The History of the Henry 1860 in Indiana?

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  • AGarbers

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    I am researching the history of the use of the 1860 Henry (Winchester) in Indiana during the Civil War. I have seen a photo of an Illinois color guard armed with the 1860 Henry. I would like to get some direction from the history buffs on this site if you know of something similar in Indiana. The 1860 was the first practical lever-action and many joked it was the gun you loaded on Sunday and shot all week.
     

    Kirk Freeman

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    Yes, Indiana troops used Henry rifle extensively. My ancestor's unit was depicted carrying Henry rifles (my ancestor was a wheelwright).

    (You can google Wilder's Brigade and the 17th Indiana Mounted Infantry [Tennessee campaign], armed with Spencers and Henrys)
     
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    Kirk Freeman

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    Gilbert Armstrong, 58th Indiana (Infantry), mustered at Princeton and Indianapolis, Army of the Ohio, noted for Shiloh, Atlanta, March to the Sea.


    d69106f3c8932c4917ed680bb0f17812.jpg
     

    indiucky

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    IIRC there was a Volunteer Calvary unit out of Western Kentucky that were issued Iron Framed 1860 Henry's as well...One of the rifles showed up on antiques roadshow and they estimated value at over $100,000 or so...Here is a pic of my g g g grandfather at the 23rd Indiana Infantry reunion...The man with the mustache, 2nd row, far left...They have the distinction of being in every major battle from west to east of any unit in the Civil War...The black woman in the middle is Lucy Higgs Nichols...The only woman, north or south, to receive a pension for her service in the war....Peter Weber got shot in the leg, dislocated his shoulder and was captured after Vickburg at the Battle of Raymond...He was a POW for three days then part of a prisoner exchange...He took a train to Indianapolis then another down to New Albany where he tended a saloon, was a police officer and farmed...

    Peter Weber, a native of Switzerland, was born in Berne, Feb. 17, 1833, and was a son of Peter and Annie (Weber) Weber, neither of whom are living. The maiden name of his wife, to whom he was married May 10, 1861, in Floyd Co., Ind., was Martha C. Van Alman; she was born in this Co., Sept. 10, 1843, of parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ulrick Van Alman, the former is still living, at the ripe old age of 91 years. They have had seven children, born as follows – Julius A., John P., Jacob P., Annie M., Peter C., William C. and Frederick. Comrade Weber was a farmer at the time of his enlistment when 28 years old; he was enrolled July 10, 1861, at New Albany, Ind., as a private in Co. A, 23d Ind. V.I., 17[SUP]th[/SUP]A.C. He took active part with his Regt., in the following engagements – Ft. Henry, Ft. Doneldson, Shiloh, Siege of Corinth, Bolivar, Lagrange, Holly Springs, Oxford, Grand Gulf, Thompson Hill, Raymond, Champion Hill and Jackson; after this continuous fighting, he was wounded at the latter conflict by gunshot through right leg, had his shoulder dislocated and sprained his ankle at the same battle; the same day he was taken prisoner, was sent to Libby prison a few days, was then paroled and sent to Annapolis about one month, then to Camp Chase for three weeks, Indianapolis, about two weeks and from there was given a sick furlough, reporting to New Albany hospital at end of time where he remained until honorably discharged November, 1863, on surgeon’s certificate. Comrade Weber is a member of Sanderson Post, 191, he is a stationary engineer at Louisville, Ky., and resides in New Albany, Ind.

    From the book, Presidents, Soldiers, Statesmen Vol. II
    H.H. Hardesty, Publisher
    N.Y., Toledo, Chicago
    1893

    The Henry Repeating Rifle,Chapter 2: The Henry Rifle In the Civil War


    The first Henrys appeared on the open market in Louisville, Kentucky by July of 1862. By the end of the year one dealer sold 500 Henrys. Other dealers selling Henrys in that year were located in St. Louis, Mo., Evansville, Ind., Peoria, Il., and Paducah, Ky. In 3 months over 900 Henrys were sold. According to the Louisville Journal of July 12, 1862, Henry rifles were offered for sale and in stock at James Low & Co's on Sixth Street, Louisville, Ky. Other Louisville dealers included Joseph Griffith & Son 5th Street, Dickson & Gilmore 3rd Street and A.B. Semple & Sons. Two Indiana dealers were Charles H. Bradford of New Albany and Wells, Kellogg & Co. of Evansville.(9) There were 3 known Henry rifle dealers in the East who represented the New Haven Arms Company. They were J.C. Grubb of Philadelphia, Hartley & Graham of New York, and William Reed & Son of Boston. On the west coast R. Liddle of San Francisco was offering Henrys.(13) In the Louisville Journal of July 14, 1862, it states that W.G. Stanton advertised the good qualities of the Henry. Henrys were offered for sale to both Unionist and Confederates.(14)


    1024px-Lucy_Higgs_Nichols_Original.jpg


    A special shout out to Kirk Freeman who located the picture of my g g g grandfather hitherto unknown to my family...
     
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    indy1919a4

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    The first Henrys appeared on the open market in Louisville, Kentucky by July of 1862. By the end of the year one dealer sold 500 Henrys. Other dealers selling Henrys in that year were located in St. Louis, Mo., Evansville, Ind., Peoria, Il., and Paducah, Ky. In 3 months over 900 Henrys were sold. According to the Louisville Journal of July 12, 1862, Henry rifles were offered for sale and in stock at James Low & Co's on Sixth Street, Louisville, Ky. Other Louisville dealers included Joseph Griffith & Son 5th Street,

    Always like stories with Joseph Griffith in them

    FHG-1925-Product.jpg


    https://www.collegehillarsenal.com/shop/product.php?printable=Y&productid=1926
     

    rob63

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    An Introduction to Civil War Small Arms by Earl Coates and Dean Thomas lists the 58th, 93rd, and 97th as Indiana Infantry Regiments that were partially armed with Henry rifles. This information comes from a survey conducted by the Ordnance Department in the 1863-64 time frame. Not all of the units responded to the survey, so it does not mean that there were not other units that used the Henry, it just means that these units are documented as having them in the official records.

    Also, Cornell University has the entire official records of the Civil War online in a searchable database here:

    Browse | Cornell University Library Making of America Collection

    If you have never seen these before, they take up something like 30 feet of shelf space in a library. Having them online and in a searchable format is a godsend to anyone interested in the Civil War.

    I did a simple search of "Henry Rifle" using this database and found the story shown below, documentation in the regimental history that at least one member of the 9th Indiana Cavalry had a Henry Rifle, although it doesn't appear to have done them much good.

    https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hx2nf4;view=1up;seq=37
    nnuzU2D.png
     
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    Cerberus

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    Henry rifle trivia. Oliver Winchester decided to debut the sale of his then new Henry rifle in Louisville, KY. It was obviously the right choice sence Louisville was the main railroad feeder line to the Western theater of operations.
     

    Noble Sniper

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    I’m curious..... do you know date wise when he did that? Thanks

    Henry rifle trivia. Oliver Winchester decided to debut the sale of his then new Henry rifle in Louisville, KY. It was obviously the right choice sence Louisville was the main railroad feeder line to the Western theater of operations.
     

    Wanderer

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    I've read that a number of the Indiana Legion militiamen at the Battle of Corydon were armed with Henry rifles, and held off multiple attempts to advance by Morgan's troops. At the 2010 reenactment of the battle I remember seeing some of the reenactors carrying repro Henrys.
     
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