Sharpshooting Rifles of the American Civil War

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Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472815920
Total Pages : 81 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

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Book Synopsis Sharpshooting Rifles of the American Civil War by : Martin Pegler

Download or read book Sharpshooting Rifles of the American Civil War written by Martin Pegler and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2017-08-24 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the outset of the American Civil War, the Union Army's sharpshooters were initially equipped with the M1855 Colt revolving rifle, but it was prone to malfunction. Instead, the North's sharpshooters preferred the Sharps rifle, an innovative breech-loading weapon capable of firing up to ten shots per minute – more than three times the rate of fire offered by the standard-issue Springfield .58-caliber rifled musket. Other Union sharpshooters were equipped with the standard-issue Springfield rifled musket or the .56-56-caliber Spencer Repeating Rifle. Conversely, the Confederacy favoured the Pattern 1853 Enfield rifled musket for its sharpshooters and also imported from Britain the Whitworth Rifle, a .45-caliber, single-shot, muzzle-loading weapon distinguished by its use of a twisted hexagonal barrel. Featuring specially commissioned artwork, this is the engrossing story of the innovative rifles that saw combat in the hands of sharpshooters on both sides during the Civil War.

Sharpshooting Rifles of the American Civil War

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Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472815939
Total Pages : 81 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

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Book Synopsis Sharpshooting Rifles of the American Civil War by : Martin Pegler

Download or read book Sharpshooting Rifles of the American Civil War written by Martin Pegler and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2017-08-24 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the outset of the American Civil War, the Union Army's sharpshooters were initially equipped with the M1855 Colt revolving rifle, but it was prone to malfunction. Instead, the North's sharpshooters preferred the Sharps rifle, an innovative breech-loading weapon capable of firing up to ten shots per minute – more than three times the rate of fire offered by the standard-issue Springfield .58-caliber rifled musket. Other Union sharpshooters were equipped with the standard-issue Springfield rifled musket or the .56-56-caliber Spencer Repeating Rifle. Conversely, the Confederacy favoured the Pattern 1853 Enfield rifled musket for its sharpshooters and also imported from Britain the Whitworth Rifle, a .45-caliber, single-shot, muzzle-loading weapon distinguished by its use of a twisted hexagonal barrel. Featuring specially commissioned artwork, this is the engrossing story of the innovative rifles that saw combat in the hands of sharpshooters on both sides during the Civil War.

Sharpshooters of the American Civil War 1861–65

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Author :
Publisher : Osprey Publishing
ISBN 13 : 9781841764634
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (646 download)

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Book Synopsis Sharpshooters of the American Civil War 1861–65 by : Philip Katcher

Download or read book Sharpshooters of the American Civil War 1861–65 written by Philip Katcher and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 2002-10-18 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the American Civil War (1861-1865) broke out, both Confederate and Union experts decided that specialized sharpshooter units should be formed. These highly trained marksmen served in a front-line role and, due to the technological developments of the 1850s, were equipped with weapons that could guarantee greater accuracy over increased range than traditional muskets. This title examines the recruitment, training, tactics and deployment of sharpshooters from both sides of the conflict. It also takes a close look at the specialized personal weaponry of the sharpshooter, the rifle and its accoutrements, as well as the sharpshooters' unique insignia and identification patches.

U.S. Sharpshooters

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Author :
Publisher : Stackpole Books
ISBN 13 : 0811702715
Total Pages : 140 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (117 download)

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Book Synopsis U.S. Sharpshooters by : Roy Martin Marcot

Download or read book U.S. Sharpshooters written by Roy Martin Marcot and published by Stackpole Books. This book was released on 2007 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Action-packed account of the legendary 1st and 2nd U.S. SharpShooters Based on diaries, letters, and other firsthand sources Photos of the men as well as their uniforms, equipment, and firearms plus paintings by acclaimed Civil War artist Don Troiani This detailed and beautifully illustrated book tells the story of Col. Hiram Berdan's brilliant conception: the U.S. SharpShooters, a specialized 2-regiment unit of marksmen recruited from the farming and backwoods communities of the North. Known for their distinctive green uniforms, Sharps breech-loading rifles, and risky tactics, the SharpShooters fought at battles such as the Peninsula, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and the Wilderness. The book covers their training, tactics, and weapons and is a must-have for Civil War enthusiasts and anyone interested in the history of special forces.

