The non-excavated pair of spurs shown here was made by the firm Thomas Leech & Company, known as the Memphis Novelty Works. Thomas S. Leech moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1854 to establish a cotton dealership. It was financed by his partners: his brother John B. Leech, Thomas Harrison, Sir Arthur Forwood, and Sir William Bower Forwood of Liverpool, England. Leech opened the firm of Thomas Leech & Co., Cotton Broker, at 35 Front Row Street in Memphis.

As war became imminent, Leech and his partners began to expand their business to include war material. The military items were sold under the name of "Memphis Novelty Works, Thomas Leech & Co”. Under this name Leech manufactured Swords, Spurs, Side Knives, Belts, Buckles and Pistols. Leech later formed a partnership with Charles H. Rigdon and renamed the partnership Leech & Rigdon in 1862.

With the capture of Forts Henry and Donelson in the spring of 1862 and the subsequent fall of the state of Tennessee into Union hands, Leech and Rigdon decided to relocate their business to Columbus, Mississippi and build a factory adjacent to the Confederate Briarfield Arsenal. Later in 1862, with Sherman making a threat to Mississippi, the Confederate Government decided to relocate the arsenal to Selma, Alabama. Leech and Rigdon relocated with the Arsenal and remained in Selma for a short period. In March of 1863 Leech and Rigdon separated from the arsenal and moved their operations to Goldsboro, Georgia.

I have never seen, or even heard of another original pair of non-excavated Leech & Rigdon spurs. As far I as I[i] am aware. These spurs belonged to John Turner of Eagleville, Tennessee more than twenty years ago. He refused to sell them, but was induced to trade the pair for a very nice Korean War vintage Willis Jeep, still in its original configuration.

The spurs have silver rowels, made from a pair of 1853, dated New Orleans Mint Seated Liberty coins.

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