Book excerpt: Remington, Winchester, Colt, Smith, Wesson, Spencer, Sharps, Burnside, and Henry, these names are known to most Americans, whether they are gun aficionados or not. These were all men who either made or designed the American carbine. Add to those names, Maynard, Merrill, Hall, Morse, and Cooke and you have an amazing assemblage of mostly American born men, who all lived in the same time period and advanced gun technology to an unprecedented level. Whether these men worked together, were direct competitors, or were strictly independent they all took advantage of the most horrendous armed conflict in the Americas, the American Civil War.John C. Perry has researched the amazing tale of the men and the firearms they developed into a fascinating story, which should delight any history buff. He tells the story of the carbines used by both Union and Confederate cavalry soldiers during the Civil War. Lean the exciting stories and the details about these cavalry weapons and the interesting men who created them.