Greene-Taliaferro-Wilkes County GaArchives News.....Leech and Rigdon  2005
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Terri Saturday http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002583 August 15, 2005, 7:43 am

Advocate Democrat 2005
Handguns had been unreliable, hard to handle single shot muzzle-loading
weapons until Samuel Colt set out to solve that problem in 1835. But
southern manufactures played their part, both by developing new pistols
designs and skillfully copying those of their rivals, but the South never
caught up with their Northern oppositions like the little known Leech and
Rigdon, also known as the Memphis Novelty Works (sometimes known as just
Novelty Works").  Leech and Rigdon company was formed within a year of the
outbreak of the Civil War and they soon were producing substantial numbers
of their revolvers for the Confederacy. More than 1,500 of their pistols
were bought by the Confederate Ordnance Department. Charles Rigdon of St.
Louis was a scale maker in the north but being a southern sympathizer, he
moved his equipment to Memphis Tennessee where he joined forces with Thomas
Leech. Thomas Leech was a manufacturer of military cutlery and dabbled in a
small arms repair. In 1862, Leech and Rigdon began producing swords and
other equipment. Their sword making activities has not been fully explored.
  Leech & Rigdon remained in Memphis until May 1862. Just before the
city's fall to the federals on May 9, the firm relocated to Columbus,
Mississippi, next to the place where Confederate authorities had set up an
armory.
 
Leech and Rigdon are best know for foot officer's swords with "CS" in an
oval on the reverse side of the counterguard and for cavalry sabers of same
general design with the "CS" in an oval on the top rear counterguard,
although this last may have been copied by another manufacture,  In addition
to these, they also supplied innumerable other swords and sabers of all
designs.   It also appears the firm was not adverse to dressing up a sword
made by someone else by profuse blade etching which usually included a "CSA"
and the firms name on the ricasso.   Some swords by this firm are found with
"W. Rigdon / etcher" on the blades.  It is assumed that "W. Rigdon" was a
brother of Charles.
 
 
I located an old article from MEMPHIS DAILY APPEAL of Leech and Rigdon dated
  August 19, 1862 that stated:

Thos. Leech and                    C. H. Rigdon.
Novelty Works,
Columbus, Mississippi.
Leech & Rigdon,
Manufacturers of
Army Cutlery and of Brass
Mountings,
For Army Equipments.
Gun Mountings, Spurs, etc.
                We have further increased our capacity and are now
manufacturing a very superior
Navy Repeater,
On the same plan and fully equal to Colt's patent.
Our Swords
Are already well known.  We continue to make them, and at old prices, from
$25 to $100, according to style of finish.
                All orders accompanied by the cash will be promptly attended
to.
 
                                   Leech & Rigdon,
 
                                                   Columbus, Miss.
 
 
Leech and Rigdon operated in Columbus until December 1862, when the approach
of the Union Army caused them to look into and begin turning out pistols.
These pistols were designed after the Colt Model 1851. The only difference
in this revolver The Leech and Rigdon had an iron barrel and frame instead
of steel with brass back straps and trigger guard.
 
Leech and Rigdon of Memphis, Tenn. bought an old factory for $20,000 from
James L. Brown in 1863 and opened their own pistol factory, where they made
pistols and repaired guns for the Confederate government in Greensboro,
Georgia.
 
The Greensboro, GA. Argus of Tuesday, Oct. 9, 1866, contains the following
item: died Charles H. Rigdon, on Monday evening at 7 1/2 O'clock, of
inflammation of the bowels: age 43 years Rigdon was buried Oct 9., 1866 in
Greensboro's Elmwood Cem. THUS exits Charles H. Rigdon, mechanical genius
and Confederate revolver maker.
 
He was from Ohio and made his way to Augusta Ga by way of Memphis TN and
Columbus MS. He was in the gun business (Leech & Rigdon, and Rigdon &
Ansley) before and during the Civil war. When Sherman made his march to the
sea, his factory was destroyed.
 


Additional Comments:
Special Thanks go out to the Advocate Democrat, The Herald Journal, The
History of Greene County Georgia by Rice and Williams.

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