Class Year
2019
Document Type
Blog Post
Publication Date
1-26-2018
Department 1
Civil War Institute
Abstract
The photo above does not seem like much, but the story behind it is incredible. On August 17, 1863, a man named Christopher Miner Spencer entered the White House, gun in hand. He was let in past the sentries and ushered in to meet with President Abraham Lincoln. Spencer was at the White House to show the president his invention, the repeating rifle. He had been trying to get it adopted by the United States Army with little success, so he decided to go to the man with the most power. Spencer showed Lincoln his gun, and the president was impressed by how simple it was. One could take it apart and put it back together in only a few minutes, needing only a screwdriver. Lincoln invited Spencer back to the White House so that they could test the rifle. [excerpt]
Copyright Note
This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Labbe, Savannah A., "Too Little Too Late? The Introduction of the Spencer Rifle" (2018). The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History. 265.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/compiler/265
Comments
This blog post originally appeared in The Gettysburg Compiler and was created by students at Gettysburg College.