Chapter C: Suter

#243 Again we have an extra small derringer by Suter of Alabama. German silver mounted throughout and there is no screw through the trigger plate holding the barrel to the stock. No provision for ramrod. Round barrel has two bands at the breech in gold and in silver with a dovetailed German silver front sight.

The barrel is marked on the right hand side below the top flat “steel.” The barrel is marked in two lines on the top flat as follows:

C. Suter,
Selma, Ala.

HORACE E. DIMICK & CO.

#272 H. E. Dimick of course is so well known that a description of his history of operations is not necessarily of interest in this little book but we are going to use it anyway. In the course of several years of collecting, I have seen no less than 10 or 12 H. E. Dimick derringers, all with the same type of small markings on the top barrel flat. Invariably the lock plates are not marked but do have a floral pattern engraved in place. They are always long and slender and are not large guns and are not heavy. This piece is made without ramrod and with German silver mountings throughout. The trigger plate finial is in the shape of a pineapple. The barrel has a brown twist steel imitation finish. The German silver front sight is milled into the barrel and is not dovetailed. Caliber is .390.

The barrel is marked on the top flat at a slight angle showing hand stampings with one die stamp and one line as follows:

H. E. Dimick

This name will be noted in all of the 1859 Saint Louis City Directories. Dimick was probably the best known and prolific of all the secondary St. Louis riflemakers and his guns stood on their own reputation. He came from Kentucky to establish the St. Louis Gun Shop at 38 North Main Street in 1849. From 1849 through 1864, the firm was known as H. E. Dimick & Co. From 1865 until Mr. Dimick’s death in 1873 the listing was simply H. E. Dimick. Thus, here is a clue towards dating your guns with this mark.

There has been a great deal of confusion about the associates in the H. E. Dimick & Co. plant. Henry Folsom may have been a partner for a few years; he was at least important enough in the firm to be listed along with H. E. Dimick in a City Directory.

F. J. BITTERLICK

#261 Contrary to most derringers made in the South, Bitterlick marked his on both the barrel and the lock. All furniture is of plain, not engraved, German silver and the escutcheon plate under the forearm embraces the screw that attaches the forearm to the barrel. The forearm nose is fluted. The barrel is full octagon, and its caliber is .400.

The markings are to be found identically on the lock and the barrel in two lines with one hand stamp marked as follows:

Fr. J. Bitterlick
Nashville, Tenn.

Franz J. Bitterlick was born July 16, 1829 and died July 12, 1880 at 51 years and 6 days old. His daughter Ann Elizabeth married Charles Evers and their descendents and great grandchildren are living in Nashville today, 1971.

Joseph Legler was born October 21, 1837 and died June 15, 1931 at the age of 93 years and 8 months. His descendents by the name of Legler still live in Nashville today.

Franz Bitterlick and Joseph Legler were brothers-in-law, having married sisters Mary and Helen Lochmann respectively.

There is no record of when Bitterlick first started operating but if he was born in 1829 and started the business when he was 25 years old, that would mean that the Bitterlick Company started about 1854.

The first record of a business using either of these two names is found in King’s City Directory of 1867, the earliest available, and is listed as Bitterlick & Legler, Gunsmiths, 22 Deaderich Street. No City Directories are available before 1867 so it is entirely possible that the combination of the two names originated before that date.

Considering that in 1867, Legler was 30 years old and considering the point that he could have been a partner of Bitterlick as early as 25 years of age means that the Bitterlick & Legler Company could have started around 1862.

In an interview in 1970 with Mr. Bernard Evers, Sr., the grandson of Bitterlick, he stated he believed the gunsmith business started in 1854, give or take a year, and that Bitterlick made himself scarce during the War Between the States by taking a four year “Round the World” trip.

All in all it would average up that the company of Bitterlick operated from perhaps 1854 to 1862 or 1865.

Bitterlick and Legler without a doubt operated from 1862-65 til the last listing of the combination company in the King’s City Directory of 1879.

In 1880 Joseph Legler is listed as a gunsmith and Frank Bitterlick as a grocer at two different addresses.

Thus from these dates that we have accumulated here you can tell approximately when your gun was made according to the name on the barrel, and that no derringers were produced after 1879 because none are known marked “Legler.”

According to a news clipping dated March 1, 1963 of the Nashville Tennessean newspaper, the J. Legler, Gunsmith business was sold on that date and it is noted that the operation was started 95 years ago on Deaderich Street which would make the business starting in 1868. To me this does not quite add up since the City Directories state that they were operating in 1867. I would say that the business started sometime between 1854 and 1867.

Joseph Legler is buried in the Mt. Olive Cemetery near Nashville, Tennessee.

