The accompanying factory letter states that this incredibly rare “C.L. DRAGOONS” marked Third Model Dragoon revolver was shipped to Cooper & Pond of New York City on February 16, 1861, and confirms the .44 caliber chambering and blue finish with the type of stocks and barrel length not listed. This was a sixteen gun shipment. The barrel has the very scarce "C.L. DRAGOONS." marking on the upper left flat at the breech. The "C.L. Dragoons" barrel engraved marking (Crocheron Light Dragoons) was used on Alabama militia issued revolvers prior to the Civil War. This unit was later mustered into Confederate service as Captain Holloway's Company of Alabama Cavalry. The barrel has a half-moon German silver blade front sight, a dovetail mounted three-leaf rear sight, and the one-line New York address partially cut off by the rear sight. The left side of the frame has the "COLTS/PATENT/U.S." marking. The frame's recoil shield is cut for a shoulder stock, and the elongated mounting screws are fitted to the sides of the frame. The butt has the corresponding slot for the stock. Only an estimated 1,200-1,500 Third Model Dragoons were cut for a shoulder stock. The cylinder retains traces of the classic roll scene depicting the Texas Ranger and Indian fight scene. There are several small inspection type markings. The wedge is numbered to a different gun (7122). Matching serial numbers are found on the barrel, frame, trigger guard, back strap, cylinder, loading lever, and arbor pin. These revolvers are rarely encountered today complete with an accompanying martially finished stock. In the following lot is a Dragoon stock that makes for the perfect accessory for this Third Model Dragoon cut for a shoulder stock. While not as functional as a carbine for longer shots, a pair of powerful six-shooters was an excellent choice for running battles on horseback or close-in engagements. These "C.L. DRAGOONS” marked revolvers were discussed in the article "C.L. Dragoons" by Walter L. Anderson in "The Gun Report" Volume 36, Number 8 from January 1991. (Also see lot 3152 in our May 2023 auction, price realized $49,938.) Although this revolver and the other "C.L. DRAGOONS" were manufactured prior to the Civil War, they have been attributed as run through the Union blockade that encircled the South once the war began under General Winfield Scott's Anaconda Plan and then used to arm the Crocheron Light Dragoons. This theory is supported by the fact that another of these revolvers, 16577, letters as one of sixteen shipped to Cooper & Pond in New York on December 15, 1861. Anderson also indicates six other C.L. Dragoons revolvers originally shipped to Cooper & Pond and concluded that the dealer had run the arms through the blockade in part because Colt Dragoons were more desirable in the South than the North. Less than 20 of these "C.L. DRAGOONS." inscribed 3rd Model Dragoon revolvers are known today plus three Colt Model 1851 Navies with the same marking as an inscription, but there may have been over 100 of these revolvers originally. Interestingly, we have found that The West Alabamian on Wednesday December 12, 1860, under the heading "From the N.Y. Journal of Commerce. Arms for the South" that "Cooper & Pond of this city [New York] receive from twenty to fifty orders daily from South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia - and people who suppose the South is not a paying customer, may be astonished to know that their business transactions in this line are strictly on a case basis...Most of the orders are for rifles and navy revolvers, though Cooper & Pond supply an immense number of flint lock muskets..." Other newspapers included very similar reports in the fall and winter of 1860. The articles also indicated the firm supplied gun carriages to Georgia and "have done a brisk business in all kinds of small arms and ammunition with all the principal Southern States." Cooper & Pond are also mentioned in the Western Sentinel of Winston, North Carolina, on May 3, 1861, as having ten gun carriages on board the George M. Smith which was forced to dock at Hampton Roads and then captured by the U.S. Navy as the gun carriages were "articles contraband of war." Aside from these articles, there is little to no mention of "Cooper & Pond" in newspapers from 1858-1865. There are other records of the firm corresponding with Confederate General Paul Jones Semmes in December 1860 concerning Enfield rifles being in high demand, and during the war they also sold to the Union. Period records indicate the firm was run by Albert Cooper & Charles H. Pond. Their address in 1859 was 177 Broadway in New York where they were listed as selling guns. After the war, Charles H. Pond is listed as an agent for Colt and Winchester in 1871 in the "Annual Report of the American Institute of the City of New York" and as receiving "first premium" for the "Gatling cannon" and "for the best repeating fire arms" for Winchesters. One of these C.L. Dragoons revolvers was inscribed with a name: "S. McIver." This name helped connect these revolvers to the Crocheron Light Dragoons as Samuel B. McIver of Dallas County, Alabama, transferred into the Crocheron Light Dragoons (Company I of 3rd Alabama Cavalry) in April 1864 and served with them until March 4, 1865. The original muster roll for the Crocheron Light Dragoons from November 21, 1861, at Mobile, Alabama, indicates that the men furnished their own mounts which was not uncommon for Confederate mounted units. However, the men did not have arms in part because none of the men had suitable arms, however, in part because of efforts by Governor Andrew B. Moore of Alabama to purchase or confiscated firearms throughout the state at the onset of the war. Moore also sent agents to purchase arms in the Northeast during the secession crisis before the war began. Despite these efforts, the state's troops were often poorly equipped. In the case of the Alabama light dragoons raised and led by Captain Robert W. Smith in the fall of 1861, they were funded by wealthy Dallas County planter John J. Crocheron. Anderson indicates Crocheron supplied funds for their arms. Other sources have stated he paid for their mounts, and he certainly may have funded their equipment in general. In response, Smith's dragoons were named in Crocheron's honor. Smith began drawing equipment for his men on January 14, 1862, including 2,000 Colt revolver cartridges. The Crocheron Light Dragoons scouted around the Dog River area near Mobile until Captain Smith offered their services to Brigadier General Braxton Bragg in March of 1862 and they became his escort. Captain Smith was appointed Civil and Military Governor of Corinth following the bloody Battle of Shiloh in April of 1862. The dragoons were reorganized in June of 1862 with Captain Edwin M. Holloway as their leader and became also known as "Holloway's Company of Independent Alabama Cavalry." Though they became Company I of the 3rd Alabama Cavalry, they remained on detached service serving as escorts and couriers for General Bragg and then also served in the same roles under General Joseph Johnston and General John Bell Hood. They surrendered with Johnston's army on April 26, 1865.

Very good plus displaying an untouched look of an "attic find" with traces of the cylinder scene remaining, crisp "C.L. DRAGOON" marking, and brass trigger guard having an attractive mellow appearance. The grip is also very good showing similar "working gun" character with provisions for a lanyard added to the bottom during its service life. Mechanically fine. One of the finest examples of a rare and desirable C.L. Dragoon marked Colt Third Model Dragoon Revolver that likely saw action.