coltshooter1
Sergeant
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2005
- Location
- Southwest Virginia
Another thread mention the incorrect use of the Henry in reenactments. It made me curious about the correct use and deployment of the weapon. Can anyone give the correct info.
US government purchases amounted to 1731 of these fewer than 900 were issued to the 1st DC Cavalry. Of those over 300 were lost to the Confederates in "The Great Beef Steak Raid". There were also a few state purchase of Henry rifles but most of the 10,000 Henry Rifles that were used in the Civil War were private purchase Henry rifles. Soldiers used their back pay or bonuses to purchase the expensive Henry where prices ran from $35 to $75 depending on where they were purchased. Many times that soldier had to purchase the ammunition for their rifle but the US government did purchase over 4 million rounds of ammunition.Was the Henry ever government issue?
Fourteen Henry armed men were chosen for a night information gather mission in North Carolina.
The Cav units mentioned were anything but dismounted .
1 in 4 men iirc was detailed as horse handlers for a cav unit when working as a skirmish line. The men would remount to move any distance.Just a footnote on tactics - while firing the revolver from horseback was practiced, I believe the standard tactic for getting the most out of carbine fire was to dismount the Company, with every forth trooper becoming a horse-handler and retiring to a protected position in the rear (think the Company 1st Lieut or 1SG was in charge of this formation).
Skirmish line.
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Horse handlers retiring (Remington painting from the Indian Wars, but same-same tactic). Note troopers firing from the prone to left center of illustration.
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