It is interesting to note that the Legler descendents with the same name operated this business as a gunsmith at 321 Deaderich Street until December 31, 1962 when the business was closed out. The building was sold to a real estate agent on March 1, 1963.

All their pistols were high quality. In addition to derringer type pieces it is known that Bitterlick produced and manufactured shotguns and a few target rifles marked “FR. J. Bitterlick & Co., Nashville, Tenn.”. Early double breechloading shotguns with outside hammers are known that are marked “J. Leghler, Nashville, Tenn.” and will you please note the new spelling of Legler in this later breechloading period.

F. BITTERLICK

#285 This is a small sized derringer by any standards and is made by Bitterlick. I have never seen a Bitterlick smaller than this one. This gun also has the escutcheon screw plate underneath the forearm attaching that part to the full octagon barrel. The forearm nose is fluted as is common to many of these Nashville and Memphis guns. All furniture is of German silver and is plain, not engraved.

The barrel markings are slightly different from #261 in that the expression “& Co.” has been added as follows:

Fr. J. Bitterlick & Co.
Nashville, Tenn.

{FOOT-POWERED LATHE}

#285A This is a real old foot powered metal turning lathe that is in our collection here at Dixie Gun Works. It was obtained from the current Snodgrass Gun Shop in Nashville and Mr. Snodgrass states that many, many years ago he got it from the old Legler Gun Shop. There is an awfully good chance that parts such as screws for the Bitterlick or Bitterlick & Legler Derringers were made on this same lathe. Incidentally, Hal Swann of Nashville has a large quantity of Bitterlick or Bitterlick & Legler tools such as files, bullet mould cherries, screwdrivers and even a die stamp reading “Bitterlick & Co.” This die stamp is not the same one that is used on the derringers though. This die stamp has never been seen on a gun.

LULLMAN & VIENNA

#266 Lullman and Vienna apparently was a retail store dealing in guns, watches, and jewelry. I have never seen a Lullman and Vienna marked gun except for those that are genuine Henry Deringer guns. Or, in other words, they did not make their own guns.

This specimen is German silver mounted throughout, without ramrod and with a tear drop buttcap. Typical round Henry Deringer barrel with a flat rib on top. Full dovetailed German silver front sight. The breech of the barrel has two silver bands which enhances its value.

All guns by this maker were invariably marked with the same die stamp and two lines with one stamp manufactured as one unit. The stampings reads as follows:

Lullman & Vienna,
Memphis, Tenn.

LULLMAN & VIENNA

#258 A very desirable sized derringer with a short barrel and many people call this the Abe Lincoln model which is true except for the marking on the barrel. This gun is German silver mounted throughout, and made without ramrod. Solid German silver front sight is dovetailed into position. The rear of the barrel has two silver bands. Has typical Henry Deringer markings on the lock and on the breechplug. The caliber is .410.

The barrel markings are typically as follows:

Lullman & Vienna,
Memphis, Tenn.

LULLMAN & VIENNA

#254 An even smaller sized Lullman and Vienna derringer is this genuine Henry Deringer gun that is marked with this agent’s name on the barrel. German silver throughout and you will notice that this gun does not have a ramrod like all the others by this same maker in my collection. I wonder if all were sold to Lullman and Vienna without ramrods? Solid German silver front sight dovetailed in place along with two silver barrel bands at the breech. Its caliber is .380.

The barrel markings are typically as follows:

Lullman & Vienna,
Memphis, Tenn.

BITTERLICK & LEGLER

#262 This Bitterlick specimen is typical of his earlier guns except for the later markings on the barrel. The full octagon barrel is held in place by two screws through the forearm and through the trigger plate directly into the barrel. The escutcheons and furniture are all of plain German silver with no engraving whatsoever. Has German silver pin type front sight with gold band at the breech. The breech is marked with the number “I.” All metal parts show old milling marks and file marks because of its excellent condition. Caliber is .470.

The identical markings are to be found on both the barrel and the lock and two different hand stamps are used as follows:

Fr. J. Bitterlick & Legler
Nashville, Tenn.

STEPHEN O’DELL

#222 O’Dell guns are often times easily recognized by their characteristic European influence. The grips are a little different in this shape gun in that they are the flat bag type instead of a rounded bag type which is more of an English style than American. The round faced hammer does not follow the characteristics of Southern derringers. All furniture is of German silver and of the highest quality casting and are fully engraved with English line scroll engraving. The trigger plate has a pineapple finial and through the trigger plate is the typical Southern style screw that attaches the forearm to the barrel along with the barrel being held in place by a wedge.