Union Sharpshooter vs Confederate Sharpshooter

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Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472832116
Total Pages : 81 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

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Book Synopsis Union Sharpshooter vs Confederate Sharpshooter by : Gary Yee

Download or read book Union Sharpshooter vs Confederate Sharpshooter written by Gary Yee and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-06-27 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the American Civil War, the Union and the Confederacy both fielded units of sharpshooters. Sometimes equipped with firearms no better than those of their infantry brethren, they fought in a manner reminiscent of Napoleonic-era light infantry. Siege warfare placed a premium on marksmanship and the sharpshooter became indispensable as they could drive artillerymen from their guns. They could also become expert scouts and, for the Confederacy, impressive raiders – one raid netted almost 250 prisoners. Initially, Union marksmen enjoyed the upper hand, but as the Confederates began raising and training their own sharpshooters, they proved themselves as worthy opponents. 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.

Weapons of the Civil War Cavalryman

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Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472842243
Total Pages : 81 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

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Book Synopsis Weapons of the Civil War Cavalryman by : John Walter

Download or read book Weapons of the Civil War Cavalryman written by John Walter and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-09-17 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the American Civil War, the mounted soldiers fighting on both sides of the conflict carried a wide array of weapons, from sabers and lances to carbines, revolvers, and other firearms. Though some sections of the cavalry placed their trust in the sabre, the advent of viable breechloading carbines -- especially repeaters such as the Spencer -- was to transform warfare within little more than a decade of General Lee's final surrender at Appomattox. However, output struggled to keep up with unprecedented demands on manufacturing technology and distribution in areas where communication was difficult and in states whose primary aim was to equip their own men rather than contribute to the arming of Federal or Confederate regiments. In addition, the almost unparalleled losses of men and equipment ensured that almost any firearm, effectual or not, was pressed into service. Consequently, the sheer variety of weaponry carried reflected the mounted soldiers' various roles in different theatres of operation, but also the availability -- or otherwise -- of weapons, notably on the Confederate side. Fully illustrated, this study assesses the effectiveness of the many different weapons arming the Civil War cavalryman and analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the decisions made after 1865 concerning the armament of the US cavalry.

Jack Hinson's One-Man War

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Author :
Publisher : Pelican Publishing
ISBN 13 : 9781455606467
Total Pages : 404 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (64 download)

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Book Synopsis Jack Hinson's One-Man War by : Tom McKenney

Download or read book Jack Hinson's One-Man War written by Tom McKenney and published by Pelican Publishing. This book was released on 2010-09-23 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The true story of one man's reluctant but relentless war against the invaders of his country.A quiet, wealthy plantation owner, Jack Hinson watched the start of the Civil War with disinterest. Opposed to secession and a friend to Union and Confederate commanders alike, he did not want a war. After Union soldiers seized and murdered his sons, placing their decapitated heads on the gateposts of his estate, Hinson could remain indifferent no longer. He commissioned a special rifle for long-range accuracy, he took to the woods, and he set out for revenge. This remarkable biography presents the story of Jack Hinson, a lone Confederate sniper who, at the age of 57, waged a personal war on Grant's army and navy. The result of 15 years of scholarship, this meticulously researched and beautifully written work is the only account of Hinson's life ever recorded and involves an unbelievable cast of characters, including the Earp brothers, Jesse James, and Nathan Bedford Forrest.

The Guns of the South

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Author :
Publisher : Del Rey
ISBN 13 : 0307792358
Total Pages : 577 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (77 download)

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Book Synopsis The Guns of the South by : Harry Turtledove

Download or read book The Guns of the South written by Harry Turtledove and published by Del Rey. This book was released on 2011-04-20 with total page 577 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "It is absolutely unique--without question the most fascinating Civil War novel I have ever read." Professor James M. McPherson Pultizer Prize-winning BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM January 1864--General Robert E. Lee faces defeat. The Army of Northern Virginia is ragged and ill-equpped. Gettysburg has broken the back of the Confederacy and decimated its manpower. Then, Andries Rhoodie, a strange man with an unplaceable accent, approaches Lee with an extraordinary offer. Rhoodie demonstrates an amazing rifle: Its rate of fire is incredible, its lethal efficiency breathtaking--and Rhoodie guarantees unlimited quantitites to the Confederates. The name of the weapon is the AK-47.... Selected by the Science Fiction Book Club A Main Selection of the Military Book Club

