Collection: N28 The Riflemen

In the 1887 Allen & Ginter set there are 4 different riflemen; including a Annie Oakley I showcased earlier here. Above are the other 3- Captain A. H. Bogardus, Dr. W. F. Carver and Buffalo Bill Cody.

Captain Adam H. Bogardus was a world champion marksman, and is credited for popularizing trapshooting. In his day they would hurls glass balls in the air- much like how they send up clay disks today. One day in 1872 he hit 5,500 glass ball in 7 hours, 19 minutes and 2 seconds. Bogardus was also one-third owner of the Buffalo Bill Wild West show.

Dr. William F. Carver was a dentist prior to his ascendancy as a rifle marksman. He learned to shoot after moving out west and staking a claim in Nebraska. Carver even partnered up with Buffalo Bill Cody in a "Rocky Mountain and Prairie Exhibition" show before Cody started up his "Wild West" show. In 1894, in what I can only image was very cruel, he started a horse diving act. Yes, that's right. He trained horses to dive and traveled across the country till his death in 1927 with it. It was a popular exhibition in Coney Island and continued to exist until the 1970's when animal rights activist pressured its closing.

Buffalo Bill Cody was a popular and the most well known of western pioneers. He received the "Medal of Honor" in 1872 as a civilian scout for the 3rd Cavalry Regiment. His nickname came about from his job supplying Buffalo meat to workers of the Kansas Pacific Railroad. Popular culture remembers him for his "Wild West" show that featured shooting, horsemanship and Indians.