fought with the regiment at Yorktown, Savage's Station and Malvern Hill. On June 20, 1862 he was promoted to captain and ten days later was given command of E Company of the 82nd NY, the day after Savage's Station and the day before Malvern Hill. As that company's commander he also led them at the Battle of Antietam where he was again wounded in action.

At Gettysburg the regiment part of the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division of the 2nd Corps of the Army of the Potomac and was heavily involved in the fighting on July 2 and 3rd. During Picket's Charge the regiment captured the flags of the 1st and 7th Virginia Regiments. On July 10, 1864 he was transferred to the command of Company I of the 59th NY Infantry. It was while serving with the 59th NY at Petersburg that Embler earned the Congressional Medal of Honor during fighting at Boydton Plank Road. The citation reads: "Charged at the head of two regiments which drove the enemy's main body, gained the crest of the hill near the Burgess House and forced a barricade on the Boydton Road." In addition to the Medal of Honor, he was breveted to the rank of major for his actions on that day. On March 21, 1865 he was promoted to full major and made the Aide-de-Camp of the US Volunteers. He was made a Lt. Colonel by brevet on May 1, 1865 and was mustard out of service on December 5, 1865.

After the war he returned to Montgomery initially, but soon moved to New Haven, CT where he helped to found what would become the Southern New England Telephone Company. He was made a major in the First Regiment of Governor's Foot Guards, a long-time Connecticut militia unit and also served as Connecticut's Adjutant General from 1890-1892. He died of pneumonia in 1918 at the age of 84.

The revolver is accompanied by a large binder of research about Embler and his various commands, copies of his service records, etc.

From the Collection of George Oldenbourg