Native Used Leman Trade Rifle Purportedly Taken At Wounded Knee

.54 caliber. 34.25" pinned octagon barrel. SN: NSN. Heavily oxidized metal, brass furniture, hard wood full-stock with raised cheek rest. Barrel with weak two-line "LEMAN" marking and marked "WARRANTED". Lightly engraved single-screw percussion lock marked "LEMAN/LANCTR, PA" is likely a period of use replacement and is ill-fitting. Mounted with an oval brass patchbox, brass buttplate and toe plate, brass ramrod thimbles and entry pipe and an oversized iron triggerguard that appears to be a period of use replacement. Wrist with a very old sheet copper repair, secured by screws. Barrel with dovetailed notch rear sight and dovetailed Rocky Mountain brass front sight blade. Barrel secured to the stock with pins and two old sewn and shrunken leather wraps that are identified as buffalo hide in Mr. Ness' notes. Mr. Ness' notes also say that this gun was previously part of the Rock Island Arsenal collection and was collected from Bigfoot's people at the Wounded Knee massacre. A very old and damaged small descriptive card, now in two pieces, is included with this information. Mr. Ness obtained the gun from Marty Ingram circa 2012. If this is identification of the gun is correct, this gun was witness to one of the most horrific massacres in American history. On December 29, 1890 troops from the 7th Cavalry attempted to disarm a group of Miniconjou and Hunkpapa Sioux on the Pine Ridge Reservation. It is not exactly clear what went wrong or how the first shot was fired but in the immediate aftermath between 250 and 300 Native American men, women and children were killed and many wounded and 25 soldiers killed and 39 wounded. This tragic event was the last major action of the Indian Wars period. An important piece of American history that needs to be preserved so that such disgraceful events of the past are never forgotten.

The Collection of Larry Ness