June 8th was the anniversary of the death of Benjamin T. Henry, inventor of the Henry Rifle. Henry sold out to Oliver Winchester in 1866. The Henry Rifle was patented in 1860 before the Civil War started but it wasn’t available for general distribution until July 1862.
Abraham Lincoln was one of the first owners of a Henry Rifle. Despite the fact that several of Lincoln’s Cabinet members own a Henry, the War Department wouldn’t buy any of them. In the eyes of the War Department, there were two problems. First, it cost more than twice as much as a musket; second, they feared the soldiers would use too much ammunition. Of course, the fact that a soldier with a Henry Rifle could fire five or six times more effectively as a soldier with a musket was ignored.
In the long run, the Henry and Spencer repeating rifles would have shortened the war and saved many lives. Until the 1890s, soldiers were only allowed to have five rounds of ammo a month for practice. For every round over five they fired, they were fined $1.00. That was a pretty hefty fine for a guy making $13.00 a month. Where Henry rifles were used in the Civil War, they made a huge difference.
Some regiments bought their own Henrys. Eventually, 1731 rifles were purchased by the government. The 7th Illinois Infantry carried Henry Rifles. In fact, Illinois troops had more repeating rifles, including the Spencer repeating rifles, than any other state but they were kept home because the War Department wanted to show them off in parades. This is why the term Military Intelligence is an oxymoron. Whatever the case, Benjamin T. Henry’s rifles changed the history of the United States. He is a man worth remembering.
I was a "C" student in American history but my interest in M/L's, got me started doing a bit of research and found a treasure of historical information, in support of my hobby. I've been to Gettysburg and when you walk these grounds, there is a spiritual presence. ……
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