His first ad in the Vicksburg Daily Whig dated October, 1857 states: “New gun shop—Louis Hoffmann takes pleasure in informing his community and the public generally that he will carry on the gunsmith business and all its branches. It will make rifles to order, stock guns and pistols, etc.” The 1860 Vicksburg City Directory list six gunsmiths working for him, One of these was Adam Schafer who later went into the retail business himself and Philadelphia Henry Deringers are known to be marked with his agency’s name. Hoffmann’s earliest known address was listed in 1857 as China Street and later on Washington Street. The Washington Street store burned in 1879 and new buildings were erected on Clay Street. This became known as the famous “Hoffmann Block.” In 1886 the former Louis Hoffmann or Hoffmann Hardware Company was incorporated and the name changed to Louis Hoffmann Hardware Company, Inc., Hoffmann Block, Vicksburg, Mississippi. Depending of these mentioned names and addresses, you can date your guns roughly. The successors of the Hoffmann Hardware & Gun Company is in business today under the name of O’Neill McNamarra Hardware Company. JAMES CONNING #241 Generally this Conning derringer follows the description of a genuine Henry Deringer gun in both style and makeup but is not a Henry Deringer. The trigger guard and other furniture is of German silver and there is no provision for a ramrod. Notice the turned down lip at the forearm nose. The round barrel is made with a barrel rib at the top. The only barrel markings underneath the barrel are a cryptic assembly number cut in Roman numerals so this gun is apparently American made because there are no proof marks. I have never heard of another such gun. Its caliber is .410. The only markings are on the barrel in two lines in script and engraved as follows: Made for J. Conning, Mobile This maker advertised that his shop was open for business at Dauphin and Water Streets in Mobile, Alabama. This will leave the impression that he operated a retail store but so far no actual proof of this has been noted except that on October 21, 1862 he advertised “military buttons just received a few gross of very fine military gold staff buttons, sold by the gross or the set.” He had some facilities for manufacturing and is well known for his Confederate swords. There is a record of an important contract with the state of Alabama for sabres. A. R. MENDENHALL