Famous ‘Trumpeteer Carbine’ Used at Little Bighorn up for Auction

By Chris Eger

The carbine believed once carried by the man sent by Custer with the famous “come quick” message to bring reinforcements to the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876 is now up for auction (Photo: Morphy)
Described as one of the most historically significant American guns on the market, the forensically confirmed carbine of a 7th U.S. Cavalry bugler is headed to auction.
Morphy Auctions next week has a U.S. Model 1873 Springfield single-shot carbine chambered in 45-55 (.45-70) that has been tied to John Martin. Martin, an Italian immigrant named Giovanni Crisostomo Martino, cemented his place in history as being “The Last White Man to See Custer Alive,” as he was dispatched at the beginning of the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876 by Col. George Armstrong Custer with a message to bring urgent reinforcements.
Although Martin never made it back to Custer’s position until after the battle (he apparently lived until 1922), his carbine, Serial No. 19573, somehow stayed behind as he rode for help and a fired cartridge later recovered from the battlefield was forensically matched to the gun as part of the Custer Battlefield Firearms Identification Project. The project, which reportedly ran from 1984 to 1996, cataloged some 2,000 recovered

Source: Guns.com