THIS OLD GUN
A Legendary Henry Rifle OOOOO
The famous Henry rifle was the result of many years of development and experimentation that eventually led to the production of the first successful metallic cartridge repeating weapon. The magazine-fed lever action design for the Henry was introduced by Smith & Wesson in a pistol made in Norwich, Connecticut, circa 1854-1855. At the end of that time period, Smith & Wesson became Volcanic Repeating Arms Company; two years later, because of the reorganization efforts of a major stockholder, Oliver F. Winchester, it was renamed the New Haven Arms Company. Volcanic pistols and rifles were manufactured by that firm from 1857 to 1860. The main defect in the Volcanic design was the ammunition that it fired, known as “Rocket Ball.” The projectile was basically a conical lead bullet with a hollow-base cavity, filled with a propellant powder charge and a percussion cap-type primer. This design meant that when fired, the bullet would travel down the gun’s barrel fully ignited. Volcanic firearms functioned well, but the ammunition was so dirty that the rifle needed to be cleaned after every few shots, negating the advantage of a repeater. In 1857, B. Tyler Henry was hired as plant supervisor at the New Haven Arms Company (later to become the Winchester Repeating Arms Company). At the time, Henry held a patent for the design of a .44 caliber metallic rim-fire cartridge (see photo below) that was similar to the .22 version still in use today. This water-proof cartridge design was adapted to the Volcanic action, and the result was the Henry rifle, produced by the New Haven manufacturer from 1862 through 1865. Only 13,000 of these firearms were made in those three years.
This compelling story suggests why Charles Goodnight might have kept an obsolete firearm until the day that he died. By Tom Power 24 TEXAS
|
Vo l u m e 3 2 0 1 2
These models saw service on both sides in the Civil War. The Henry was a 14-shot repeater that
As Loving lay dying in New Mexico, Goodnight, assured him “...I [will] see that [your] remains are laid in the cemetery...in Texas.” was very effective against an enemy armed with a single-shot gun. After the war, in 1865, Winchester improved the design of the Henry by adding a loading port on the right side of the weapon’s receiver. Originally, the firearm had to be loaded from the front of the magazine, which made it necessary to tip the rifle upward—not a good idea when engaged in combat. This change resulted in the birth of the Model 1866 Winchester, commonly called “The Yellow Boy.” In the post-Civil War West, the Henry was a rarity, and whoever owned one was lucky. Most still used single-shot muzzle loaders or single-shot breechloaders, such as the Sharps. While ownership was limited to a select group, one surviving Henry model has come to represent a friendship between two pioneering Texas cowmen. The partnership of cattle trailblazers Oliver Loving and Charles Goodnight has been reported in other parts of this magazine, but an incident that occurred on their final trail drive deserves retelling. The Henry rifle played an important part in this tale. In August 1867, the two men were driving cattle north from Texas into New Mexico, heading for an auction in Santa Fe. Loving decided to ride ahead of the herd, an idea that met with resistance from Goodnight. To placate his partner, Loving finally agreed to travel at night in order to avoid hostile Indians and to take “One Armed” Bill Wilson along as a companion. Wilson was armed with a five-shot Colt revolving rifle, his Colt Navy revolver, and two Colt Dragoons that belonged to Goodnight. Loving had two handguns and the uncommon repeating Henry rifle, the first metallic cartridge weapon Goodnight had ever seen (see image below). Loving and Wilson traveled at night for two days, but after seeing no sign of Indians, they set out at day-
light on the third day. While crossing a high plain near the Pecos River, the two were spotted by a large band of about 200 Comanche Indians, and a chase ensued. The men left the trail, heading for the Pecos by the nearest course. The drovers reached the river ahead of their pursuers, abandoned their horses, and “forted up” in a ravine. The Indians arrived This pioneer, circa 1866, and attacked, uswith a Colt revolver, ing arrows fired at Bowie knife, and Henry a high angle, but rifle was well-armed. they were not successful in rooting out their quarry. Late in the day, a Comanche called out in Spanish for a meeting, but when Loving came out into the open and in view of the warriors on the river bluff, a bullet tore through his wrist and plowed into his side. The two cattlemen retreated to their shelter and held off the attackers for two more days, at which time they decided that Wilson would leave to seek help. The five six-shooters and Goodnight’s rifle were arranged beside Loving’s sound arm, but Wilson took the Henry rifle with him, knowing that its metallic cartridges would be unaffected by water—and that the river might be his only chance of escape. He made three attempts to swim by the Comanche guard, but the weight of the rifle almost caused him to drown. Deciding to leave it, Wilson stuck the weapon’s muzzle into the river bank and pushed the stock beneath the water so that the Indians could not find the gun. After three days of Vo l u m e 3 2 0 1 2 |
TEXAS
25
barefoot travel across rough country, Wilson reached Goodnight and the herd. He explained what had happened, and Goodnight set out immediately with several men to rescue his partner. Following Wilson’s directions, they found the place where the fight had occurred—although by that time, the Comanches were gone. There was no sign of Loving either, but clues at the sight made it apparent that he had not been captured. Goodnight assumed that his friend was dead and that Loving’s body had fallen into the river. During their search, the posse was also able to locate and retrieve Loving’s Henry rifle from the river where Wilson had stashed it. After dark, the search party sadly made its way back to the herd and again took the trail north. Unbeknownst to them, Loving had escaped the Indians by swimming upstream. He made his way to Fort Sumner with the aid of three men, who he paid $250 for their help. When Goodnight got word that his partner was alive, he headed for New Mexico to be with his friend. Unfortunately, gangrene had set in, requiring Loving’s arm to be amputated above the elbow. After the operation, Goodnight stayed with Loving for 22 days, until the latter died on September 25, 1867. Before he passed away, Loving told Goodnight, “I regret to have to be laid away in a foreign country [a place other than Texas].” His partner assured him “…I [will] see that [your] remains are laid in the cemetery at home in Texas.” This promise was fulfilled in February 1868 when Charles Goodnight delivered Oliver Loving’s body to the Masonic Lodge in Weatherford, where he was buried. Though this event occurred when Goodnight was only 31 years old, at the time of his own death nearly 63 years later, the cattleman still spoke of Loving with great tenderness. The Henry rifle that is pictured both on this page and on the previous one was purchased from the Goodnight estate in 1929 upon the cattleman’s passing. The serial number is 1568, indicating that it was made in 1863. The weapon has been “modernized” during its lifetime with an added dust cover, lever latch, and rear sight. The gun also has side plates from a rare, iron-framed Henry rifle. The initials “C.G.” are carved into the wrist of the stock. If Goodnight had kept any remembrance of his partner, this Henry would surely be an appropriate memento. While the provenance of this particular rifle is not documented, it is known that Oliver Loving owned an early Henry rifle, which Charles Goodnight recovered during the search for his partner. Adding to the intrigue is the question of why Goodnight would keep this obsolete firearm until the time of his death.
26 TEXAS
|
Vo l u m e 3 2 0 1 2
The initials C.G. are carved into the stock of this Henry rifle, leading to speculation that it was once owned by trail driver Oliver Loving. Therefore it is conceivable to conclude, though not proven, that this Henry rifle #1568 may be the one carried by Oliver Loving on that fateful day in 1867 and kept by Charles Goodnight for the remainder of his life. Tom Power, of Utopia, researches, collects, and sells historical and antique firearms. All photos are courtesy of the author.