Other Snipers

But snipers did not need fairy stories to build them up when the chips were down. Even the common rifle muskets, in the hands of a man who knew how to use the inverted wedge front sights and had the patience to aim carefully, could account for a fantastic number of individual enemy soldiers. The dead Confederate sniper immortalized in the picture taken by Brady at the Devil’s Den at Gettysburg used a common Rifle Musket. The 2d Regiment of Colonel Henry A. Post also had been issued Colt’s rifles, .56 caliber, fitted with two bands and a triangular bayonet. The 2d has not come down in history with the popular name of the 1st, but was nonetheless distinguished in combat throughout the War. Their first skirmish with the Confederates came at Falmouth, Virginia, April 18, 1862.
“Advancing ahead of Augur’s brigade they met the Confederate fire with their five-shooters in a manner that evidently surprised the foe, who little expected such rapid firing. The revolving chambers of the Colts were soon heated up, and right there a most favorable opportunity was presented to test these heretofore doubtful arms; and the boys were compelled to admit that they were not so bad after all, having done good work with them.” Yet the 2nd, returning to Fredericksburg after the end of May, exchanged their well-used Colts rifles for the Sharps also issued to the 1st Regiment.
Two companies of Andrews Sharpshooters raised in Massachusetts, who adopted the name of their governor as a unit designation, were attached to Berdan’s regiment. The colonel offered to outfit them with Sharps rifles, but they preferred to retain their heavy telescopic rifles such as they used for target shooting. Sometimes these heavier weapons were carried in the baggage train and the men marched without arms. Thus their affection for the heavier rifles can be understood. But there proved to be some major disadvantages in not having weapons fitted with bayonets. One company of Andrews Sharpshooters was with Gorman’s Brigade of the 2nd Corps at Antietam.
“The company was badly cut up in a close engagement where quick shooting with them was out of the question, their guns being little better in that affair than clubs, they losing 26 with their captain and a lieutenant among the killed.” But General Gorman commended them for their work in silencing “one of the enemy’s batteries and kept it so, driving the cannoneers from it every time they attempted to load.” Countless times throughout the War the individual rifleman showed his ability to immobilize field artillery by accurate, aimed fire. But the heavy rifles had to take a back seat to the Sharps in combat.
The first sergeants of each company were issued telescope sighted rifles, to be used for special occasions, but these were finally turned in because they were too heavy to carry around, and of little use in a skirmish line. “These rifles were all right in a fixed position— a good rest—and did great work at long range, particularly among the enemy’s batteries,” wrote Captain Stevens in 1892. “But for hurried off-hand shooting, skirmishing, or in line of battle, the open sights could be brought to the eye quicker, and even the muzzleloading muskets with which the infantry were armed could be loaded quicker, while the breech-loading Sharps were far ahead of all, for rapid firing.
“The great improvements made in the breech-loading system since the War of the Rebellion, particularly in the metallic ammunition, have caused the muzzleloaders to be discarded. A line of battle of breechloaders lying down can shoot faster and do more execu-

With muzzle piece safely removed, rifle is capped and placed on table ready to fire. Here writer-rifleman Amber takes aim at imaginary Confederate general in general vicinity of University of Chicago Campus near where he lived. Scope mount has delicate screw windage and elevation adjustments.

tion on a charging column, than heretofore when the bite and tear cartridge and rammer were used, besides causing less exposure in the men. A charging column at the present day must needs be very brave, to face a line of breechloaders, as they will hardly get there. It was owing to the success attained by the Berdan Sharpshooters, in developing the superiority of the Sharps breech-loading rifle over any other known weapon in use, in point of safety to the men as well as execution in firing, for I never knew of an accident occurring by premature discharge of a Sharps rifle, that caused so soon after the War the substitution of the breech-loading system, improved upon, in all manner of firearms.

“The American manufacturers opened their eyes to the fact that a safer and better gun could be loaded at the breech, in shotguns as well as rifles. To Colonel Berdan’s persistency in urging the Government to furnish his command with these arms while at Camp of Instruction, in response to the demands of the members of both regiments, is the credit largely due for the general substitution after the War of the breech-loading gun.”