- Joined
- Jul 26, 2018
What is the connection with the Rev. Beecher other than the name?
I could guess that the reference is to the Antebellum "Beechers bibles," a code word for the rifles purchased to be sent to anti-slavery forces in Antebellum Kansas territory -- by Henry Ward Beecher and associates.
So what's the background of the church?
...The total number of Sharps that reached Kansas between 1854 and 1858 will probably never be known. Fragmentary records indicate somewhere around 900 to 1,000 Sharps were purchased for the border conflict."
Thanks to everyone who weighed in with more information. The breechloader was simple to load and fire. Women and children could learn the steps quickly with minimal training. The rate of fire was far superior to a muzzleloading rifle.