Rarity, but the efficiency of Confederate sharpshooters in the Devil's Den at GettysburgĪnd the demoralizing effects of the sniping deaths of such prominent soldiers as Union The unpleasant results of this serviceĪnd the moral climate of the day make finding specific records of sharpshooting duty a Valued in any protracted battle or small combat. Shock troops of the Confederacy: the sharpshooter battalions of the Army of Northern Virginia. Vicksburg, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Spotsylvania, the Wilderness, and Petersburg, and were Northern and Southern marksmen performed efficient service at Yorktown, Gettysburg, Sometimes equipped with firearms no better than those of their infantry brethren, they fought in a manner reminiscent of Napoleonic-era light infantry. Sporting arms, and custom-made, privately owned target weapons (some weighing over 30 lbs) During the American Civil War, the Union and the Confederacy both fielded units of sharpshooters. An approximation of this system was adopted in bothĪrmed with Sharp's rifles, Whitworth rifles, Larger than companies and attached to regular regiments for special deployment at a field StantonĮxpressed the view of the general staff that snipers were best organized in units no William Sprague September 19, 1862, Union Secretary of War Edwin M. Regiments in the north and south was found to be unwieldy. Similar to Berdan's was authorized by act of Confederate Congress in 1862.īut the formal muster of entire sharpshooting Well documented, many other Union marksmen also saw action in the Eastern and WesternĬampaigns, and though no records have been preserved, a Confederate sharpshooter unit While the history of Berdan's Sharpshooters is Were briefly consolidated with reenlisted veterans of the 1 st Regiment. It too served in the Eastern Theater and in December, 1864 its veteran volunteers Volunteers was raised similarly, its companies mustered in individually in autumn 1861,Īnd its men were drawn from New Hampshire, Maine, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, and Volunteers, November 25, 1861, the unit saw service in everyĮastern campaign through autumn 1864. In the states of New Hampshire, Vermont, Michigan, and Wisconsin. In this way Berdan organized companies in New York City, Albany, New York, and Shots in a 10-inch circle at 200 yards, firing any rifle they chose from any position they Berdan of New York, authorized to raise a regiment of sharpshooters for Federal service,īegan recruiting competitions in the summer of 1861. In this study, Gary Yee, an expert in firearms of the period, assesses the role played by sharpshooters in three bloody clashes at the height of the American Civil War - the battle of Fredericksburg, the siege of Vicksburg, and the siege of Battery Wagner.Recognized psychological weapon at the outset of the Civil War. Initially, Union marksmen enjoyed the upper hand, but as the Confederates began raising and training their own sharpshooters, they proved themselves as worthy opponents. They could also become expert scouts and, for the Confederacy, impressive raiders - one raid netted almost 250 prisoners. Siege warfare placed a premium on marksmanship and the sharpshooter became indispensable as they could drive artillerymen from their guns. Presenta gli scontri diretti delle forze in campo ma anche le uniformi, gli equipaggiamenti, le tattiche, le motivazioni, ordini di battaglia, ecc.ĭuring the American Civil War, the Union and the Confederacy both fielded units of sharpshooters. Serie della Osprey Publishing ricca di foto, cartine e artwork a colori appositamente realizzato per ogni volume della collana.
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