This Sharps rifle bears no maker’s mark; it was made especially for John Brown. Brown carried this weapon on his Kansas campaign in 1856 and later presented it to Charles Blair of Collinsville, Connecticut. In 1857, Brown contracted Blair to forge pikes for the clandestine slave insurrection he was planning for Harpers Ferry.

  • Ashyr@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    4·
    1 year ago

    John Brown wears a hangman’s noose for a necktie up in Heaven. I asked him about it, and he said, “Where’s yours? Where’s yours?”

    His eyes were like glowing coins.

    -Kurt Vonnegut

  • Mandarbmax@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    A glorious instrument of freedom! Thank you for posting about it, I didn’t even know he used a special gun for the task, let alone that it still existed in such great condition!

    Do you know where this holy relic of patriotism is now? I hope it is in a museum so I can go see it.

    • FireTower@lemmy.worldOPMEnglish
      0·
      1 year ago

      This one is in the collection of the Smithsonian, specifically the National Museum of American History.

        • FireTower@lemmy.worldOPMEnglish
          0·
          1 year ago

          Hope you have a good time in the Smithsonian, if you take any pictures of arms in their collection don’t forget to share them here.