Old tips gun the presidential pistol?

Guns Magazine, Oct, 2004 by Jon Love

Dad bought them in the 40s, before collecting antique guns became unpopular. "Every one of them holds a story," he said. "They anchor us to the past." I didn't know at the time how true that would be. Dad's guns were muzzle loading pistols from the 18th and 19th century. He kept them in a display case and friends would tell him they were too valuable to leave exposed. "What good are they squirreled away?" Dad said. "I bought them to look at, to share."

My brother and I were teenagers when Dad told me he had left the guns to us in his will. We were to divide them by each choosing one piece at a time. First choice would be decided by a coin toss. In 1990, Dad had the guns appraised so he could include them on his homeowner's policy. Replacement value was set at $12,000. "I thought it would be more," Dad said. Dad lived to be 86, and following instructions in his will, we met at his house "after the funeral, arranged the guns on the dining table and the family gathered around to watch.

"Heads," my brother called. The coin bounced on the table, rolled and came to rest face up. "Heads," he said again, triumphant. He chooses a late 18th century French cavalry pistol. Next, I reached for the Nock Officers pistol. The Nock, with its cherry stock and browned barrel had always been my favorite. My brother picked a French dueler, then I the Model 1842, and so it went, each choosing in turn until the entire collection had been divided.

Famous?

When we got the guns home, my wife skimmed the letter of appraisal. The Neck was described as an officers pistol from 1790, all original, with "WHH" engraved on a brass nameplate at the wrist of the stock. "Probably officer's initials," the appraisal read.

"What if the officer was famous," my wife said.

"The gun would be worth a lot of money," I said.

"How much?"

"I don't know, $50,000 to $100,000 maybe?"

She picked up the Webster's and turned to a section at the rear of the book while I studied the name plate. The letters were in old English scroll and I had passed over them as simply being a filigree design. "Here he is," my wife said. "Here who is?" I said.

"Someone famous," she said. "William Henry Harrison, Ninth President of the United States." Could it be tree? It's possible, I thought, and spent days at the library and on the phone to experts trying to find out.

A Fighting President

Harrison was a fighting man and had need of a good pistol. Eighteen years old in 1791, he joined the Army under General "Mad Anthony" Wayne. Harrison had an impressive war record and was nationally known as the hero who defeated Indian leader Tippecanoe and a confederation of Indian tribes. He served 12 years as Governor of Indiana Territory and was a major general in the War of 1812.

Harrison settled in Ohio to go into politics and farming. In 1836 he ran for president, loosing to Van Buran. In 1840, the 68 year old Harrison ran again with John Tyler as a running mate. Harrison's campaign focused on slogans ("Tippecanoe and Tyler Too") and free whisky to voters.

He was called too old, but "Old Tip" won the election to become the oldest inaugurated President (until Ronald Regan). The inauguration was outdoors in a drizzling rain and Harrison refused to wear a hat or overcoat. His inaugural address lasted and hour and 40 minutes, the longest in history. He came down with pneumonia and died a month into his presidency the first president to die in office.

Could my Nock pistol have once belonged to Harrison? Could it have once battled Indians alongside Anthony Wayne? Fought the British at the Themes River Battle? Exciting stuff, this. A real piece of history. But the timing is right. The pistol was new when Harrison joined the Army and it does have his initials on it. But would an American officer carry a British pistol?

Maybe?

"Most certainly," an expert said. "Our arms production was limited, while England was the top international supplier." London gunmakers then were con sidered the world's best. English pistols were usually browned to reduce glare and light reflection. While plain in appearance, fit and finish on a London gun was usually perfect. A good London gun was as polished inside as others were outside.

"It's possible the pistol belonged to Harrison," said another expert, "But odds are against it." "Provenance would require a letter from the family from the 1800s, or acquisition from direct lineage," wrote another expert. "Even if it was Old Tip's, the lack of provenance is insurmountable." It is " ... just about impossible to discover the original owner of any English flintlock," another expert wrote. "The mystery of each gun's history is part of their attraction."

Which so far, is the last word on Old Tip's Pistol. The initials give a glimpse behind the wizard's curtain, but not enough to get home on. The Nock rests on the fireplace mantle and that's where it's been to this day. "Isn't it too valuable to leave out like this?" a young neighbor asked me.

"What good is it locked away someplace'?" I said. I picked it up and handed it to him. "What's interesting about a pistol isn't what we know. It's what we don't know. Here," I said, pointing. "see that brass nameplate on top there?"