September 22, 2011
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/22/2011
WHITNEY, Jr. Eli (1820-1895) was the son of the inventor of the cotton gin, Eli Whitney, Sr., who began firearms production in 1798. Junior took over the family business in 1841 and rapidly expanded the armory begun by his father. He ran the Whitney Arms Company during the American Civil War and invented numerous improvements to firearms. Eli Whitney, Jr. is also famous for his role in the production of the Whitneyville/Walker Colt revolver for the Texas Rangers in 1847. Eli Whitney, Jr. manufactured the first run of 1847 Whitneyville/Walker Colt Revolvers for the Texas Rangers at his Whitneyville factory in Connecticut. Samuel Walker carried two of these famous revolvers. Autograph Letter Signed by famous firearms manufacturer Eli Whitney, Jr., 2pp. octavo, on fine "Whitneyville Armory" lettersheet, January 25, 1871, addressed to General. W.G. Ward, and reads in part: "...Have you a model of first what you want made. If so please send it to us per express on receipt of this ...Do you want them with or without bayonets. On receiving the model I will make an estimate of its cost & the rapidity with which we can make them & the time necessary to make the tools. Do you find any high contracting parties who give preference to the Ward Burton gun over the Remington?..." Fine condition. The Ward Burton rifle was made by Springfield for the US Army in 1871, only 1011 were manufactured.
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