Exhibit at Old Waynesborough Park offers a peek at Civil War-era firepower
By Steve Herring
Published in News on September 27, 2017 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Jim Scott, left, and Neal Bartlett look at a display case full of Civil War era long rifles and handguns in the Hamilton Collection of Authentic Civil War Artifacts that is on exhibit at the Old Waynesborough Park visitors center.
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
The Hamilton Collection of Authentic Civil War Artifacts features many early model handguns from manufacturers such as Colt, Smith & Wesson, Savage and more.
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Submitted photo
The collection boasts about 17 long rifles, 32 handguns, eight to 10 swords and sabers and ordnance.
R.L. Hamilton has been collecting Civil War artifacts for 50 of his 92 years -- adding to a collection begun by his family shortly after the Battle of Averasboro in March 1865.
The impressive collection boasts about 17 long rifles, approximately 32 handguns, eight to 10 swords and sabers, a collection of Union and Confederate belt buckles, knives, bayonets and ordnance.
On Sunday, Hamilton was at the Waynesborough Park visitors center for the grand opening of the Hamilton Collection of Authentic Civil War Artifacts featuring what is being called one of the most extensive Civil War exhibits in the state.
Hamilton resides in Harnett County, approximately two miles from the site of the Battle of Averasboro.
The exhibit is free.
The facility is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
It is an exhibit that has been a decade in the making for the Old Waynesborough Commission, said Jim Scott, board chairman for the commission.
The Hamilton Collection includes many authentic rifles, handguns, swords, sabers and much more, used by both Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War.
Handguns on display include many early models from manufacturers such as Colt, Smith & Wesson and Savage.
In the collection are Smith & Wesson's first two production model revolvers, the Model 1 and Model 2.
Rifles include muskets and carbines from numerous manufacturers.
The collection also has cannonballs, artillery shells, and belt buckles ---- including one buckle from Arkansas, considered to be the rarest of all Civil War buckles.
"Immediately following the Battle of Averasboro, some of his relatives went out and picked up some of these artifacts that we have here today," Scott said. "It has been handed down through generations from family member to family member.
"When Mr. Hamilton came into possession, he started adding to that collection, and he has been adding to it for over 50 years. He has some over 400 pieces of artifacts that he has loaned to the village here and we have displayed that."
Hamilton had a desire to have the collection displayed so that the general public could see it, Scott said. It is a general collection and not representative of one specific battle.
Hamilton contacted the Waynesborough Park about 10 years ago speaking Arnold Leader who started making arrangements to receive part of the collection. When Leader rotated off the board, Andy Anderson continued to pursue it.
It previously had been on display at another venue, but Hamilton did not like the way it was being displayed and started looking for a new venue.
He looked for other areas and contacted Old Waynesborough Park, Scott said.
Part of the collection was brought in and was stored in a vault before being displayed for a while at the Wayne County Museum.
Scott said that when he became chairman this year that one of his desires was to open the display to the general public.
Hurricane Matthew flooded the site last October, forcing the opening to be delayed, he said.
In May, the restoration of building was completed and cabinets needed to display the items were acquired.
The building has a robust security system, he said.
"We welcome the public to come out and view this with us," Scott said. "A special thanks to Mr. Neal Bartlett, the executive director here at the park, and Lynn Waddell, who is the general manager. They are the ones who actually put the artifacts into the cabinets, laid out the cabinets and spaced them. They have done a wonderful job."
The weapons are serviced once a year to be cleaned and oiled and properly maintained -- something Scott called a tireless job.
"I would be willing to bet that probably 80 percent of these guns, both the long guns and the handguns, if you had the proper ammunition, they would fire today," Bartlett said. "There are probably a few that may be a little sketchy, but I think most would fire today if you had everything you needed."
The collection is on loan for 10 years, at which time it will be reviewed.
It will be kept fresh by rotating artifacts in and out and by rearranging, Bartlett said. Also, research is being done on the weapons and other pieces so that information can be featured next to the item.
About 80 percent of the collection is on display, and both Scott and Bartlett would like a larger area to display the collection.
For more information, call Old Waynesborough Park at 919-731-1653 or visit www.oldwaynesborough.org.