Reward offered for Civil War-era rifle
By Steve Herring
Published in News on June 11, 2017 1:45 AM
A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the recovery of a missing Civil War-era rifle.
The Old Waynesborough Commission is offering the reward for the Fayetteville Armory Type II rifle that had been loaned to the Wayne County Museum.
The rare rifle, valued at $30,000, was part of a large collection of Civil War artifacts on a long-term loan from the R.L. Hamilton family.
The rifle went missing sometime between July 2016 and March 2017, while the collection was on temporary display at the Wayne County Museum.
The long rifle was to have arrived at the museum in February along with 17 other long guns. There had been come confusion over whether the missing rifle ever arrived at the museum.
However, Neil Bartlett, Old Waynesborough Commission executive director, said some members of his board remember seeing the rifle on display.
There is also a photo taken in April of 2016 of a display in which the rifle can be seen, he said.
The case that the gun apparently went missing from did not appear damaged, he said. But the lock on the case, which still had items in it, did not appear to be very secure either, Bartlett said.
It would be difficult for someone to sell the rifle, he said.
Likely attempts could be made on Civil War websites, but those sites are being monitored, he said.
Anyone having information as to the whereabouts of this rifle is asked to contact Old Waynesborough by phone or text at 919-731-1653, mail at P.O. Box 839, Goldsboro, N.C., 27533, or email at waynesborough@yahoo.com.
All information will be held in strictest confidence.