The Boys in Blue and Their Henry's

The following story from Brother Dan Anderson below helps connect this commemorative rifle to the lived experience of the men who served with the original Henry in defense of the Union.

By Brother Dan Anderson

Elisha “Eli” Brumage was born February 4, 1819, in Marion County, [West] Virginia. At the age of 43, he enlisted with Capt. Henry Minor Ice’s company at Mannington, [West] Virginia, as a First Corporal when they were organized on August 5, 1862.

“This company was mustered into federal service as Company H of the Fourteenth Virginia Infantry, later renamed the Fourteenth West Virginia, on September 1. Until 1864, the regiment largely was engaged in guarding the Baltimore and Ohio [B&O] Railroad, an important east/west transportation link that ran across northern West Virginia and was a target of Confederate raids during the Civil War. Beginning in the spring of 1864, however, Sturm’s regiment fought in and around the Valley of Virginia, in particular its northern section, the Shenandoah Valley. Battles in which the Fourteenth participated include Cloyds Mountain, Lynchburg, Carter’s Farm, Fisher’s Hill, and Cedar Creek.” 1

We are fortunate to have the writings of Jesse Tyler Sturm, who served in the same regiment and company as Eli from its inception in 1862 to its mustering out on June 28, 1865. These writings were published by The State of West Virginia Division of Culture and History, along with explanations, context, and clarifications. The book is titled From a “Whirlpool of Death… to Victory” Civil War Remembrances of Jesse Tyler Sturm, 14th West Virginia Infantry.

There is not much written about Eli specifically, either in the writings of Sturm or elsewhere. This is unfortunate, as the breadcrumbs of history suggest a very interesting and unique story. For instance, if he lived in Mannington, West Virginia, in 1861 as some evidence suggests, it may explain his rush to join the Union Army there the next year, as soon as Company H of the 14th began forming. In May 1861, Confederate forces led by Col. Arnett, also of Marion County, burned two B&O bridges while retreating to Philippi, which would lead to the Battle of Philippi, the first organized land battle of the Civil War, a week and a half later. Also during his service in the 14th, he apparently requested a demotion from First Corporal to Private so that he could drive the ambulance. Unfortunately, in the absence of more evidence, these stories are sadly nothing more than educated speculation.

However, one piece of history was documented with Eli’s company that is not well documented elsewhere, and that is evidence of their company being issued Henry repeating rifles by the U.S. Government. The federal government only purchased 1,731 Henry rifles and issued only a fraction of those, but records of those issued are few and far between. However, estimates range as high as 10,000 Henry rifles actually being used by Union soldiers, mostly due to private purchases.

Sturm writes that after enlistment, Company H was initially armed with Enfields. These were apparently the rifles used until “in the spring of 1864 the company to which I belonged accepted the government proposal to furnish us with Henry rifles or sixteen shooters. The guns were valued at sixty-five dollars. The soldier was to pay thirty-six dollars, the government the rest. At the expiration of our time of service we were to retain the gun and be given 100 rounds of ammunition.” 2

Col. Daniel D. Johnson of the 14th West Virginia had a reputation for not filing reports. He did not view his regiment’s work as important as those fighting in the more famous battles, so he did not want the generals to waste their time reading his relatively unimportant reports. However, even he was moved by the effectiveness of the newly acquired Henry rifles to file a report dated March 27, 1865, of an incident that occurred on March 22. It is this report that is cited as one of the few pieces of evidence of Henry repeating rifles being issued to troops.

He detailed a skirmish that occurred near Patterson Creek Station, West Virginia. A lieutenant and 11 men were sent out to scout. They encountered “a party of rebel cavalry, about 60 in number. The rebels made three successive charges upon Lieutenant Martin and the men, but were each time repulsed, and at last retreated in confusion, leaving upon the field 2 men killed and 3 wounded. There were also 7 horses wounded and 2 killed. From a subsequent scout Lieutenant Jolliffe has ascertained that the rebels took with them several wounded men when they retreated. None of Lieutenant Martin’s men were struck. Lieutenant Martin’s detachment was armed with Henry rifles, and it is supposed the rebels thought from the rapid firing that his force was much larger than it really was.”

On January 10, 1918, Sturm recounted his version of that night and confirmed the effectiveness of the Henry. It was he who requested 10 men from the company for the scouting mission on information from a girl he was seeing that some of McNeill’s Rangers would be home on furlough, and they could capture them. McNeill’s Rangers, just a month before, had captured Maj. Gen. Crook and Brig. Gen. Kelley in their sleep. Sturm recounted that they learned after the skirmish that it was 65 men plus Jesse McNeill, armed with two 6-shooter revolvers each.

McNeill’s Rangers were just setting out that night to either capture or wreck “a special train loaded with federal generals and their staff officers and attendants… They were coming from the army at Nashville and going to join Sherman who was driving Johnston up through the Carolinas.” 3

Apparently after receiving Col. Daniel D. Johnson’s report, the government realized they knew nothing about McNeill’s plan, had made no preparation for it, and were fortunate for the events of March 22. Thus, the general issued a special congratulatory order.

That being said, it appears that Eli was not one of the 12 members of Company H selected that night, even though he and his entire company were issued Henry repeating rifles. According to Sturm’s version, Sturm requested all single men except two, since his real motivation was to visit a group of girls under the guise of capturing McNeill’s men. Eli, being a married man, was not one of the men chosen. Fortunately for the Union and the train of high-ranking staff, Sturm and his fellow soldiers did go out that night, and fortunately for everyone except the Confederacy, when McNeill’s Rangers unexpectedly showed up, Company H and their newly acquired Henrys performed well.

Footnotes

“From a ‘whirlpool of death… to victory’ Civil War Remembrances of Jesse Tyler Sturm 14th West Virginia Infantry,” viii. ↩
“From a ‘whirlpool of death… to victory’ Civil War Remembrances of Jesse Tyler Sturm 14th West Virginia Infantry,” 118. ↩
“From a ‘whirlpool of death… to victory’ Civil War Remembrances of Jesse Tyler Sturm 14th West Virginia Infantry,” 132. ↩

A Rifle with Historical Significance

The Henry rifle occupies an important place in Civil War history. Its ability to fire multiple rounds without reloading offered a significant battlefield advantage at a time when many soldiers still relied on single-shot firearms. Though relatively few were officially issued, the rifle earned an enduring reputation among Union troops for its speed, reliability, and effectiveness.

Learn more about the Henry 1860 SUV Eagle Rifle at Henry Repeating Arms