1860 Henry
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1860 Henry Caliber: .44 Henry rimfire Barrel length: 24 ½" The Henry rifle was an improvement over the volcanic repeater of the 1850s. The Henry could hold 15 metallic cartridges in a tube under the barrel. It was fired by moving the lever, which cocked the hammer, ejected the spent cartridge case, and loaded a new one. After levering the gun, the trigger was pulled to fire the gun. It was a great improvement over the muzzle loading muskets of the period and dubbed by the Confederates as "that damned Yankee rifle that they load on Sunday and shoot all week." Though not issued by the army, a soldier could buy one of these rifles if they saved their money. Cartridges spend by Henry rifles can be found in battlefield throughout Arkansas.
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Did You Know?
A woman was responsible for the building of a modern federal jail at Fort Smith, AR, in 1888. Anna Dawes, daughter of Sen. Dawes of MA, visited the "Hell on the Border" jail in 1885 and wrote an article describing its conditions. When read in Congress, money was quickly approved for a new jail.