This extraordinary set includes an engraved Merwin, Hulbert & Co. 3rd Model Army revolver with "William Merrifield'' inscribed on the back strap, a J.S. Collins double loop holster and money/cartridge belt rig, and a Tiffany & Co. pocket watch with 18k gold double hunter case with "If it’s a black bear I can tree him, if it’s a grizzly, I can bay him." inscribed inside the front cover. Noteworthy collector Greg Lampe indicated these items were all presented by Theodore Roosevelt to Arthur William "Bill" Merrifield in the mid-1880s. The two men were friends, and Merrifield served as Roosevelt's hunting guide in his early days in the West in the 1880s, including his first grizzly hunt, and was also the foreman/manager and one of the ranch partners with Roosevelt in the Dakota Territory. Additional items belonging to Merrifield are also featured in following lots with connections to Roosevelt. The revolver, holster rig, and Merrifield’s Montana U.S. Marshal badge from Lot 1093 that accompanies his Colt Model 1903 and holster rig are pictured and discussed on pages 54 and 55 of "Theodore Roosevelt: Hunter-Conservationist'' by R.L. Wilson who notes, "One of the most fascinating discoveries in researching TR and his arms interests was the Merwin Hulbert & Co. engraved, inscribed, nickel-plated and pearl-gripped Single Action presentation revolver." Page 56 of Wilson's book shows the Tiffany & Co. pocket watch and states "A gold Tiffany & Co. pocket watch accompanied by the presentation Merwin Hulbert & Co. revolver set, also a TR gift for Merrifield." The caption also notes the inscription and states, "TR offered Merrifield a gold watch or $150, in appreciation for taking the first grizzly bear; Merrifield opted for the watch." Page 51 also shows the illustration "Close Quarters with Old Ephraim'' by A.B. Frost from Roosevelt's "Hunting Trips of a Ranchman'' of Roosevelt taking aim at a grizzly bear while Merrifield stands by, and page 57 shows the Winchester Model 1876 with presentation inscription to Merrifield and the date September 13, 1884, identified as "commemorating the day Merrifield guided TR to his first grizzly bear." That rifle is now on display at the South Unit Visitor Center in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. The revolver and holster rig are also featured in Wilson's book "The Peacemakers: Arms and Adventure in the American West" on page 222 where the revolver is incorrectly listed as gold plated due to the effects of lighting in some of the photos taken of the set back in the early 1980s. The watch is also noted in that caption. Lot 1094 features Merrifield's special order Winchester Model 1894 that was presented to him by Roosevelt's nephews during a ranch visit and hunting trip. The watch, revolver, and holster rig are also featured in the article "The Roosevelt-Merrifield Connection" by Richard Rattenbury in the November/December 1982 issue of "Man at Arms." The revolver and holster rig appear to be being worn by Merrifield in a photograph of him and Sylvane Ferris on horseback taken around 1919 in the Theodore Roosevelt Collection at the Harvard University Library, and the revolver, holster, and watch are also shown in photographs with Blanche McDaniel taken by S.P. Stevens in the 1980s. Photographs of Roosevelt taken during the round-up in 1885 show him wearing a similar holster rig with his revolver worn in cross-draw style on his left side. The revolver has extraordinarily high coverage factory engraving in the classic Merwin, Hulbert & Co. style with mainly floral patterns, a panel scene of a reposed buck and standing doe on the side plate, and "William Merrifield'' inscribed down the back strap. It has a round barrel with an integral half-moon blade front sight, the one-line Merwin, Hulbert & Co. address and patent marking ending in "Mar. 6. 77." on top, the Hopkins & Allen address on the left, solid top strap with a groove rear sight, and the assembly number "33" on the back of the lug. The six-shot, fluted cylinder has the matching assembly number on the back. The frame has "CALIBRE/WINCHESTER 1873" (.44-40 W.C.F.) on the left side, a lanyard ring on the butt, and serial number "21328" behind the ring. It has a nickel plated finish on the barrel, cylinder, and frame; the hammer and trigger guard are casehardened, and the trigger is niter blue. It is fitted with a pair of smooth pearl grips. The russet leather double loop holster has a shield shaped maker's mark with "CHEYENNE" over a "JSC" monogram. The toe plug is absent. Greg Lampe indicated this was done so the holster could also fit Merrifield's 7 1/2 inch barreled Colt Single Action Army which would have been his daily revolver rather than the fancy Merwin, Hulbert & Co. which was a keepsake. The 3 inch money belt is marked "45" and "J.S. COLLINS & CO./CHEYENNE, WYO." It has