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Military sharpshooter history subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Military_sharpshooter_history-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-American_Revolutionary_War_and_War_of_1812" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#American_Revolutionary_War_and_War_of_1812"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.1</span> <span>American Revolutionary War and War of 1812</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-American_Revolutionary_War_and_War_of_1812-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Napoleonic_Wars_(1803–1815)" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Napoleonic_Wars_(1803–1815)"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.2</span> <span>Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815)</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Napoleonic_Wars_(1803–1815)-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-U.S._Civil_War_(1861–1865)" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#U.S._Civil_War_(1861–1865)"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.3</span> <span>U.S. Civil War (1861–1865)</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-U.S._Civil_War_(1861–1865)-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Union_Army" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Union_Army"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.3.1</span> <span>Union Army</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Union_Army-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Confederate_Army" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Confederate_Army"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.3.2</span> <span>Confederate Army</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Confederate_Army-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Noted_sharpshooters" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Noted_sharpshooters"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Noted sharpshooters</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Noted_sharpshooters-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div 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searchaux" style="display:none">One who is highly proficient with firearms</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">For other uses, see <a href="/wiki/Sharpshooter_(disambiguation)" class="mw-disambig" title="Sharpshooter (disambiguation)">Sharpshooter (disambiguation)</a>.</div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Winslow_Homer_-_The_Army_of_the_Potomac--A_Sharp-Shooter_on_Picket_Duty_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Winslow_Homer_-_The_Army_of_the_Potomac--A_Sharp-Shooter_on_Picket_Duty_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg/260px-Winslow_Homer_-_The_Army_of_the_Potomac--A_Sharp-Shooter_on_Picket_Duty_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" decoding="async" width="260" height="177" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Winslow_Homer_-_The_Army_of_the_Potomac--A_Sharp-Shooter_on_Picket_Duty_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg/390px-Winslow_Homer_-_The_Army_of_the_Potomac--A_Sharp-Shooter_on_Picket_Duty_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Winslow_Homer_-_The_Army_of_the_Potomac--A_Sharp-Shooter_on_Picket_Duty_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg/520px-Winslow_Homer_-_The_Army_of_the_Potomac--A_Sharp-Shooter_on_Picket_Duty_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2401" data-file-height="1639" /></a><figcaption>A wood engraving depicting an unidentified sharpshooter for the <a href="/wiki/Army_of_the_Potomac" title="Army of the Potomac">Army of the Potomac</a> on <a href="/wiki/Picket_duty" class="mw-redirect" title="Picket duty">picket duty</a> during the <a href="/wiki/American_Civil_War" title="American Civil War">American Civil War</a></figcaption></figure> <p>A <b>sharpshooter</b> is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with "<a href="/wiki/Marksman" title="Marksman">marksman</a>" and "expert", "sharpshooter" is one of the three <a href="/wiki/Marksmanship_Badge_(United_States)#U.S._Army" class="mw-redirect" title="Marksmanship Badge (United States)">marksmanship badges</a> awarded by the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Army" title="United States Army">United States Army</a> and the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Marine_Corps" title="United States Marine Corps">United States Marine Corps</a>. The <a href="/wiki/United_States_Navy" title="United States Navy">United States Navy</a> and the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Coast_Guard" title="United States Coast Guard">United States Coast Guard</a> use a ribbon with an attached "S" device to note a sharpshooter qualification. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Military_sharpshooter_history">Military sharpshooter history</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sharpshooter&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Military sharpshooter history"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="American_Revolutionary_War_and_War_of_1812">American Revolutionary War and War of 1812</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sharpshooter&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: American Revolutionary War and War of 1812"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Some of the earliest mentions of rifling and sharpshooting units in the United States originate during around the <a href="/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War" title="American Revolutionary War">American Revolutionary War</a> and the <a href="/wiki/War_of_1812" title="War of 1812">War of 1812</a>. During the 1777 <a href="/wiki/Battles_of_Saratoga" title="Battles of Saratoga">battles of Saratoga</a>, <a href="/wiki/Continental_Army" title="Continental Army">Continental Army</a> officer <a href="/wiki/Benedict_Arnold" title="Benedict Arnold">Benedict Arnold</a> strategically arranged for sharpshooter units to target enemy officers and artillery units. All such sharpshooters units were disbanded following the war's end in 1783, but they were later revived in the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Army" title="United States Army">United States Army</a> under <a href="/wiki/Anthony_Wayne" title="Anthony Wayne">Anthony Wayne</a> and used in the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Fallen_Timbers" title="Battle of Fallen Timbers">Battle of Fallen Timbers</a> of the <a href="/wiki/Northwest_Indian_War" title="Northwest Indian War">Northwest Indian War</a> in 1794.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The unit was again disbanded in 1796 following the conclusion of the conflict.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> However, over the next decade, tensions between the U.S. and Britain would continue to escalate eventually culminating into the <a href="/wiki/Chesapeake%E2%80%93Leopard_affair" title="Chesapeake–Leopard affair">Chesapeake–Leopard affair</a> in 1807. As a result of the incident, the US passed legislation increasing the size of the U.S. Army to allow for the establishment of the <a href="/wiki/Regiment_of_Riflemen" title="Regiment of Riflemen">Regiment of Riflemen</a> in 1808. As opposed to the standard <a href="/wiki/Line_infantry" title="Line infantry">line infantry</a> equipped with <a href="/wiki/Musket" title="Musket">muskets</a> and bright blue and white uniforms, this new regiment focused on specialist <a href="/wiki/Light_infantry" title="Light infantry">light infantry</a> tactics and uniforms were tactically colored in black and green to blend in with surroundings. The unit was equipped with the first American manufactured <a href="/wiki/Rifle" title="Rifle">rifle</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Harpers_Ferry_Model_1803" title="Harpers Ferry Model 1803">Harpers Ferry Model 1803</a>. Prior to entering the War of 1812, the unit would have seen some of its first combat in the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Tippecanoe" title="Battle of Tippecanoe">Battle of Tippecanoe</a> in 1811 as part of the preceding <a href="/wiki/Tecumseh%27s_War" title="Tecumseh's War">Tecumseh's War</a>, though they had fought in this battle using smoothbore muskets. By 1813, the unit had found its way to Canada where they launched a series of raids. In February, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel <a href="/wiki/Benjamin_Forsyth" title="Benjamin Forsyth">Benjamin Forsyth</a>, the regiment led one such successful attack on a British <a href="/wiki/Grenadier" title="Grenadier">grenadier</a> unit, with one member of the unit later remarking that he had "Never experienced such sharpshooting." </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Napoleonic_Wars_(1803–1815)"><span id="Napoleonic_Wars_.281803.E2.80.931815.29"></span>Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815)</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sharpshooter&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815)"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Sharpshooter units were also used during the <a href="/wiki/Napoleonic_Wars" title="Napoleonic Wars">Napoleonic Wars</a> in the <a href="/wiki/British_Army" title="British Army">British Army</a>. While most troops at that time used inaccurate <a href="/wiki/Smoothbore" title="Smoothbore">smoothbore</a> <a href="/wiki/Musket" title="Musket">muskets</a>, the British "<a href="/wiki/Rifle_Brigade_(Prince_Consort%27s_Own)" class="mw-redirect" title="Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)">Green Jackets</a>" (named for their distinctive green uniforms) used the famous <a href="/wiki/Baker_rifle" title="Baker rifle">Baker rifle</a>. Through the combination of a leather wad and tight grooves on the inside of the barrel (<a href="/wiki/Rifling" title="Rifling">rifling</a>), this weapon was far more accurate, though slower to load. These <a href="/wiki/Riflemen" class="mw-redirect" title="Riflemen">Riflemen</a> were the elite of the British Army, and served at the forefront of any engagement, most often in <a href="/wiki/Skirmish" class="mw-redirect" title="Skirmish">skirmish</a> formation, scouting out and delaying the enemy. Another term; "sharp shooter", was in use in British newspapers as early as 1801. In the <i>Edinburgh Advertiser</i>, 23 June 1801, can be found the following quote in a piece about the North British Militia; "This Regiment has several Field Pieces, and two companies of Sharp Shooters, which are very necessary in the modern "Stile of War"." The term appears even earlier, around 1781, in Continental Europe, translated from the German Scharfschütze. