In some cases, the army issued arms to their civilian employees...scouts, teamsters and packers. I have done a lot of research on the subject, and, for example, in 1874, when Co. G, 3rd Cav, moved from Ft. D.A. Russell (now F.E. Warren AFB), to Sidney Barracks, NE, they had been issued M1873 Trapdoor carbines. But they also brought 5 Sharps carbines, cal. .50-70 with them. Why? Well, they had over 50,000 rounds of .50-70 ammo, and were only allowed 3 rds/man/month of .45-55 or .45-70 for target practice and/or foraging. In one instance, a .45-70 carbine was issued to a teamster who lost it and was charged around $15.
In another instance, there exists a Sharps carbine with the name of a young civilian teamster who was employed at Sidney carved in the stock. Had it still been government property, he wouldn't have done that, nor would he have autographed a stolen weapon. But if he had "lost" it with full knowledge of the post QM, and paid the value from his wages, they might have told him to put his name on the carbine to distinguish it from the other four still at the post! Unfortunately, all records of Arms and Ammunition in the Hands of the Troops stopped in June 1876, and the military didn't keep records of serial numbers. The young man wrote that he "lived with the enlisted men and carried a carbine on several expeditions against the hostile Sioux", when he applied for a pension in 1935. (Didn't get it...he was a civilian employee, not a soldier!) He probably was with the Big Horn & Yellowstone Expedition of 1876 under BG George Crook, but probably stayed with the wagon train where Sheridan, WY, now stands. But there were packers and teamsters with Crook at the Rosebud battle on 17 June 1876. We'll never know...