a bright buckle and 35 loops for revolver cartridges. The watch has an 18k gold double hunter case with plain exterior, "If it’s a black bear I can tree him, if it’s a grizzly, I can bay him." inscribed inside the front cover along with "WARRANTED/18K'' in an oval and "22910" below, white watch-face with black Roman numerals and "Tiffany + Co'' in script, and "WARRANTED/18K'' in an oval and "22910" repeated inside the back cover. The movement is marked "No 22910/Jules Monard." Jules Monard was a noted Swiss watchmaker in Geneva in the 1880s to early 20th century. Provenance: The revolver, holster rig, and watch along with numerous other artifacts and documents were passed down from Arther William Merrifield (1855-1929) to his grand daughter Blanche Merrifield McDaniel (1918-1997), daughter of Benjamin Franklin Merrifield (1879-1972). They were later sold to family friend Stephan A. Grove when she became ill, and he subsequently sold the items at auction in May 1999. They were purchased at auction by Greg Lampe who then conducted his own research of the set in addition to the information that had been passed down from the family. A notarized letter from Gary A. McDaniel confirms that the revolver and holster rig were given to Merrifield by Theodore Roosevelt while they were ranching partners and the watch was given to him "in appreciation for a successful grizzly bear hunting trip in the early 1880s" per their family history and that his mother, Blanche McDaniel, learned of their history directly from Bill Merrifield and her father and that she sold the items to their family friend Stephan A. Grove in 1996. A letter from Grove is also included confirming the same details. These provenance details are contained within the massive trove of documents and images relating to the revolver's provenance, Merrifield, and Theodore Roosevelt, including original letters and envelopes addressed to Merrifield from Sagamore Hill and the White House that were kept by Merrifield’s family as well as copies of additional letters, original prints from the period (including J. Ludovici boudoir cards of Roosevelt in western dress with his Colt revolver and Winchester Model 1876), cabinet cards of life on Roosevelt's ranches, and other related images. The documentation also includes copies historical research by Blanche Merrifield McDaniel and photographs of the items when they were in her possession. Bill Merrifield, Rancher and U.S. Marshal in the American West and Personal Friend of President Theodore Roosevelt: Arthur William "Bill" Merrifield was born in Quebec, Canada, in 1855 and married Harriet E. Jemison in Grenville County, Ontario, Canada, in 1878. She tragically died in 1880 not long after the birth of their only child, Benjamin Franklin "Frank" Merrifield (1879-1972). By that time, he was already working with Sylvane and Joseph Ferris in the Dakota Territory, so his son was left in Canada with family for education and later emigrated to the U.S. Theodore Roosevelt came to Dakota Territory for the first time in September of 1883 to hunt buffalo and soon made friends and business partners out of the initially skeptical pioneers. It was Merrifield who took Roosevelt on some of his first hunts in the West, including his first grizzly bear hunt in 1884 in the Bighorn Mountains, during which Merrifield tracked the first grizzly Roosevelt shot. The bear was reported to be nine feet and over 1,000 pounds. Roosevelt offered him $150 or a gold watch in return, and Merrifield selected a watch, the very watch in this lot which is inscribed with a quote from Merrifield during the hunt: "If it's a black bear, I can tree him. If it's a grizzly, I can bay him." Roosevelt's years in the West were formative and played a significant role in his life, including his formation and leadership of the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War and his conservation efforts as president. Roosevelt came to the West for the first time for his hunting trips in 1883 and then came back and forth from his home in New York to his ranches. Two days after the birth of their daughter Alice, Roosevelt first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee, died from kidney failure on February 14, 1884, just hours after his mother died from typhoid fever. Roosevelt was understandable despondent and famously wrote, "The light has gone out of my life." He soon became disillusioned with politics in the East and headed West. He had partnered with Merrifield at the Chimney Butte Ranch in the Dakota Territory on the Little Missouri River along with Merrifield's partner Sylvane Ferris and invested large amounts of money into cattle. The ranch became known as the Maltese Cross Ranch after Roosevelt's cattle brand and was soon followed by his larger Elkhorn Ranch which Merrifield and Ferris also soon managed. Roosevelt