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="U.S._Civil_War_(1861–1865)"><span id="U.S._Civil_War_.281861.E2.80.931865.29"></span>U.S. Civil War (1861–1865)</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sharpshooter&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: U.S. Civil War (1861–1865)"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>During the <a href="/wiki/American_Civil_War" title="American Civil War">American Civil War</a>, sharpshooters were used extensively by both sides. Units such as the <a href="/wiki/1st_United_States_Sharpshooters" title="1st United States Sharpshooters">1st United States Sharpshooters</a> played a critical role in the war and benefited from technological advances such as the <a href="/wiki/Mini%C3%A9_ball" title="Minié ball">Minié ball</a>, which could kill a target up to a half mile away and was accurate at 250 yards.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> However, despite advancements, proficiency at <a href="/wiki/Long_range_shooting" title="Long range shooting">long-range shooting</a> required extensive training, which many of these units did not receive, and as a result sharpshooters during the civil war would not uniformly adopt long-range tactics akin to modern-day <a href="/wiki/Marksman" title="Marksman">marksmen</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Some of these units, however, would have been considered elite and many were well equipped and trained for such shooting. Common duties of sharpshooters included <a href="/wiki/Picket_duty" class="mw-redirect" title="Picket duty">picket duty</a>, <a href="/wiki/Reconnaissance" title="Reconnaissance">scouting</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Skirmishing" class="mw-redirect" title="Skirmishing">skirmishing</a>. In some cases, they were placed at the front of columns to engage the enemy first.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (March 2023)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> Their battlefield role could be misunderstood at times.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (March 2023)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> At the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Mine_Run" title="Battle of Mine Run">Battle of Mine Run</a>, one sharpshooter company was ordered to conduct a bayonet charge, even though they were equipped with rifles that were unable to take bayonets.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Union_Army">Union Army</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sharpshooter&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Union Army"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Notable sharpshooter units of the Civil War included the <a href="/wiki/1st_United_States_Volunteer_Sharpshooter_Regiment" class="mw-redirect" title="1st United States Volunteer Sharpshooter Regiment">1st</a> and <a href="/wiki/2nd_United_States_Volunteer_Sharpshooter_Regiment" class="mw-redirect" title="2nd United States Volunteer Sharpshooter Regiment">2nd United States Volunteer Sharpshooter Regiment</a> (USVSR), composed of companies provided by numerous (primarily eastern) Union states. The U.S.V.S.R. were organized by Colonel <a href="/wiki/Hiram_Berdan" title="Hiram Berdan">Hiram Berdan</a>, a self-made millionaire who was reputed to be the best rifle marksman in the nation at that time.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> There were also battalion size sharp shooter units including the Ohio Battalion Sharp Shooters, The First New York Battalion Sharp Shooters and the First Maine Battalion Sharp Shooters.<sup id="cite_ref-Yee_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Yee-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Both the <a href="/wiki/1st_Company_Massachusetts_Sharpshooters" title="1st Company Massachusetts Sharpshooters">1st</a> and <a href="/wiki/2nd_Company_Massachusetts_Sharpshooters" title="2nd Company Massachusetts Sharpshooters">2nd Company Massachusetts Sharpshooters</a> saw extensive combat during the conflict.<sup id="cite_ref-Senechal_de_la_Roche_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Senechal_de_la_Roche-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> They were armed with heavy, custom target rifles and Sharps rifles during their service.