Henry rifle
Considered at the time as the "most remarkable cleanup of road agents on record", Venard tracked and killed three Wells Fargo stagecoach robbers on May 15, 1866 in the Yuba River's Myers' Ravine with four shots from his Henry rifle, returned the stolen $8,000 of gold dust, and then apologized for the excess shot. When offered a reward by Wells Fargo, Venard accepted only half, and split the rest with his posse. He received an inscribed, gold-mounted Henry rifle from Wells Fargo, and Governor Frederick Low appointed Venard to his personal staff with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel for "meritorious services in the field". According to Harper's Weekly, "No romance could depict greater bravery".