How did you find out what arms your ancestors used?
The percussion Sharps are fun to shoot, accurate (considering sights and projectile), and not that difficult to properly load. Assuming you have a properly checked-out original or replica, get some Charlie Hahn paper tubes, Christmas-tree bullets (I cast with a Moose mold, but there's a few vendors that have good bullets at a reasonable price), and have fun. I know you already have experience with black powder, so I don't think it will be a daunting task for you.
I'm amused by those who complain about the difficulty of making paper cartridges. I find the process different than making good BPCR loads, but no more time consuming..... IF you use Hahn tubes and don't start messing with hair curler paper or start soaking sheep intestines in saltpeter solutions.
I'm not that far away, so if you need any assistance, let me know.