<sup id="cite_ref-Senechal_de_la_Roche_7-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Senechal_de_la_Roche-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Wieland2011_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Wieland2011-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p> There was also an all-Native American company of sharpshooters in the <a href="/wiki/Army_of_the_Potomac" title="Army of the Potomac">Army of the Potomac</a>. These men, primarily <a href="/wiki/Odawa" title="Odawa">Odawa</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ojibwe" title="Ojibwe">Ojibwe</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Potawotami" class="mw-redirect" title="Potawotami">Potawatomi</a> from northern Michigan, comprised the members of Company K of the <a href="/wiki/1st_Regiment_Michigan_Volunteer_Sharpshooters" class="mw-redirect" title="1st Regiment Michigan Volunteer Sharpshooters">1st Regiment Michigan Volunteer Sharpshooters</a>. This regiment saw intense battle during the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_the_Crater" title="Battle of the Crater">Battle of the Crater</a>. The sharpshooters were recognized for their effective service during the onslaught and the unit suffered a number of casualties:</p><blockquote><p>A few Indians, of the 1st Michigan Sharpshooters, did splendid work. Some of them were mortally wounded, and drawing their blouses over their faces, they chanted death songs and died - four of them in a group.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></p></blockquote><p>In the Western Theater were the well known <a href="/wiki/66th_Illinois_Volunteer_Infantry_Regiment" class="mw-redirect" title="66th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment">66th Illinois Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment (Western Sharpshooters)</a>, originally known as "Birge's Western Sharpshooters" and later the "Western Sharpshooters-14th Missouri Volunteers". The regiment was raised by MG <a href="/wiki/John_C._Fremont" class="mw-redirect" title="John C. Fremont">John C. Fremont</a> at St. Louis' Benton Barracks as the Western Theater counterpart to Berdan's sharpshooters. Members were recruited from most of the Western states, predominantly Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Missouri. Competitive induction required candidates to place ten shots in a three-inch circle at 200 yards. They were initially armed with half-stock Plains Rifles built and procured by St. Louis custom gunmaker <a href="/wiki/Horace_Dimick" title="Horace Dimick">Horace (H.E.) Dimick</a>. </p><p>These "Dimick Rifles" (as they were known in the unit) were modified for military use by the installation of the Lawrence Patent Sight, and fired a special "Swiss-chasseur" minie ball selected by Horice Dimick for its ballistic accuracy. They were the only Federal unit completely armed with "sporting rifles". Beginning in the autumn of 1863 soldiers of the regiment began to reequip themselves with the new 16 shot, lever action <a href="/wiki/Henry_rifle" title="Henry rifle">Henry Repeating Rifle</a> giving them a significant advantage in firepower over their opponents. Over 250 of the Western Sharpshooters purchased Henrys out of their own pocket, at an average price of forty dollars (over three months pay for a Private). <a href="/wiki/Richard_Yates_(19th_century_politician)" class="mw-redirect" title="Richard Yates (19th century politician)">Illinois Governor Richard Yates</a> provided Henrys for some members of the <a href="/wiki/64th_Illinois_Volunteer_Infantry_Regiment" class="mw-redirect" title="64th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment">64th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment</a> or <i>Yates Sharpshooters</i> and other soldiers of the unit appear to have similarly equipped themselves with Henry Rifles in 1864. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Confederate_Army">Confederate Army</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sharpshooter&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Confederate Army"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>On the Confederate side, sharpshooter units functioned as <a href="/wiki/Light_infantry" title="Light infantry">light infantry</a>. Their duties included <a href="/wiki/Skirmishing" class="mw-redirect" title="Skirmishing">skirmishing</a> and <a href="/wiki/Reconnaissance" title="Reconnaissance">reconnaissance</a>. <a href="/wiki/Robert_E._Rodes" title="Robert E. Rodes">Robert E. Rodes</a>, colonel of the 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment, and later a major general, was a leader in the development of sharpshooter units.<sup id="cite_ref-Ray_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Ray-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The <a href="/wiki/Confederate_States_Army" title="Confederate States Army">Confederate States Army</a> made more widespread use of sharpshooters than Federal forces, often having semi-permanent detachments at the regimental level and battalions of various size attached to larger formations. Dedicated sharpshooter units included the <a href="/wiki/1st_Georgia_Sharpshooter_Battalion" title="1st Georgia Sharpshooter Battalion">1st Georgia Sharpshooter Battalion</a> and three more from that state, the <a href="/wiki/9th_Missouri_Sharpshooter_Battalion" title="9th Missouri Sharpshooter Battalion">9th (Pindall's) Battalion Missouri Sharpshooters</a> as well as the sharpshooter battalions of the <a href="/wiki/Army_of_Northern_Virginia" title="Army of Northern Virginia">Army of Northern Virginia</a>. </p><p>Confederate sharpshooters were often less well equipped than their Union counterparts, commonly using the muzzleloading <a href="/wiki/Enfield_Rifled_Musket" class="mw-redirect" title="Enfield