In my family is a Springfield 1855 used by a relative who lived on and bought my family farm. The farm has been in the family for over 200 years and was started by a famous person in SW PA. The rifle was my relative's rifle during the Civil War.

My uncle who was Army Airborne as well as a civil war reenactor thought it would be cool if he and I tried to get the "hog grease" my grandmother said had on it off, and get it in working order. I wish I had it, my uncle has it. We scraped grease off and put it in the sun for days to clean it up. His buddy who owns a firearms shop nearby the farm helped out getting the grease out of the nipple. Finally it was all cleaned up.

Man was it glorious to see that thing fire again. Just knowing that an ancestor of mine carried it into battle and 150 years later we fire it, it feels like a connection to him. We have documents on him and the rifle that were done in the early 30's.

I wish I could take a picture of it. Next time I visit my family farm I will take a picture of it.