Col. Frederick S. Bass, 1st Texas Infantry

[Curt Schmidt]

Hallo!

Things have been slow, so let's talk controversy, er discuss!

:)

Colonel Frederick S. Bass was originally the captain of Company "E," of the 1st Texas Infantry. He was promoted major October 18, 1861, and assigned to Regimental Headquarters. He was promoted Lt. Col. in the Spring of 1864. He was promoted Colonel in the Summer of 1864, and was given command of "Hood's Texas Brigade" as the senior colonel when Brig. General John Gregg was killed at Darbeytown Road on October 7, 1864. Bass was bumped back down when more senior Colonel Robert Powell rejoined the regiment after his release from Federal POW camp in February 1865- his having been wounded and captured on July 2, 1863 at Gettysburg.
Somewhere after that, Bass was promoted to Brigadier General but apparently was never told. He was paroled at Appomattox on April 12, 1865.
Bass died at the Texas Confederate Home in Austin on July 9, 1897 and was buried in the State Cemtery there.

This set is attributed to Bass.

Let's start out with getting the negatives aside:

1. That provenance is wrong.
2. That this is something Bass "assembled" after the War.
3. That is something a dealer or collector assembled from pieces/parts after the War.

Here goes...











Curt

[Prodical Reb]

Re: Col. Frederick S. Bass, 1st Texas Infantry

This set strikes me more as an enlisted Cav member set and not an officer as there is no sword hook anywhere on the belt. Starting as a cpt and rising to the rank of general, it seems odd that there is no sword hook to hang a sword. Maybe he was a pragmatic genius and saw no reason to carry a sword, only a bowie, revolver and a spare cylinder to defend himself.

Any makers marks on the Bowie? The wear on the leather scabboard for the Bowie does not match the rest of the wear on the belt, holster and spare cylinder pouch.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Col. Frederick S. Bass, 1st Texas Infantry

Hallo!

Someone had added a dovetailed rear and a dovetailed replacement front sight to the Colt Navy. :)

For those you do not have one, or have never fired one, the early Colt's do not have a rear sight per se. There is a notch in the hammer that makes for a crude temporary sight when the hammer is at full-cock. (The obvious problem is that the "rear sight" disappears as soon as the hammer falls if one tries a well-aimed and not just a snap-shot...)

One could assume that there may be a missing spare cylinder in the cylinder belt box.
Plus, there is also a pistol cartridge box that I assume is .36. It would nominally hold an additional three, six round factory/arsenal packets of cartridges, to supplement the 12 "ready loads" in the cylinder box. So let's see... six in the revolver. Twelve in the cylinder box. Eighteen in the pistol cartridge box. 36 rounds. With the potential for extra packs in the pockets or saddle bags?

;) :)


Curt