This is an excellent Winchester Repeating Arms Model 1873 lever action rifle in a .44-40 caliber owned and used by Black Road. The rifle shows a 24 ½ inch full octagon barrel that is marked, “WINCHESTER’S-REPEATING ARMS. NEW HAVEN. CT. / KING’S-IMPROVED-PATENTED-MARCH 29. 1866. OCTOBER 16. 1860.” The tang is marked, “MODEL 1873” on the top and on the bottom, is marked, “163810A”. This is truly a rare original Winchester Model 1873 Special Order King’s Improved Patent rifle. The underside of the loading gate is marked, “44 CAL”. Along the original wood stock is signed in Togia Language carvings. The rifle has been examined and authenticated by renowned historian and Togia language expert, Wendell Grangaard of The Guns of History, Inc. Black Road or Canku Sapa, was born in 1836 and died on November 15, 1910. As a young man, Black Road was driven away from his tribe into the wilderness by the Chief Medicine Man because he had contracted small pox. During this solitude, he had a vision of the Thunder Beings who instructed him about the Sacred Bow ceremony. When he recovered and returned to his people he organized the Sacred Bow Society and later became a medicine man. Black Road instructed Nicholas Black Elk as Black Road was considered a very powerful Heyoka. Black Road married Brule Woman in 1866 and they had seven children. He fought in many wars with the New-Treaty Bands. He surrendered at Fort Keogh in 1881, and was transferred to the Standing Rock Reservation that same year and then in 1882 to Pine Ridge. He was a member of the Siksicila Band and settled in the White Clay district of the Pine Ridge Reservation. Black Road purchased a Winchester Model 1873 Serial Number 163810A in late 1884 and participated at the Stronghold in 1890-1891 with it. He marked his Winchester with his name, “Lemita” using Togia Language Carvings (Lakota Sign Language) with “oowa” marks on the right side of the stock, along with the Sacred Bow Society mark. Black Road helped Nicholas Black Elk, who was a student as well as a fellow medicine man, in performing the ceremony of painting the weapons in January 1891. Benjamin Black Elk, Nicholas Black Elk, and Black Road were close friends. The rifle comes with the signed letter describing the piece’s history from Wendell Grangaard along with detailed illustrations showing the markings he has translated. Wendell Grangaard is the foremost knowledge on the Togia language along with the Battle of the Little Bighorn as he is the author of the book, “Documenting the Weapons Used at Little Bighorn” 2015. Wendell was also intricate in the authentication and examination of the historic George Armstrong Custer Captured Sharps Carbine from Chief Black Kettle that sold at auction for $127,000. Comes with documentation including a detailed description authenticating the piece signed by Wendell, along with illustrations showing the Togia language carvings. From the excellent Indian Firearm collection of Steve Livermore of Fort Pierre, South Dakota.

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