Scout Garb

[Ol Gabe]

Pards,
Found the following verifier regarding Kelly's rifle and what he put on the barrel via a Google search using 'Yellowstone Kelly's rifle'. The website data can be found at: www.rarewinchesters.com
Best regards and good researching!
'Ol Gabe
......................................................................................................................................................................................
Yellowstone Kelly
by C. Michael Hager

Born Luther S. Kelly on July 27, 1849 In New York, “Yellowstone” Kelly earned his name scouting for the Army on the Yellowstone River in the 1870’ sand 1880’s.   Kelly served in the Civil War, then finished his enlistment in the west where he discovered the unequaled beauty and bounty of the Yellowstone River Valley.  He spent years there hunting and trapping and guiding government expeditions throughout the area beginning in 1873 as head scout on a fact-finding mission for George Forsyth.

From 1876 to 1878 he served as Chief of Scouts for Nelson Miles at Wolf Mountain and the Tongue River battles.  He took part in the military chase of the Nez Perce at Cow Island and the Bear Paw Mountains.

According to his memoirs, Kelly defended himself against a pair of Sioux Indians with his Henry carbine, and later owned a Winchester 1866 rifle. It is also said that he carried a long breech loading Springfield rifle covered from muzzle to stock with the skin of a huge bull snake and was as likely to quote Shakespeare as skin a beaver.

Kelly later guided two expeditions into Alaska, served as the Captain of Volunteers in the Philippines then accepted a post as agent of the San Carlos Indian Reservation.

Yellowstone Kelly finally retired in California where he died on Dec. 17, 1928.  At his request he was buried at the summit of Kelly Mountain in Billings Montana overlooking the land he scouted and loved.

Nelson Miles once said of the man, “Yellowstone Kelly was of a good family, well educated and fond of good books, as quite and gentle as he was brave, as kind and generous as he was forceful, a great hunter and an expert rifleman; he explored that extensive northwest country years before serious hostilities occurred and acquired a knowledge of its topography, climate and resources that was extremely valuable.”
 

[Books OToole]

BTT for Major 2.


Books

[Major 2]

Thank you    thank you   thank you


the vest is much as I envisioned   except my Vine in green and white Dogwood

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[Two Flints]

Hello NCOWS,

Another Scout (civilian scouts) photo.  I reversed the original image.  Hope this has corrected what you see.  Two Flints  By the Way, went through this post again.  Shame on anyone who allows their photos "to come up missing" as has happened on this thread. 


CIVILIAN SCOUTS OR ARMY PACKERS WITH SPENCERS CARBINES. Ca. 1870's. (3) Scouts sitting in studio all appear to be wearing scout garb, great hats, vests & Spencer Carbines. Photo by Mrs. M. Gainsford, Great Bend, Kansas. On original photo, bottom of image out of focus.

[River City John]

Two Flints,
it is nice to see documentation of a civilian using the carbine sling.

Sent you a pm.

RCJ

[US Scout]

Great photo, particularly of the civilian use of the Spencer carbine (and sling).

I'm curious what the feller in the middle is wearing.  Kind of looks like a very plain "over shirt" not unlike that worn by many Southerns of Missouri and Arkansas in the Late Great Unpleasantness.

[St. George]

It's not a civilian using a carbine sling - it's an Army Contract Scout - using the Government-Issued weapon provided him by the Post.

Given that it's also a photo taken in a studio - every chance exists that it's a prop.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Longhornboot]

Two Flints,
               I notice you're still printing this picture the wrong way around.

Re Yellowstone Kelly's rifle, it's not a Snider/Enfield, it's deffinatley a Springfield, looks like a 50/70 to me probably an 1866 Allin conversion. The rear barrell band isn't correct though, this maybe an Enfield band. Also as has already been noted the upper stock and barrell is encased in rawhide, probably to repair a breakage.

Boot.

[Two Flints]

Hi Boot,

I think I posted the first scout photo before the discussion of "right or reversed" came up on SSS, so here is the same photo "reversed or right".  T.F.
 

[Books OToole]

Unless the guy with the carbine sling is left-handed, the above posting is the one that is reversed.

Books

[St. George]

With the saddle ring and bar mounted properly on the left side of the piece - as shown by the seated fellow's Spencer - it'd be hard to reverse the photo.

Looks more and more like three well-dressed young men, getting their 'Wild West' photograph taken, using the studio's props.

The one with the shortened sling doesn't appear to have it secured to the weapon - rather 'artfully draped' for photographic 'effect' - but that part of the image isn't all that clear.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

Also the seated gent's coat buttons the way it is supposed to and mens garments, Can't tell about the other two!

[Longhornboot]

I think this picture is genuine, I don't see anything to make me question that these men are scouts.
The only thing open for debate is the sling worn on the wrong side, but as I've said on the previous thread this also happens in the original ordnance picture.
I think it would be even stranger to conect the carbine in this position.

Boot.