Best line of the day from the Civil War

“That damned Yankee rifle that they load on Sunday and shoot all week!”

That was a Confederate soldier’s lament when facing the Henry Repeating Rifle obtained, usually at their own expense, by some Union soldiers. The Henry could shoot 28 rounds a minute. The muzzle-loading Rebs could get off maybe three shots a minute.

The Henry was invented by Benjamin Tyler Henry, an employee of Oliver Winchester at the New Haven Arms Company. It evolved into the more famous Winchester Model 1866. 14,000 Henrys were made.

The Henry Repeating Rifle could be bought during the Civil War for $42. An original today has gone at auction for as much as $60,000. You can buy a very authentic replica from A. Uberti for about $1400.