Did Lincoln own any weapons?

[Gene C]

There is an acccount by William Stodard (one of Lincoln's staff) in "Looking For Lincoln" p.117, that President Lincoln had a Spencer carbine.

"...the President, who was a very good shot, enjoyed the relaxation very much. One morning early we were having a good time - he with his favorite "Spencer," and I with a vilianous kicking nondescript, with a sort of patent backaction breech, that left my shoulder balck and blue...."

[RJNorton]

In Tad Lincoln's Father by Julia Taft Bayne the author writes that Tad had a terrible longing for a real pistol. Finally he got one after nagging his parents repeatedly.

Does anyone know where this came from? Was it a pistol the Lincolns had in Springfield and brought to Washington?

[LincolnMan]

Even more questions: what was the "real" pistol? My first "real" pistol was a BB pistol. I don't think Tad was given a Model 1860 Colt! Now that is a "real" pistol!

[Rogerm]

The only pistols I ever owned were a cap gun and a water pistol.

[Gene C]

Did you ever have a rubber band gun? Those were great (except for the marks left on the wall - and then on my rear end - butt it was worth it)

[LincolnMan]

Cap guns-now that brings back memories! The little red cap roll-the smell of the powder- hadn't thought of that in years. Of course, I was Wyatt Earp. Cowboys were all the rage.

[RJNorton]

Here is a little more from Julia Taft Bayne's book:

[Bill Richter]

Ah, yes! Cap guns--funny, we plated the James Younger gang. Different up-bringing. My mom was from Missouri (we pronounced it, Mizzourah)

[LincolnMan]

Roger, nice additional info. It seems that the good advice to "never point a gun at anything or anyone you don't intend to shoot" was around even back then. Too bad we don't know what kind of revolver it was-I'm just curious.

[RJNorton]

I agree, Bill. As I have mentioned in a few previous posts the idea that Lincoln was armed at Ford's Theatre is an interest of mine. If he were carrying a pistol that night, is this it? On June 9, 1863, Lincoln telegraphed Mary, "Think you better put Tad's' pistol away. I had an ugly dream about him." Assuming she did so, what happened to it? I have only questions - no answers.

[LincolnMan]

If Lincoln was carrying a pistol at Ford's Theater, why do you suppose it is not known? Why isn't it among the things we know he had with him that night?

[Gene C]

My guess would be because he didn't have one with him.

[Jim Page]

Bill, my cap gun (circa 1958 or so) was the wonderful Have Gun, Will Travel double-holster model, which came with a black leather belt and holsters and a black vest; the holsters had the silver chess-pawn Paladin emblem on it. It also came with a stack of Paladin business cards.

The asking price for this set on eBay, where I snagged the image, is $1,200.



--Jim (wire Carlton Hotel, San Francisco)

[LincolnMan]

Gene: that's my guess too.
Jim: whoa-that is awesome! Whatever happened to our childhood toys, anyway? I still have a lot of my Marx Civil War soldiers-but-man- what happened to all my other stuff? Was my mother throwing things away behind my back?

[Jim Page]

Was my mother throwing things away behind my back?

Bill, if your mom was anything like my mom, the answer is, "Yes!"

--Jim