The Second United States Sharpshooters in the Civil War

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Author :
Publisher : McFarland
ISBN 13 : 0786453028
Total Pages : 255 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (864 download)

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Book Synopsis The Second United States Sharpshooters in the Civil War by : Gerald L. Earley

Download or read book The Second United States Sharpshooters in the Civil War written by Gerald L. Earley and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2009-04-22 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Second United States Sharpshooters was a hodgepodge regiment, composed of companies raised in several New England states. The regiment was trained for a specific mission and armed with specially ordered breech-loading target rifles. This book covers the origin, recruitment, training, and battle record of the regiment and features 32 photographs, four battlefield maps, and a regimental roster.

American Gun

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Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0062242733
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (622 download)

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Book Synopsis American Gun by : Chris Kyle

Download or read book American Gun written by Chris Kyle and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2013-06-04 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING FOLLOW-UP TO AMERICAN SNIPER Join Chris Kyle on a journedy to discover “how 10 firearms changed United States history” (New York Times Book Review) Drawing on his legendary firearms knowledge and combat experience, U.S. Navy SEAL and #1 bestselling author of American Sniper Chris Kyle dramatically chronicles the story of America—from the Revolution to the present—through the lens of ten iconic guns and the remarkable heroes who used them to shape history: the American long rifle, Spencer repeater, Colt .45 revolver, Winchester 1873 rifle, Springfield M1903 rifle, M1911 pistol, Thompson submachine gun, M1 Garand, .38 Special police revolver, and the M16 rifle platform Kyle himself used. American Gun is a sweeping epic of bravery, adventure, invention, and sacrifice. Featuring a foreword and afterword by Taya Kyle and illustrated with more than 100 photographs, this new paperback edition features a bonus chapter, “The Eleventh Gun,” on shotguns, derringers, and the Browning M2 machine gun.

Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the Civil War

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Author :
Publisher : Courier Corporation
ISBN 13 : 0486227316
Total Pages : 220 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (862 download)

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Book Synopsis Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the Civil War by : Alexander Gardner

Download or read book Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the Civil War written by Alexander Gardner and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 1959-01-01 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Photographs taken in the field provide an extraordinary commentary upon the Civil War

The Rifle Musket in Civil War Combat

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Publisher : University Press of Kansas
ISBN 13 : 0700623833
Total Pages : 296 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (6 download)

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Book Synopsis The Rifle Musket in Civil War Combat by : Earl J. Hess

Download or read book The Rifle Musket in Civil War Combat written by Earl J. Hess and published by University Press of Kansas. This book was released on 2016-07-11 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Civil War's single-shot, muzzle-loading musket revolutionized warfare-or so we've been told for years. Noted historian Earl J. Hess forcefully challenges that claim, offering a new, clear-eyed, and convincing assessment of the rifle musket's actual performance on the battlefield and its impact on the course of the Civil War. Many contemporaries were impressed with the new weapon's increased range of 500 yards, compared to the smoothbore musket's range of 100 yards, and assumed that the rifle was a major factor in prolonging the Civil War. Historians have also assumed that the weapon dramatically increased casualty rates, made decisive victories rare, and relegated cavalry and artillery to far lesser roles than they played in smoothbore battles. Hess presents a completely new assessment of the rifle musket, contending that its impact was much more limited than previously supposed and was confined primarily to marginal operations such as skirmishing and sniping. He argues further that its potential to alter battle line operations was virtually nullified by inadequate training, soldiers' preference for short-range firing, and the difficulty of seeing the enemy at a distance. He notes that bullets fired from the new musket followed a parabolic trajectory unlike those fired from smoothbores; at mid-range, those rifle balls flew well above the enemy, creating two killing zones between which troops could operate untouched. He also presents the most complete discussion to date of the development of skirmishing and sniping in the Civil War. Drawing upon the observations and reflections of the soldiers themselves, Hess offers the most compelling argument yet made regarding the actual use of the rifle musket and its influence on Civil War combat. Engagingly written and meticulously researched, his book will be of special interest to Civil War scholars, buffs, re-enactors, and gun enthusiasts alike.