published "Hunting Trips of a Ranchman" in 1885. Though he reveled in ranch life, hunting, and writing, Roosevelt could not stay out of politics and helped form the Little Missouri Stockmen's Association and also founded the Boone & Crockett Club to support conservation and also served as a deputy sheriff. Following his marriage to Edith Kermit Carow, his childhood friend, Roosevelt spent most of his time in the East, but he remained in contact with Merrifield and his other friends in the West and soon engaged in writing "Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail" published in 1888 and his four volume history of American westward expansion "The Winning of the West" in 1889-1896. He also wrote additional books relating to hunting in the West, including "The Wilderness Hunter" and "American Big Game Hunting" in 1893. His friend Merrifield and their hunts together are naturally referenced in these books. For example, in "Hunting Trips of a Ranchman" Roosevelt wrote, "If I do not go alone I generally go with one of my foremen, Merrifield...He is a good-looking fellow, daring and self-reliant, a good rider and first-class shot, and a very keen sportsman. Of late years he has been my fidus Achates of the hunting field. I can kill more game with him than I can alone..." In the book he writes of the two men pursuing various game, especially their bear hunting adventures in the latter portion of the book. Life in the West was not all adventurous treks in search of game. The cattle business also included hard work and real hardships. The winter of 1886-1887 was particularly harsh and became known as "The Great Die Up" do to the large number of cattle killed. Roosevelt wrote that his own losses were crippling. He closed the Elkhorn Ranch in 1887. Merrifield and Ferris continued to manage Roosevelt's herd. In an included letter from Sagamore Hill dated Oct. 13th, 1889, Roosevelt wrote to Merrifield telling him of the birth of his new son (Kermit) and noting his regret of Merrifield's loss running for political office but noted that the loss was greater for the state than for Merrifield and also asked about cattle shipments and payment. The letter is signed, “Your friend, Theodore Roosevelt.” Merrifield remained on working the herd for a few more years and finally sold out in the early 1890s and moved to Montana where he established his own ranch at the headwaters of the Kooteni River on Pleasant Valley Creek and later formed the Pleasant Valley Land & Cattle Company in 1901 and served as its general manager while Ferris continued to manage the former herd in the Dakota Territory. Roosevelt continued to have an interest in the herd in the Dakotas until the Rough Rider leader sold his interest in 1898. Merrifield remained in contact with his friend Roosevelt after the future president returned to the East and quickly rose through the political ranks from New York City Police commissioner to governor of New York and then served as vice president under President McKinley and then president upon McKinley's assassination in 1901. When Roosevelt ran for re-election in 1903, Merrifield went to Spokane, Washington, to see Roosevelt's speech, and Roosevelt was filled with joy upon seeing his old friend and pulled him aside for a chat in the speaker's box before the speech. Merrifield was honored to serve as Montana's elector when Roosevelt won the election and visited with the president while in Washington, D.C., in 1905 fulfilling his elector duties. That fall, Merrifield wrote to his friend President Roosevelt seeking a position as a U.S. marshal in Montana. Marshal positions are appointed by the president, and Roosevelt granted his request after conversing with Senator Carter and Congressman Dixon of Montana. However, Merrifield would have to wait until the current marshal's term to end before being sworn is as U.S. Marshal for Montana. Letters from Roosevelt about the process are included and demonstrate his intimate involvement in ensuring his longtime friend in the West received the position. In the fall of 1906, two of Roosevelt's nephews, Monroe and Steward Robinson, traveled to Merrifield's ranch to go hunting. While there, Merrifield was injured during a fall from a haystack leading to a broken wrist preventing him from going on the trip, but he arranged suitable guides in his stead. It was at that time that Merrifield is believed to have been presented the Winchester Model 1894 in Lot 1094. Theodore Roosevelt likely recommended the rifle as a gift for his longtime friend. Roosevelt wrote to Merrifield on November 29, 1906, thanking him for being “mighty good to Monroe and Stewart. I am greatly obliged to you. I look forward to sending in your appointment soon.” He also wrote to Merrifield on January 16, 1907, about 16 year old Oliver Roosevelt coming out to do