An ornately engraved silver plate on the right side of the stock has a presentation "Major Caleb Huse / C.S.A. / De / J. Chaineux" on it. The plate is 2-1/8 x 1-11/16 inches with fancy scalloping around the edges. It is set into a relief carved oval 2-13/16 inch wide, 2-3/16 inch high. The carving at the front and rear is a spray of leaves, with floral scrolls in between. The frame and cylinder have full coverage engraving while the barrel and trigger guard have lighter coverage. The barrel and cylinder both have "crown/ U" and the Liege "ELG" in an oval is on the rear of the cylinder. The front sight has a large triangular blade with a small head on top. The rear sight has a very tall fixed blade with a V-notch and a folding leaf with the positioning spring above it. The slide operates between the leaf and the spring. The front sling swivel is mounted on the barrel with an octagonal band which goes completely around the barrel. The rear sling swivel has a standard mount on the bottom of the stock. The stock is checkered at the wrist. The area next to the frame has been relief carved with sprays of leaves larger than those on the presentation oval. The extractor swivels on the cylinder pin to line up with the chambers to be unloaded. J. Chaineux patented several pinfire revolvers from 1858 to 1864, specifying large numbers of shots, 12 to 20, in his earlier ones. He only operated for a few years and was out of business by the Franco-Persian War. This rifle was an attempt to influence the Confederates to purchase his revolvers. Caleb Huse was a Confederate purchasing agent in Europe. He was important on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line before and after the Civil War. He rates a full page in the Dictionary of American Biography. He was born in Massachusetts in 1831 and graduated from West Point 7th in his class, in 1851. He was on duty at West Point from 1852 to 1860 when he was appointed Commandant of Cadets at the University of Alabama. He resigned this position at the start of the Civil War to join his former Commandant from West Point, Robert E. Lee, and other associates in the Confederate Army. He first served in the Artillery but soon moved to Ordnance. He was sent to England, arriving in Liverpool 10 May, 1861. His credits were listed in millions of pounds of cotton, delivered to Frazer, Trenholm & Co. of Liverpool besides Ordnance, he purchased mining supplies, niter, medical supplies, clothing, etc. A whole chapter in Edwards' 'Civil War Guns' is devoted to Huse's amazing results in England and on the continent. He managed to ship thousands of guns from Europe to the Confederacy. Included with the rifle are photocopied excerpts from the relevant sections of "Dictionary of American Biography, Volume V" and "Civil War Guns", along with photocopies of archival documents from Huse's career with the Confederates. This rifle demonstrates his importance in the arms market in Europe during the Civil War and could serve as the centerpiece of any Confederate Ordnance collection.

Fine with 80% bright blue on the barrel and cylinder, showing no use, but some scattered specs of light surface rust. The frame has a mostly silvered patina above, turning dark on the lower part, trigger guard and lower tang. The buttplate has moderate pitting on the top. The stock is fine with a few tiny marks. The action is fine.