Rifled Musket">Enfield Rifled Musket</a> or (the more uncommon) <a href="/wiki/Polygonal_rifling" title="Polygonal rifling">hexagonal bore</a> British <a href="/wiki/Whitworth_rifle" title="Whitworth rifle">Whitworth rifles</a>, rather than the breechloading <a href="/wiki/Berdan_Sharps_rifle" class="mw-redirect" title="Berdan Sharps rifle">Berdan Sharps rifles</a> used by the Union Army. These marksmen accompanied regular infantrymen and were usually tasked with eliminating Union artillery crews. However, the exceptional long-range accuracy of the Whitworth rifle allowed the eponymous <a href="/wiki/Whitworth_Sharpshooters" title="Whitworth Sharpshooters">Whitworth Sharpshooters</a> to score several high-profile kills, including the infamous deaths of <a href="/wiki/Brigadier_General" class="mw-redirect" title="Brigadier General">Brigadier General</a> <a href="/wiki/William_Haines_Lytle" title="William Haines Lytle">William Lytle</a> at <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Chickamauga" title="Battle of Chickamauga">Chickamauga</a> and <a href="/wiki/Major_General" class="mw-redirect" title="Major General">Major General</a> <a href="/wiki/John_Sedgwick" title="John Sedgwick">John Sedgwick</a> at the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Spotsylvania_Court_House" title="Battle of Spotsylvania Court House">Spotsylvania</a>. </p><p>In his memoirs, Confederate soldier Louis Leon detailed his service as a sharpshooter in the Fifty-Third North Carolina Regiment during the Civil War. As a sharpshooter, he volunteered as a skirmisher, served on picket duty, and engaged in considerable shooting practice. Of his company's original twelve sharpshooters, only he and one other were still alive after Gettysburg. As related by the regiment's commanding officer, Col. James Morehead, in a rare one-on-one encounter Pvt. Leon killed a Union sharpshooter, whom the Confederates identified as a "<a href="/wiki/First_Nations_in_Canada" title="First Nations in Canada">Canadian Indian</a>".<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Noted_sharpshooters">Noted sharpshooters</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sharpshooter&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Noted sharpshooters"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Annie_Oakley" title="Annie Oakley">Annie Oakley</a> (1860–1926)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Calamity_Jane" title="Calamity Jane">Calamity Jane</a> (1852–1903)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Alvin_York" title="Alvin York">Alvin York</a> (1887–1964)</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sharpshooter&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Designated_marksman" title="Designated marksman">Designated marksman</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Marksman" title="Marksman">Marksman</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sniper" title="Sniper">Sniper</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sharpshooter&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width" style="column-width: 30em;"> <ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-:0-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:0_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:0_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Shock Troops of the Confederacy, Fred L. Ray</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">The Civil War, Geoffrey C. Ward, 130</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFInstitute2019" class="citation web cs1">Institute, Author Civil War (2019-04-30). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://gettysburgcompiler.org/2019/04/30/small-but-deadly-the-minie-ball/">"Small but Deadly: The Minié Ball"</a>. <i>The Gettysburg Compiler</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2023-03-29</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=The+Gettysburg+Compiler&rft.atitle=Small+but+Deadly%3A+The+Mini%C3%A9+Ball&rft.date=2019-04-30&rft.aulast=Institute&rft.aufirst=Author+Civil+War&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fgettysburgcompiler.org%2F2019%2F04%2F30%2Fsmall-but-deadly-the-minie-ball%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASharpshooter" class="Z3988"></span> <span class="cs1-visible-error citation-comment"><code class="cs1-code">{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Cite_web" title="Template:Cite web">cite web</a>}}</code>: </span><span class="cs1-visible-error citation-comment"><code class="cs1-code">|first=</code> has generic name (<a href="/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#generic_name" title="Help:CS1 errors">help</a>)</span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFYee2017" class="citation book cs1">Yee, Gary (2017). <i>Sharpshooters: Marksmen Through the Ages</i>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1612004860" title="Special:BookSources/978-1612004860"><bdi>978-1612004860</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Sharpshooters%3A+Marksmen+Through+the+Ages&rft.date=2017&rft.isbn=978-1612004860&rft.aulast=Yee&rft.aufirst=Gary&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASharpshooter" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.berdansharpshooters.org/About_Us/Original/original.index.htm">"History of Hiram Berdan"</a>. Berdansharpshooters.org<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2013-05-31</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=History+of+Hiram+Berdan&rft.pub=Berdansharpshooters.org&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.berdansharpshooters.org%2FAbout_Us%2FOriginal%2Foriginal.index.