This beautiful silver mounted French pistol was carried by Major James Stephens Bulloch . He would have carried it in the War of 1812 while serving in the 1st Regt.(Johnston’s) Georgia Militia and throughout his career. It was given by him to his son J.D. Bulloch on his graduation from the U.S Naval Academy in 1846. More than likely that’s when the pistol was converted from flintlock to percussion.  This pistol is beautiful but the history is really outstanding.
J.D Bulloch served in the U.S Navy for the next 15 years until the War broke out. Being of Georgia heritage his allegiance was with the South and he resigned his commission. He was ordered to Montgomery,Ga. by Confederate Attorney General Judah P. Benjamin for his assignment. He soon became a secret service agent and the most dangerous man in Europe according to the Union State Dept.
He established his base of operations in Liverpool, England.  Where he developed a relationship with the shipping firm of Fraser & Trenholm ,who were willing to buy all the cotton the South could ship in. In essence they became the Confederacy’s International bankers. Bulloch then arraigned the building and equipping of a Navy for the Confederacy.  He built many Warships and Blockade Runners to include the CSS Alabama (which his brother Irvine served on), CSS Florida, CSS Atlanta, CSS Shenandoah, etc.   He was also indirectly involved in the Canadian plot to kidnap Pres. Lincoln.  In 1864 under the orders of the Confederate Secretary of the Navy Stephen Mallory he was to write a check drawn on "secret funds" to Patrick Martin a Confederate blockade runner operating out of Canada. Martin’s project later morphed into the successful plot to assassinate Pres.Lincoln.
In 1883 on the prodding of his nephew Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt to write his memoirs he did and titled it "The Secret Service of the Confederate States in Europe" a two Volume set.  In 1928  this pistol was in the estate of "Wilbur G.Thirkield ,77 Park Ave, N.Y and was appraised by Continental Appraisal Co. ,50 Maiden Lane, N.Y  
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