I have a book called "Introduction to Civil War Small Arms" by Coates and Thomas. What you referred to as "home manufacture", I was referring to as "Confederate knock offs" of the Colt patents; we were just using different terms for the same animal. The Dance & Bros. version of the 1851 Navy numbered less than 500, and they were manufactured in Columbia, Texas. I had mentioned that a friend of mine wanted a replica of one (which is made by Dixie and sold at Dixie Gun Works), and that, if I do a Texas State Troops (home guard) cavalry unit, of which there was one in my local area, they may have carried the Dance & Bros., but MORE likely would have been the old Mexican War-era Walker or Dragoon pistols. In one of my ancestor histories of this area, one member's diary mentioned, "...got word of another Comanche raid and we all came running with our pistols." He didn't say "guns", but specified "pistols". In the old German settlements around Hondo, Texas, the Germans had come from the Prussia area, were very agriculturally oriented, and pragmatically-minded (which is why they got the nickname "Squareheads"). According to some of my ancestors talking when I was a kid, the mindset was, if you're plowing a field and the indians come, would you rather run a hundred yards to a single-shot rifle or shotgun, or would you rather reach down to your belt and pull an old revolver? This many years later and in retrospect, I can only imagine that "old revolver" might refer to a Walker or Dragoon. Still, I am trying to get this verified with a retired history professor from my SCV Camp, who gave a presentation last year on Texas State Troops. He had published a study on them, so I am ultimately deferring to him, before developing uniform and weapons regulations for this living history society.

I decided to go with the Leech and Rigdon for my impression during SCV color guards (when I am carrying a flag instead of a rifle). Nowhere am I planning on doing this with re-enacting, as I have no Mississippi re-enactment units anywhere in Texas. I still have not made firm plans on what kind of unit to join yet, as I am not sure of all of the units in my area, yet. I know of a local Texas Artillery unit in this town, and their executive director, who is a friend of mine, is talking with me about also starting the TST living history unit. Again, since they had no real battles, except for banditos and Comanches in the local county, we are looking strictly at setting up a camp display and showing how the TST's lived in the field, or giving demonstrations and lectures at schools, etc. We see no reason to attempt any battle re-enactments at all. Just set up camp, chew some jerky and hardtack, and demonstrate things like using parched okra as a substitute for coffee, drilling, and explaining camp life. Again, my 26th Mississippi impression is strictly for honoring my great great grandfather at SCV ceremonies and events. At a later date, I'll either join the Texas Artillery unit or start the TST group, maybe commute as far as San Antonio to join a Texas infantry unit. For any of them, though, the Enfield seems to be the best bet for a rifle.

Anyhow, I am very impressed with what fold3.com did for my understanding of JOJ. My Mississippi friend sent me 8 documents, but fold3 furnished me with another 15 documents. I only had one problem with them. They showed me a document where they claimed that he was listed as a deserter on a 1865 POW record. However, when I put the magnifying glass to it, I noticed that it was "J.C. Jenkins", not "J.O. Jinkins". I also saw that there was a J.C. Jenkins in the 26th list, right over J.O. Jinkins. On the records, my JOJ was described as being 5'6", while J.C. Jenkins was reported by the Yankees to be 6 feet tall. Between all of that, I realized that fold3.com misplaced one record. After all, the same man can't be short and tall, can he?

I appreciate your input on the records I sent yesterday. Since I was only in the Tennessee/Mississippi/Kentucky area twice in my life, both of which were before I was even a teenager, I have no idea where certain things may have occurred. I really need to invest in a WANA map. I do know that some of that occurred where and when another hero of mine, Jack Hinson, raised hell with the Yankees with his custom Kentucky rifle. I highly recommend the book "Jack Hinson's One-Man War", if you get the chance to read it. It reads like Mel Gibson's "The Patriot", only this really happened and it happened in 1862, not 1776.