some hunting and asking Merrifield to write to the boy’s mother, Mrs. J. West Roosevelt of New York City, as to what steps the teenager should take. Letters like this demonstrate Roosevelt continued to pay attention to the West and to believe in the role of hunting and other activities in cultivating a strenuous life and manly ideals. In preparation for his marshal position, Merrifield sold his ranch and purchased a home in Helena near the Federal Building. He was sworn in on January 2, 1907. His badge and the Colt Model 1903 he used during his time as marshal along with his holster are in Lot 1093. After his term as marshal ended in 1911, Merrifield and his wife Miriam moved to Flathead Lake, and he remained in contact with Roosevelt as demonstrated by included original correspondence, such as a letter from Oyster Bay to Merrifield in Somers, Montana, dated June 3rd, 1915, in which Roosevelt writes: “I wish I could come this summer. I should particularly like to visit Glacier National Park and stay with you at your home; but it just is not possible. By the way, I have become pretty stiff and old and the other day was thrown off a horse and ‘bust’ two ribs. However, I smashed out Mr. Barnes in the libel suit and I would have been willing to ‘bust’ every rib I had twice over to have achieved that.” After Roosevelt’s death in 1919, Hermann Hagedorn worked to write about Roosevelt’s life in the West. He was a friend of the former president and secretary and directory of the newly formed Theodore Roosevelt Association. He traveled and met with Merrifield and the Ferris brothers. That is when the photograph of him appearing to be wearing the revolver and holster rig was taken. Merrifield is mentioned over 100 times in Hagedorn’s “Roosevelt in the Bad Lands” published in 1921 and is naturally a major figure within the story of Roosevelt’s time in the West. Merrifield also reportedly passed down many of Roosevelt’s belongings, including his first Colt Single Action, his .40-60 Winchester rifle, and a three barrel L.C. Smith drilling to the association, with the latter being loaned after a price was not agreed upon. Merrifield passed on a decade after Roosevelt in 1929 at the age of 74. Provenance: Arthur William Merrifield from Theodore Roosevelt; Blanche Merrifield McDaniel; Stephen A. Grove; The Greg Lampe Collection

The revolver is excellent and retains 95% plus of the original nickel plating, 75% of the muted original case colors, most of the niter blue on the trigger, crisp engraving and inscription, light flash marks on the face of the cylinder showing it was used a little, and minor handling and storage wear. The grips are very fine and have very attractive natural iridescence, light handling and storage marks, and a minor chip on the right at the butt. Per Greg Lampe, "According to family history, as related to S.P. Stevens by Blanche McDaniel, the chip occurred when Merrifield was on a hunting trip with Roosevelt, as he was climbing up on some rocks the gun fell out of the holster causing the small chip at the bottom of the right grip panel. I suspect the safety notch on the hammer was probably broken off by this same fall. With the safety notch gone the revolver is difficult to load and unload due to the unique system used by Merwin Hulbert. This accident probably saved the gun from heavy use and is the reason it remains in excellent condition today." Given the photograph noted above, he clearly still at least occasionally wore the revolver in the early 20th century. Aside from the half-cock notch, the revolver is mechanically fine. The holster and belt rig are fine and have attractive russet color throughout, distinct markings, and minor wear. The watch does not run, but it is otherwise fine with minor overall wear and crisp inscription and markings. The provenance above indicates Greg Lampe was the second owner outside of Merrifield's family, and the lucky buyer of this historic set in this auction will be the third owner outside of the family and the fourth owner aside from Bill Merrifield himself. It is very rare to get the chance to be the caretaker of such significant firearms and artifacts. In a letter written shortly after he acquired this incredible set, Greg Lampe noted, “…although I have other historic pieces in my collection. I feel that this is one of the finest acquisitions I have made. It has wonderful western history, documented association with Teddy Roosevelt, certainly one of our finer Presidents and extraordinary condition. I am quite frankly thrilled to be the new owner of this wonderful set.” We are assured the new owner will feel much the same. These are the kind of historical artifacts that truly define a collection and very rarely become available. They are certain to enhance any private or institutional collection lucky enough to acquire them.