• mickey [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      5 hours ago

      From wikipedia

      The original Henry rifle was a sixteen-shot .44 caliber rimfire breech-loading lever-action rifle, patented by Benjamin Tyler Henry in 1860 …

      At Vicksburg, Edward Downs of the 20th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment and a noted sharpshooter, bought a Henry rifle from his own funds for $65 (equivalent to $1,700 in 2024) from a steamboat captain just prior to the Vicksburg battle …

      For an American Civil War soldier, owning a Henry rifle was a point of pride.[5] Just 1,731 of the standard rifles were purchased by the government during the war.[6] The Commonwealth of Kentucky purchased a further 50. However, 6,000 to 7,000 saw use by the Union on the field through private purchases by soldiers who could afford it. … Many infantry soldiers purchased Henrys with their reenlistment bounties of 1864. Most of these units were associated with Sherman’s Western troops.

      That’s a whole lotta free speech.