The Gibbs, a .52 caliber breech-loading rifled carbine, was patented on January 8, 1856 by L. H. Gibbs of New York City. They were produced at the city’s Phoenix Armory, which was owned and operated by William F. Brooks and William W. Marston. On December 13, 1861, an order for 10,000 Gibbs carbines was accepted by the armory. Initial delivery was made in late May 1863, but on July 13, 1863 the armory was destroyed by fire during the New York Draft Riots. Only 1,052 carbines were delivered before the armory was destroyed and no more were produced.
This Gibbs Carbine was carried by Private Herman Achenbach of Company B, 10th Missouri Cavalry; the left side of the stock is stamped “US” and has a carved “XXIV,” while the right side of the stock has a carved “H.A. 10 MO B.”
Achenbach was mustered in on September 6, 1862. Documentation shows that the 10th Missouri Cavalry had received 426 Gibbs carbines by September 30, 1863. Achenbach deserted from Benton Barracks, St. Louis on October 15, 1862, and remained absent until his arrest on February 4, 1864 in St. Louis. He was tried, convicted and sentenced to ninety days hard labor. On March 23, 1864, he was released from his sentence and returned to the 10th Missouri Cavalry in time to take part in their pursuit of General Sterling Price through western Missouri.
Image Courtesy Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield; WICR 30541
