Sold for $6,000
.32RF. 6" octagonal barrel. SN: 2481. Blued barrel and cylinder, silver plated brass frame, varnished walnut grip. Single action open top cartridge revolver with pivoting barrel and arbor to allow the loading and unloading of the seven chambered smooth round cylinder. Barrel marked in a single line, D. MOORE PATENT SEPT. 18, 1860. Serial number on bottom of barrel web. Frame engraved with flowing foliate scrolls. Hammer nose notch rear sight, post front sight. Missing the removable ejector rod from under the barrel. Backstrap of the revolver is engraved Lt. Col. J.B. Leake and the front strap is engraved From Scott Co. Bar. The butt is engraved Sept. 6th 1862. The rear of the left side of the recoil shield is engraved 20th Iowa. The revolver is accompanied by a CDV of Leake which is published in the November-December 1993 edition of Military Images, along with the revolver. The image was apparently taken of Leake in his POW clothing while incarcerated in Texas. A 1900 dated 20th Iowa reunion badge is included as well. A large binder of information regarding Leake, with copies of his writings, and his service records and history accompanies the revolver.
Joseph Bloomfield Leake (1828-1913) was a 34-year-old lawyer from Davenport, IA when he joined the Union cause on August 9, 1862. He had been elected a state senator in Iowa earlier that year but resigned to join the 20th Iowa Infantry Regiment. He was originally commissioned a captain but on August 26 he was commissioned as a Lt. Colonel and transferred from his initial command of company G of the 20th Iowa Infantry to the staff & field as their executive officer. The 20th Iowa's first major engagement came at Prairie Grove, AR and from there they joined Grant's army at the Siege of Vicksburg. The regiment participated in the Port Hudson Campaign which included a number of engagements, including a fight at Afchafalaya, LA on September 29, 1863. At this engagement Lt. Colonel Leake was wounded and captured and he surrendered this pistol to Confederate General James Majors. Explaining to Majors that this gun had sentimental value, as it had been presented to him by the members of his local BAR association, Leake requested that he be able to exchange something of value to Majors, for the gun upon Leake's release. Leake was imprisoned at Camp Ford in Texas and paroled at the mouth of the Red River in July of 1864. At that time his revolver was returned to him. He returned to his command and was promoted to Colonel on March 13, 1865 by brevet and was further breveted to brigadier general the same day. He was with his command for the campaign against Mobile, AL, moved with them to Pensacola and then on to the siege, assault and capture of Fort Blakeley in April of 1865. After the war he was briefly an Iowa State Senator but resigned to move to Chicago and take the position of US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. He was active in the G.A.R. after the war and a member of Post #28, the Ulysses S. Grant post. He died in Chicago in 1913.
Very good. Bore very good with moderate amounts of oxidation, scattered pitting and strong rifling. Barrel and cylinder retains some thinning blue, mixed with a mostly plum brown patina with high edge loss noted. Frame with much of the silver plating intact. All markings and engraving remain clear and crisp. Revolver remains mechanically functional, with crisp timing, indexing and lock up and the action opening and closing as it should. Grip with most of the varnish, showing some scattered handling marks and some tiny chipped losses at the lower right leading edge of the grip. CDV good to very good. GAR badge in fair condition with the celluloid image showing wear and discoloration and a damaged ribbon.