I feel I have to defend "Blood Meridian". It is a terrific novel. We have talked a lot about historical accuracy but once you commit to this course of accuracy a writer will have donned a straight jacket of his own making. To continue the analogy, accuracy must be a light summer jacket , hardly noticed by the reader but just enough to prevent the " hey that's not right" moment. Trying to please and not offend a tiny group of people who are sitting on your shoulder looking for historical mistakes can't be a creative place. In True Grit we are introduced to the Colt Dragoon but it's more than a revolver. It represents the nerve of a young girl taking on the huge task of avenging her fathers murder. Le Boeufs Sharps carbine can be seen as a representation of the Texas Rangers overblown sense of himself. It's a device pointing to some thing else. Dwelling too much on historical accuracy can be as bad lack of knowledge.......it jars the flow of the story and inhibits reader.