Berdan's United States Sharpshooters in the Army of the Potomac

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Author :
Publisher : BIG BYTE BOOKS
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 461 pages
Book Rating : 4./5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Berdan's United States Sharpshooters in the Army of the Potomac by : Captain C. A. Stevens

Download or read book Berdan's United States Sharpshooters in the Army of the Potomac written by Captain C. A. Stevens and published by BIG BYTE BOOKS. This book was released on 2014-11-20 with total page 461 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dispensing 52-caliber death at long distance was their specialty and it made them a favorite target. With their Colts, Sharps, and Whitworth globe rifles, led by one of the world's premier marksmen, Berdan's sharpshooters played an important role at Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Brandy Station, and many other battles. Here is the complete history of this unique cadre of men and how they prosecuted their unique brand of warfare from 1861 to 1865. Engineer, inventor, military officer, world-renowned marksman, and commanding colonel of the United States Volunteer Sharpshooter Regiments during the American Civil War, Hiram Berdan's story and that of his men are little-known today. Yet it is one of the most compelling, exciting, and important stories of the war. Berdan's regiments played a pivotal role in delaying Confederate attacks at Devil's Den and the Peach Orchard at the Battle of Gettysburg. Charles N. Race, of Company K, was one of the youngest soldiers in the Union service, having mustered in 1862 at the age of 14, and was the only Berdan Sharpshooter of the original members remaining as a sharpshooter until the end of the war, July 17, 1865 After the war, Hiram Berdan invented the Berdan rifle, Berdan primer, and other weapons. For the first time, this long-out-of-print book is available as an affordable, well-formatted book for e-readers and smartphones. Be sure to LOOK INSIDE or download a sample.

Early Military Rifles

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Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472842324
Total Pages : 81 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (728 download)

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Book Synopsis Early Military Rifles by : Balázs Németh

Download or read book Early Military Rifles written by Balázs Németh and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-11-26 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The conduct of combat operations in open order during the 18th and 19th centuries required an improved firearm with more accuracy than the standard-issue smoothbore infantry musket. Consequently, the appearance of a new type of regular light infantry soldier and an innovative military firearm, the rifle, marked a new age in the history of warfare. During the 18th century both Austria and Prussia fielded light troops armed with rifled firearms, while conflicts in North America involved the deadly long rifle and the innovative Ferguson breech-loader. Rifle-armed specialists also fought for several nations during the Napoleonic Wars. However, it was the decades after 1815 that saw the appearance of successful rifled percussion firearms, paving the way for the widespread issue of rifled weapons. This development was accelerated by the Prussian adoption of the Dreyse 'needle gun' in 1848 and in 1849, the French Minié rifle was the first successful conical ball rifle concept to be issued to regular troops in large numbers. Illustrated throughout with stunning full-colour artwork, this study charts the development, combat use, influence and legacy of rifled firearms in a host of conflicts, from the War of the Austrian Succession of 1740–48 to the Mexican–American War of 1846–48.

Civil War Infantry Tactics

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Publisher : LSU Press
ISBN 13 : 0807159395
Total Pages : 445 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (71 download)

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Book Synopsis Civil War Infantry Tactics by : Earl J. Hess

