Manufactured in 1857. The revolver features a silver blade front sight with a dovetailed base, dovetailed notch rear sight, the one-line New York City address, standard Colt patent markings and navy cylinder scene, all matching serial numbers on the various metal components, an iron grip frame, and smooth walnut grip. A brown leather holster with a brass reinforcement plate along the barrel section, a brown leather belt with a Model 1851 officer's buckle with laurels, a cap box with "H S Tuttle/Co K 3rd/CV." marked inside the outer flap, and a George Wostenholm & Son Hunter's Companion knife with sheath are also included. The included notarized affidavit from Oraville Jane Tuttle indicates these items belonged to her paternal grandfather Hiram Sinclair Tuttle and were carried by him while serving in Company K of the 3rd Regiment of California Volunteer Infantry from November 16, 1861, to January 10, 1865. Company K was stationed at the Benicia Barracks before being sent to Camp Douglas in Utah in the summer of 1862. 40 men from Company K under Captain Samuel W. Hoyt took part in the Battle of Bear River, also known as the Bear River Massacre, on January 29, 1863, during which around 200 U.S. soldiers attacked a Northwestern Shoshone camp led by Chief Bear Hunter at the confluence of the Bear River and Battle Creek in the Washington Territory and killed around 250 Shoshone in the culmination of a long cycle of violence. Tuttle's diary in a brief entry on Thursday, January 29, 1863, records his presence at the Bear River Massacre. When 3rd Infantry was consolidated on October 29, 1864, the regiment became known as the 3rd Battalion of Infantry and was reduced to four companies. Tuttle was born in Palmyra, Maine, on April 21, 1833. He was promoted to corporal on June 8, 1862. He was transferred to Company D when the unit was consolidated. He later worked for the U.S. Mint in San Francisco and was active in several fraternal societies prior to his death on June 18, 1908.

Fine. The revolver has traces of original finish and mostly displays an attractive aged gray and brown patina, some light pitting, dark aged patina on the silver front sight blade, and mild overall wear in keeping with the revolver seeing use in the Civil War. The grip is good and has mild lower edge wear, chips at the toe and heel, and mild handling wear. Mechanically excellent. The accessories are good with moderate wear, including some flaking and tears on the leather and extensive sharpening wear on the knife blade along with some mild pitting. Overall, a very attractive set with a very distinctive "frontier issued" Colt Model 1851 Navy revolver, all linked to a California Volunteer Infantryman during the American Civil War and conflicts with the Shoshone in the West.