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 10 Why Krags were on Alaska's Fur Seal Islands (Read 6597 times)
butlersrangers
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Re: Why Krags were on Alaska's Fur Seal Islands
Reply #15 - Aug 13th, 2019 at 1:25pm
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Brief description of duties of native guards:
  
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butlersrangers
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Re: Why Krags were on Alaska's Fur Seal Islands
Reply #16 - Aug 14th, 2019 at 2:07pm
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In 1910 the U.S. Government did not renew the lease for Fur Sealing rights on the Pribilof Islands and took total control of the operations. The buildings and property of the Lessee were purchased. A major Sealing Treaty was worked out between GB, Russia, Japan, and the U.S.

A "Gun House" was built in the village on St. Paul Island to contain the Islands 37 Krags, 18 Colt Revolvers, Hotchkiss mountain guns, Gatling Guns, and ammunition.

I poured through the 1200+ pages of the "Alaska Seal Islands" and could not find mention of the missing (sixty-first) Krag. I have a hunch this Telegram, regarding a tragic sailboat capsizing, may offer a potential explanation. (H.D. Chichester was an assistant agent and had become a Doctor. Walter L. Hahn was a Naturalist, assigned to St. Paul Island). Their deaths must have been devastating to the small isolated island community.

Note - My above theory about a Krag (the 61st), possibly, being lost, during the tragic capsizing on May 31, 1911, was wrong. The inventory report accounts for only 60 Krags (by serial number) on January 10, 1911. This report pre-dates the capsizing.

A Krag appears to have 'disappeared' and be unaccounted for between March 22, 1909, and January 10, 1911.

FWIW - The elusive 61st Krag was likely assigned to St. George Island. In 1906, St. George had six modern rifles and six old Springfield (.45-70) rifles.
In 1907, St. George Island received another 18 Krags, which would add up to a total of 24.
Only 23 Krags for St. George are listed in the 1911 inventory. All of St. Paul Island's 37 Krags are accounted for.
« Last Edit: Aug 25th, 2019 at 5:49pm by butlersrangers »  
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Knute1
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Re: Why Krags were on Alaska's Fur Seal Islands
Reply #17 - Aug 14th, 2019 at 11:52pm
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Looks like you made it through the whole document? It sure was a pretty rough existence.
  
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butlersrangers
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Re: Why Krags were on Alaska's Fur Seal Islands
Reply #18 - Aug 15th, 2019 at 2:50am
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I only stuck with reading through this work, (and copied, and posted relevant pages), because this documentation, IMHO, revealed some good 'Krag Trivia'.

Lots of minor 'nitty gritty': Sixty Krags, known by  serial number, used by Alaskan Native guards - who were practiced hunters and good shots, a frontier industry in the northern wilds, lots of little details about arm requisitions, delivery, Krag use, and storage.

I thought it worthy to try to give the buried 'gems' some context.
  
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Knute1
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Re: Why Krags were on Alaska's Fur Seal Islands
Reply #19 - Aug 15th, 2019 at 3:31am
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I, for one, appreciate all the time you put into this so we didn't have to read the 1200 pages ourselves. It is an interesting and obscure history of Krags, and you seen it here first, folks.
  
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butlersrangers
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Re: Why Krags were on Alaska's Fur Seal Islands
Reply #20 - Aug 25th, 2019 at 6:23pm
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According to the content in the 'Seal Island' reports, a total of 61 Krags were sent to Alaska's Pribilof Islands, before 1911.

Only 60 of them are accounted for, (by serial number), in Agent Lembkey's, January 10, 1911, report. 37 Krags were on St. Paul Island and 23 Krag rifles were on St. George Island.

In 1906, there were 6 Krag rifles on St. George Island. In February, 1907, another 18 Krags were sent to St. George, which should total 24.

Apparently, one of the 61 Krag Rifles sent to the Pribilof Islands disappeared, between March 22, 1909 and January 10, 1911.

It would appear the missing 61st rifle should have been on St. George Island.

St. Paul Island accounted for all of its 37 Krag rifles.

(My theory about it being lost in a tragic sailboat capsizing, on May 31, 1911, is wrong. The '60 rifle inventory report' predates the capsizing).
  
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