Download or read book Civil War Infantry Tactics written by Earl J. Hess and published by LSU Press. This book was released on 2015-04-13 with total page 445 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For decades, military historians have argued that the introduction of the rifle musket-with a range five times longer than that of the smoothbore musket-made the shoulder-to-shoulder formations of linear tactics obsolete. Author Earl J. Hess challenges this deeply entrenched assumption. He contends that long-range rifle fire did not dominate Civil War battlefields or dramatically alter the course of the conflict because soldiers had neither the training nor the desire to take advantage of the musket rifle's increased range. Drawing on the drill manuals available to officers and a close reading of battle reports, Civil War Infantry Tactics demonstrates that linear tactics provided the best formations and maneuvers to use with the single-shot musket, whether rifle or smoothbore. The linear system was far from an outdated relic that led to higher casualties and prolonged the war. Indeed, regimental officers on both sides of the conflict found the formations and maneuvers in use since the era of the French Revolution to be indispensable to the survival of their units on the battlefield. The training soldiers received in this system, combined with their extensive experience in combat, allowed small units a high level of articulation and effectiveness. Unlike much military history that focuses on grand strategies, Hess zeroes in on formations and maneuvers (or primary tactics), describing their purpose and usefulness in regimental case studies, and pinpointing which of them were favorites of unit commanders in the field. The Civil War was the last conflict in North America to see widespread use of the linear tactical system, and Hess convincingly argues that the war also saw the most effective tactical performance yet in America's short history.

Sharpshooter

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781933523200
Total Pages : 280 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (232 download)

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Book Synopsis Sharpshooter by : David Healey

Download or read book Sharpshooter written by David Healey and published by . This book was released on 2007-11-01 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 1864, General Ulysses S. Grant's Army of the Potomac is positioned across the trenches from the remnants of General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. One major Union campaign will put the Confederate capital into Yankee hands. Lucas Cole is the best sharpshooter in the Confederate army, his skills as a sniper almost legendary. Now Cole has been assigned to his most challenging mission yet-and General Ulysses S. Grant is his target. With the help of a female Rebel spy, Lucas Cole will attempt to alter the course of the war with a single bullet. Using an artfully planned seduction, that spy will try to clear Cole's line of fire. And with all his might, one man will fight to prevent an assassination that could ensure Confederate victory.

Shock Troops of the Confederacy: The Sharpshooter Battalions of the Army of Northern Virginia

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780964958593
Total Pages : 442 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (585 download)

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Book Synopsis Shock Troops of the Confederacy: The Sharpshooter Battalions of the Army of Northern Virginia by : Fred L. Ray

Download or read book Shock Troops of the Confederacy: The Sharpshooter Battalions of the Army of Northern Virginia written by Fred L. Ray and published by . This book was released on 2006-03 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The term sharpshooter had a more general meaning in the mid-19th Century than it does today. Then it could mean either a roving precision shooter like the modern sniper (a term that did not come into use until late in the century) or a light infantryman who specialized in the petite guerre: scouting, picketing, and skirmishing. The modern sharpshooter (the term comes from the German scharfschutzen, not the use of Sharps rifles) appeared in Central Europe around 1700. At the beginning of the Civil War, thanks to Hiram Berdan, the Army of the Potomac had a definite advantage in sharpshooting and light infantry, and this came as a rude shock to the Confederates during the 1862 Peninsular campaign. In response the Confederates organized their own sharpshooters, beginning with those of an obscure Alabama colonel, Bristor Gayle. Confederate general Robert Rodes organized the first battalion of sharpshooters in his brigade in early 1863, and later in each brigade of his division. In early 1864 General Lee adopted the concept for the entire Army of Northern Virginia, mandating that each infantry brigade field a sharpshooter battalion. These units found ready employment in the Overland campaign, and later in the trenches of Petersburg and in the fast-moving Shenandoah campaign of 1864. Although little has been written about them (the last book, written by a former sharpshooter, appeared in 1899), they played an important and sometimes pivotal role in many battles and campaigns in 1864 and 1865. By the end of the war the sharpshooters were experimenting with tactics that would become standard practice fifty years later. Although most people think of Berdan's Sharpshooters when the subject comes up, the Confederate sharpshooter battalions had a far greater effect on the outcome of the conflict. Later in the war, in response to the Confederate dominance of the skirmish line, the Federals began to organize their own sharpshooter units at division level, though they never adopted an army-wide system. Making extensive use of unpublished source material, author Fred Ray has written Shock Troops of the Confederacy, which tells the complete story of the development of the Army of Northern Virginia's sharpshooter battalions, the weapons they used, how they trained with them, and their tactical use on the battlefield. It also tells the human story of the sharpshooters themselves, who describe in their own words what it was like to be in the thick of battle, on the skirmish line, and at their lonely picket posts.