Fire in the Saddle: Civil War Cavalry Carbines from Workhorses to Oddities

For a Union cavalryman, a carbine wasn’t a collectible—it was a lifeline. Historic site interpreter Adam J. Krall brings original cavalry carbines from The Firearm Collection of Frank R. and Mortimer C. Grover to life, sharing the stories of the soldiers who carried them, the craftsmen who built them, and the inventors who designed them. From widely issued Sharps and Spencer carbines to rare and short-lived models like the Burnside and Maynard, participants will learn how these weapons were invented, manufactured, and used in battle, revealing the human and technological stories behind the tools that shaped the Civil War.