A Pennsylvania General’s New Army Revolver
This week’s post showcases a really interesting New Army model Revolver, factory inscribed to a man of note from Pennsylvania. Towards the end of 1901, a six-inch barreled blued New Army was outfitted with pearl grips, and the backstrap was factory engraved/inscribed with the name: Maj. Gen. Charles Miller. The word PENN is noted, giving the clues to him being from Pennsylvania. A multitude of factory engraved inscribed New Army and New Navy revolvers were made for national guardsmen of Pennsylvania and populate the special order records quite fantastically in the years around the timing of the Spanish American War.
Charles Miller was born in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France in 1843, his family coming to America in the 1850s. He later served during the American Civil War in the 74th New York regiment, seeing service along the Canadian border. After the war, he founded the Galena-Signal Oil company, which would eventually become part of Standard Oil.
So why is he referred to as a Major General? In 1900, after 20 years in the Pennsylvania National Guard, he was appointed commander of what would eventually be the 28th Infantry Division and held the rank of Major General. He served as its commander until 1906. Miller passed away in 1927, no doubt cheering his fellow Keystone Division men on from home in retirement. Photo of Miller is shown below.
