Page 253 - 4095-BOOK3

Prentice eventually became the Louisville sales agent for the New
Haven Arms Company. Kentucky’s location as a border state and
invasion by Confederate forces in August 1862 resulted in large sales of Henry rifles by Louisville
dealers. In September 1862, George Prentice alone sold 280 Henry rifles, and some Confederate
soldiers apparently obtained Henry rifles from Louisville dealers. Information related to Prentice and
his sales to the Confederacy can be found on pages 9-11 of “The Historic Henry Rifle.” Confederate
soldiers in the 1st Kentucky Cavalry and 5th Tennessee Cavalry were reportedly armed with Henry rifles
in August 1862. The proximity of
Lorenzo D.
Rasdall’s place
of enlistment in
Bowling Green,
Kentucky, to the
availability of
early production
Henry rifles in
Louisville in the
summer and
fall of 1862, and
the fact that
the rifle was
retained in the
Rasdall family for
three generations makes it likely that
Lorenzo D. Rasdall obtained this rifle
around the time of his enlistment
and carried it during the Civil War. Henry rifles with ties
to the Confederacy rarely surface today. Page 46 of “The Winchester Book” by Madis shows a Henry rifle bearing serial
number 287 inscribed to “Wm. S. Skelton”, a lieutenant in Company E of Stirman’s Confederate 1st Arkansas Cavalry, that was
recovered on the battlefield at Corinth, Mississippi, in October 1862.
This rifle has the distinctive first type iron frame with rear sight dovetail and early type iron buttplate with round heel. The loading
lever has a latch spur, but the lower tang has no provision for the lever latch utilized on Henry rifles after approximately serial number
400. The rifle has the distinctive 24 inch octagon barrel with integral 15-shot magazine below. The barrel has a nickel-silver squareback
front sight and first type folding leaf rear sight with “1000” yard marking below the center notch. The magazine has the early small
diameter brass follower, and the receiver has the rectangular follower cut used with the small followers. The straight grain American
walnut stock has the nearly 90 degree comb found on early production rifles and a piano varnish finish. This rifle lacks the extra cost sling
swivel and loop for a sling hook found on the left side of many Henry rifles. The sling swivel and loop were special order features on Henry
rifles until early 1864. The top barrel flat is roll-stamped with the first style legend “HENRY’S PATENT. OCT. 16. 1860/MANUFACT’D BY THE
NEWHAVEN ARMS. CO. NEWHAVEN. CT.” in two lines ahead of the rear sight dovetail. The legend utilizes Roman serif letters with the exception
of the second “NEWHAVEN” marking which has Gothic block letters. The serial number “64” is stamped on the top barrel flat between the rear sight
dovetail and the receiver and is also stamped on the inside of the buttplate heel, on the shanks of both hand-fitted buttplate screws, and on the shanks
of the three tang screws. The stock was not removed to examine the serial numbers on the stock and lower receiver. The butt trap contains a late type four-
piece jointed steel cleaning rod. Includes a binder containing consignor supplied research, including a picture of Lorenzo D. Rasdall’s gravestone that reads below his name with “KY CAVALRY/
BUCKNER’S GUIDES/CONFEDERATE STATES ARMY/JAN 1 1848 JAN 24 1922”.
CONDITION: Fine, well above average as an early production iron frame Henry rifle, with a very fresh, untouched appearance. Exhibits mottled gray and brown patina characteristic of period use, some
patches of pitting, some marring on the sideplate and frame screws, and sharp barrel address markings and serial numbers. The late type lever appears to be a period replacement. The stock is also fine and
retains most of the original piano finish, with two hairline age cracks that run parallel to the butt trap, handling marks, and nice figure. Mechanically functions. This is about as desirable as it gets: an extremely rare iron
frame Henry rifle with ties to Confederate Kentucky Cavalryman Lorenzo D. Rasdall.
Provenance: Family of Confederate Kentucky Cavalryman Lorenzo D. Rasdall; Private Collection.
Estimate: 85,000 - 110,000 251