Using a spring loading mechanism, the bullets could be automatically loaded with the simple pull of a lever. The Union army soon started to introduce repeating rifles in larger numbers. There were concerns about the weight fully loaded, their reliability, and – more importantly from a supply perspective – the huge quantities of specialised ammunition required. Another issue was cost, at roughly double or even triple the cost of rifled muskets. They were largely issued to Union cavalry, though not exclusively. The Confederates simply lacked the capacity to produce large quantities of repeaters. In a sample of the Army of Tennessee in June 1864, they only had 58 Spencer repeaters out of 49,000 men!
At the Battle of Allatoona Pass, the Henry repeating rifle proved its worth in the hands of several companies of the 7th Illinois. The Army of Tennessee attempted to cut Sherman’s supply lines. On 4 October, French’s Confederate division of 3000 men
