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     The breech loading carbine was invented by George W. Morse.  In December of 1862, South Carolina recommended that one thousand or more of G.W. Morse’s patented carbine be manufactured.  Morse first set up a manufactory in Nashville, Tennessee but shortly moved the machinery to Atlanta, Georgia.  While it is generally assumed that all Morse carbines were manufactured at the State Military Works in Greenville, South Carolina, a reporter for the Atlanta Intelligencer wrote in late 1862 that he had been shown a carbine made by H. Marshall in Atlanta.  He goes on to describe the carbine in great detail and it is without a doubt a Morse patent carbine.  It took until 1864 to get production up and running at the State Works.  In the second quarter of 1864 the Works turned out 100 carbines, and another 200 in the third quarter of 1864.  But during that same time period, the State Works issued 298 of the carbines and had another 500 on hand.  It appears that many of these had been made by H. Marshall & Company in Atlanta, Georgia starting in late 1862 and continuing into 1863.  In Confederate Longarms and Pistols, Anthony and Hill place these guns as having been made in Atlanta.  Madaus and Murphy, in their masterpiece Confederate Carbines & Musketoons, state that it is an “accepted fact” that they were all made in South Carolina.  Apparently some piece of the puzzle is missing and if any of my readers have it please let me know.

     Approximately one thousand of these advanced carbines were manufactured.  Morse’s weapon was far ahead of its time, too far it seems, because cartridge manufacture techniques lagged behind.  The problems of securing enough of its center fire metallic cartridges proved insurmountable.  Production ended in late 1864, when the machinery was relocated to the Confederate arsenal at Columbia, South Carolina.  All of the machinery was destroyed when Sherman sacked Columbia. 

     The carbine was made in three models; the exceedingly rare First Model with octagonal barrel base is shown here.  This is serial number 87 and it has the First Model breechblock, but at the time number 87 was made, Morse already knew he had a problem with the loading cover opening and this carbine was used as a prototype for the Second Model Morse Carbine.  It was altered at the factory by removing the end of the cover and mortising the breechblock to hold what would become the Second Model locking mechanism.   The breechblock is clearly an altered First Model and is serial numbered 87 also, leaving no doubt that this was not simply a Second Model breechblock added later.  At this time Morse was still working the bugs out and continued to make the First Model until at least serial number 181.  This gun was also a prototype for a larger caliber.  This and #867 are chambered in .58 caliber. (Morse carbines are .50 caliber standard, but .54 and .58 prototypes exist and there are .52 caliber Morse rifles)

     It is missing its cleaning rod, but is otherwise completely original in all regards.  The serial number is on the frame and the breechblock.  I have not disassembled the other parts of the gun because it is so obviously unaltered and such an important link that I do not want to compromise its integrity.

     This carbine just came out of Washington, Georgia in the last few months and has never before been seen by collectors or historians.  The loading cover is deeply crosshatched with the owner’s name C.F. Collins.  The official records show that C.F. Collins enlisted in Company B, Captain J.H. Tucker’s Cavalry (Marions’ Men of Winyah) on January 15, 1862 at Georgetown, South Carolina.  This unit went on to become Company B and F, 7^th S.C. Cavalry.  The top of the breech cover also has Jan. 14 and what may be a 5 or an S crosshatched into it.  If the prevailing wisdom is correct, he could not have been issued this gun on enlistment, though he could have added the date later.  Private Collins is present until January 14, 1864 when he is detached by special order to a C.S. Department and this could perhaps have something to do with the date on the gun.  Regardless, Private Collins is back with his regiment by March of the same year and is present with them until he is admitted to Jackson Hospital in Richmond, Virginia on June 21.  He next appears on an April 14, 1865 parole at Lynchburg, Virginia.

     The 7th Cavalry Regiment was organized in March, 1864 by consolidating five independent companies with the cavalry of Holcombe's South Carolina Legion. The unit served in General Gary's Brigade and was involved in various conflicts south and north of the James River and around Appomattox.  It surrendered with 22 officers and 398 men.  The field officers were Colonels Alexander C. Haskell and W.P. Shingler, Lieutenant Colonel Isaac G. McKissic, and Major E.M. Boykin.