I need to mention that there are several known Henry Deringer made guns that are marked in one line on the barrel and with a hand stamp “S. O’Dell.” In this specimen that we present here that is marked on the lock plate, the name is hand engraved in and is not stamped.

This ornate specimen has five gold and silver bands at the breech. The barrel is rounded with a rib flat on top. The silver front sight is machined into place. The lockplate is filed down to fit the wood with more of a cross curve than Henry Deringer guns show. The caliber is unusually small, it being only .330.

This gun is marked on the lock only as follows:

S. O’Dell

O’Dell came from New York State probably in the late 1830’s or early 1840’s and according to newspaper accounts of that period was murdered in the early 1860’s at Natchez. Although his derringers had bag shaped grips and not bird head grips, I am classifying them as a derringer rather than a pocket pistol. Halfstock rifles with his name are known.

SCHNEIDER & GLASSICK

#215 Schneider and Glassick derringers have characteristics of both of these earlier companies that merged to form this one. All furniture is very plain German silver without even the least line engraving. There is a screw through the trigger plate holding the barrel into position along with the typical wedge. The full octagon barrel is rather plain with no embellishments at the breech. The caliber is .450.

The markings are in one line with one stamp on the top flat of the barrel as follows:

Schneider & Glassick, Memphis, Tenn.

Schneider & Glassick, gunsmiths, formed about 1859 by William S. Schneider and Frederick G. Glassick, both of whom had previously operated independently. They early secured a Confederate contract to manufacture revolvers, this being in addition to the repairing of other types of firearms. They advertised in March, 1862, advising persons who had left “guns or pistols longer than three months” to call, as they intended delivering all such arms to the Confederate government as of March 15th.

Shortly after this advertising date of March 7, 1862, Memphis was evacuated by all Confederate Ordnance activities, and the firm was not heard from again.

SCHNEIDER & GLASSICK

#6 Although in deplorable condition, this Schneider and Glassick can be restored and I am going to spend upwards of $200 to have the trigger guard and the hammer made new. Notice the extra long length of the grip and of the bird head shape. The barrel is held in place both by a trigger plate screw and a wedge. The front sight is a brass blade milled into the steel barrel with no engraving or ornamentation at the breech. Notice the heavy downward curve of the lock. Caliber is .500.

The barrel markings are done with the same stamp as used on gun #215 which is a one piece stamp in one line as follows:

Schneider & Glassick, Memphis, Tenn.

W. H. CALHOUN

#225 W. H. Calhoun was a fancy goods merchant in Nashville, Tennessee during and well before the Civil War. Fancy goods merchants sold jewelry, watches, and guns which sort of fitted together in those days and times. Calhoun never made guns himself as far as I know and was not a gunsmith. This is a genuine Henry Deringer gun surcharged or marked with the agent’s name on the barrel. This gun has typical Henry Deringer characteristics such as German silver furniture and a pineapple finial on the trigger plate. The stock is made without ramrod. The caliber is .370.

The barrel markings are in four lines on the top flat and appear to be marked each line individually as follows:

Man^d for
W. H. Calhoun
Agent,
Nashville, Tenn.

DANIEL L. SWETT & CO.

#282 L. Swett was a dealer of guns and general merchandise in Vicksburg, Mississippi and as far as I know never made guns himself. The guns that I have seen by this maker were all Henry Deringer agent marked guns. This speciment is very typical of a genuine Henry Deringer such as with ramrod, German silver furniture, and pineapple finial on the trigger plate.

The barrel markings are in three lines and it appears to be one stamp because each line is so perfect when compared with the other. The markings are as follows:

Made for
L. Swett & Co.
Vicksburg, Miss.

This name represents an agent primarily since no guns not of Henry Deringer manufacture are known. Newspaper advertisements of that period show he operated in the late 1850’s. It is interesting to notice that Mrs. Jefferson Davis carried a Swett derringer in her purse. The gun is now on display in the old capitol museum in Jackson, Mississippi.

J. A. SCHAFER

J. A. Schafer. Vicksburg, Mississippi, is one gun that I do not have and I would like to obtain. I have heard of three of these guns and they are always Henry Deringer guns surcharged with this agent’s name and without a doubt all will be typical of Henry Deringer manufactury.

L. F. TRUMPLER

#204 Trumpler of Little Rock does not make a gun that looks like a Henry Deringer or a Southern Derringer. His guns are entirely different. Notice the funny nosecap, the tall hammer, and the extra narrow trigger guard and trigger plate. Although the trigger plate ends in a finial of a pineapple, it is not a Henry Deringer type of pineapple. This derringer has a silver band at the breech with a small amount of engraving. The barrel is round with a rib on top. Its caliber is .430.

The only markings are on the barrel as follows in one line: