Due to the inscriptions on the barrel, this revolver owned by legendary early Colt collector John R. Hegeman Jr. has been dubbed by collectors as the "first commemorative Colt." The inscriptions were inscribed to commemorate tragic battles between Native Americans and U.S. forces in the 19th century. The included factory letters list this revolver in .45 caliber with a 4 3/4 inch barrel, blue finish, and ivory grip and indicates it shipped to John R. Hegeman Jr. of New York City on December 8, 1896. According to a February 21, 1984, letter to Charles Schreiner II of the famous Y-O Ranch in Texas from R.L. Wilson, this revolver and a now absent holster were worn by Hegeman as a guest cowboy in Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West show per family tradition as well as on his ranch in Wyoming near Cody. Wilson sold the revolver to Schreiner to go with the Model 1895 carbines Schreiner purchased from Norm Flayderman: one presented by Hegeman to General Nelson A. Miles and the one ordered for Hegeman's own use in the following lot. Wilson's notes state that the revolver was inscribed for Hegeman by the factory per the sales book. The revolver is also featured on page 246 of "Colt Engraving" by Wilson where it is described as: "Fully documented in Colt ledgers, Single Action Army 168554 was customized for renowned pioneer Colt collector John R. Hegeman, son of the first president of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. [Hegeman Sr. actually did not become its president until Oct. of 1891] Ledger 'Sales Book' of the late 1890s noted such specific information as: '1 5 1/2" 45/c S.A. Army Pistol Ivory Blue #168554 with extra 4 3/4" barrel Fitting extra barrel & Engraving on barrel SECRET SERVICE 1898 FORT WINGATE WOUNDED KNEE Engraving on backstrap CAPTAIN J.R. HEGEMAN. 1 Pkg Ad Ex.' The ledgers also noted no charge for the revolver or extra barrel, but what appears to have been $1.75 for the inscriptions! Factory ledgers also list number 168554 as shipped on December 8, 1896, to Hegeman." Copies of records from Hegeman's collection are also included. The revolver is also mentioned in "A Matter of Provenance" by Wilson in the November/December 1979 issue of "Man At Arms." The barrel has a "P" proof and "D.F.C." inspection mark on the bottom at the breech indicating it was inspected by Sub-Inspector David F. Clark in 1880-1887. It has the partial serial number "2144" under the ejector housing near the breech. Some of the early D.F.C. inspected Single Action Army revolvers are documented in "Colt Cavalry and Artillery Revolvers...a Continuing Study" by Kopec and Fenn as issued to the 7th Cavalry in 1888, including sn. 42152 and 42188. If this barrel came from sn. 42144, it would have been within the same batch of revolvers. Others within the 42000 range, including the very close 42138, are also documented as issued to the New York National Guard, so perhaps the barrel came from Hegeman's own service revolver. A "G" and "J" are marked under the housing towards the muzzle. The barrel has a blade front sight, the one-line address, and then "Secret Service 1898/Fort Wingate/Wounded Knee" inscribed on the left. The frame has the two-line patent marking and the circled Rampant Colt trademark on the left. The loading gate has assembly number "954." The frame, trigger guard, and butt have the matching full serial number. The back strap is inscribed "Captain J.R. Hegeman." The grip has two "kill notches" on the lower right edge. Hegeman's Winchester Model 1895 in the following lot also has numerous "kill notches" on the stock. The barrel inscriptions have been attributed as commemorating the killing of Navajo at Fort Wingate in New Mexico in 1861, the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890, and an investigation of the Battle of Sugar Point in 1898 by the Secret Service. Given the barrel was inspected in the 1880s and the order of the inscriptions, the barrel may have also been inscribed not in commemoration of three tragic events but to commemorate the barrel's use at Wounded Knee, then at Fort Wingate, and then by the Secret Service in 1898 before being installed on Captain Hegeman's revolver while he was still an active member of the New York National Guard. The lower inscription on the barrel, "Wounded Knee," references the infamous site of the massacre of Lakota under Chief Spotted Elk in December 1890 when the U.S. 7th Cavalry under orders from General Nelson A. Miles moved to intercept and disarm them after they fled their reservation following the killing of Chief Sitting Bull during an arrest attempt as tensions flared due to the Ghost Dance movement and poor conditions on the reservations. Given Captain Hegeman identified himself as a friend of General Nelson A. Miles, it may have been chosen in recognition of the event as an atrocity as previously theorized given Miles spoke out against the massacre and relieved the 7th Cavalry's leader of command. As the barrel was inspected in the 1880s, it could have actually been on a revolver used by a 7th Cavalry trooper on that tragic day, possibly serial number 42144 as discussed above. The inscription in the middle is "Fort Wingate." Fort Wingate (originally Fort Fauntleroy) in New Mexico was the launching point of campaigns against the Mescalero Apache and the Navajo during the Civil War. In 1861, there was a skirmish there between the Navajo and U.S. troops stemming from a horse race dispute that left several dead. That same year, Colonel Kit Carson also struck out from Fort Wingate with orders from Brigadier General James Carleton to kill the Mescalero Apache. After the campaign, they were sent to the inhospitable reservation at Bosque Redondo. Carson set out again in 1863 against the Navajo. The fort was then a staging point for many of the Navajo that died during the Long Walk of the Navajo en route to Bosque Redondo. A new Fort Wingate was relocated near Gallup, New Mexico, alongside the Navajo and Zuni reservations and was also a launching point for U.S. troops participating fighting the Apache later in the 19th century during the Geronimo campaign. 1st Lieutenant Charles B. Gatewood who played a major role in the capture of Geronimo in 1886 was stationed at the fort as the commander of the Apache and Navajo scouts in 1877. He was later assigned to the 6th U.S. Cavalry during the Ghost Dance crisis that led to the Wounded Knee Massacre and wrote from the camp on Wounded Knee Creek following the infamous massacre of the Lakota by the 7th U.S. Cavalry. The barrel may have been on a revolver that was used at Fort Wingate. Given the order of the inscriptions, it may have been used thereafter the Wounded Knee Massacre when the fort continued to be a base for U.S. troops and served to maintain the peace. The upper inscription, "Secret Service 1898," may indicate the revolver the barrel was originally attached to was used by the Secret Service that year. In included research, it is suggested the inscription commemorates the Secret Service investigating the Battle of Sugar Point (aka the Battle of Leech Lake), often regarded as the last battle between the U.S. and Native Americans. Much like the events that instigated the flight of the Lakota that ended in the Wounded Knee Massacre, the battle occurred in response to government officials arresting Native American men and their community resisting. Soldiers from the nearby Fort Snelling as well as law enforcement were called in when the Chippewa prevented the arrest of two men from the Pillager band. When the reinforced government forces attempted to conduct arrests, they were ambushed by the Chippewa, and seven of the government men were killed in the battle. The Secret Service was originally founded in 1865 to combat counterfeiting but then expanded into investigating other crimes in the late 19th century. However, the author found no connection between the Secret Service and that battle. On the other hand, in 1898, the Secret Service was active in counterespionage during the Spanish-American War and also continued its original mission combating counterfeiters. The inscriptions would have been clearly added no earlier than 1898. That year, Hegeman was made inspector of small arms practice for the 108th Regiment with the grade of captain on July 19. The 108th was formed that year from the 3rd New York Volunteer Infantry in preparation for fighting in the Spanish-American War. They were stationed in Virginia and Pennsylvania and were not sent to Cuba or Puerto Rico before the war ended. Captain Hegeman was one of the men reported to be tending to the troops when they were suffering from typhoid fever which killed over thirty-three men from the regiment. Hegeman remained with the New York National Guard until retiring on October 17, 1913, with the rank of major. He also held a role as a New York City fireman and was recommended to serve as a special patrolman. He was a very wealthy and connected man, especially later in his life when he inherited much of his father's fortune and amassed an incredible collection of Colt firearms, especially handguns, and clearly had a good relationship with the company given all the special Colt firearms he acquired. Provenance: The J.R. Hegeman Jr. Collection; The Clark V. Cail Collection; The R.L. Wilson Collection; The Charles Schreiner III Collection; Property of a Gentleman

Fine with 60% plus original blue finish on the barrel along with smooth gray patina on the balance, minimal light pitting, holster wear, and the attractive factory "feathering" visible by the front sight blade. The cylinder is mostly gray patina with strong original blue in the flutes. The frame has 40% vibrant original case colors mainly in the protected areas and otherwise gray patina. The hammer also has strong original case colors. The front of the front strap and top of the back strap have 25% original blue finish and otherwise smooth hand-worn gray patina consistent with use. The grip is also fine and has minor overall wear including some scratches and edge wear. Mechanically excellent. This is a fascinating revolver specially inscribed and assembled for famous early Colt collector Captain J.R. Hegeman Jr.