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASharpshooter" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Yee-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Yee_6-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFYee2009" class="citation book cs1">Yee, Gary (2009). <i>Sharpshooters (1750–1900): The Men, Their Guns, Their Story</i>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-9824813-0-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-9824813-0-1"><bdi>978-0-9824813-0-1</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/LCCN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="LCCN (identifier)">LCCN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://lccn.loc.gov/2009908475">2009908475</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Sharpshooters+%281750%E2%80%931900%29%3A+The+Men%2C+Their+Guns%2C+Their+Story&rft.date=2009&rft_id=info%3Alccn%2F2009908475&rft.isbn=978-0-9824813-0-1&rft.aulast=Yee&rft.aufirst=Gary&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASharpshooter" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Senechal_de_la_Roche-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Senechal_de_la_Roche_7-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Senechal_de_la_Roche_7-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Senechal de la Roche</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Wieland2011-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Wieland2011_8-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWieland2011" class="citation book cs1">Wieland, Terry (2011). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=k_VdJewva78C&pg=PT188"><i>Gun Digest Book of Classic American Combat Rifles</i></a>. Iola, Wisconsin: <a href="/wiki/Krause_Publications" title="Krause Publications">Krause Publications</a>. p. 188. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4402-3017-2" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-4402-3017-2"><bdi>978-1-4402-3017-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Gun+Digest+Book+of+Classic+American+Combat+Rifles&rft.place=Iola%2C+Wisconsin&rft.pages=188&rft.pub=Krause+Publications&rft.date=2011&rft.isbn=978-1-4402-3017-2&rft.aulast=Wieland&rft.aufirst=Terry&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3Dk_VdJewva78C%26pg%3DPT188&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASharpshooter" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">The Story of American Heroism Thrilling Narratives of Personal Adventures During the Great Civil War As Told by the Medal Winners and Roll of Honor Men, JW Jones, 460</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Ray-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Ray_10-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRay2006" class="citation book cs1">Ray, Fred L. (2006). <i>Shock Troops of the Confederacy: the sharpshooter battalions of the Army of Northern Virginia</i>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-9649585-5-5" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-9649585-5-5"><bdi>978-0-9649585-5-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Shock+Troops+of+the+Confederacy%3A+the+sharpshooter+battalions+of+the+Army+of+Northern+Virginia&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=978-0-9649585-5-5&rft.aulast=Ray&rft.aufirst=Fred+L.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASharpshooter" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.civilwardigital.com/CWDiaries/Leon,%20Lewis.%20Diary%20of%20a%20Tarheel,%201913..pdf#page=79"><i>The Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier</i></a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. Charlotte, NC: Stone Publishing Company. 1913. p. 72.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Diary+of+a+Tar+Heel+Confederate+Soldier&rft.place=Charlotte%2C+NC&rft.pages=72&rft.pub=Stone+Publishing+Company&rft.date=1913&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.civilwardigital.com%2FCWDiaries%2FLeon%2C%2520Lewis.%2520Diary%2520of%2520a%2520Tarheel%2C%25201913..pdf%23page%3D79&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASharpshooter" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?useformat=desktop&type=1x1&usesul3=0" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sharpshooter&oldid=1277733061">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sharpshooter&oldid=1277733061</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Shooting" title="Category:Shooting">Shooting</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Combat_occupations" title="Category:Combat occupations">Combat occupations</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Combat_occupations_of_the_late_modern_period" title="Category:Combat occupations of the late modern period">Combat occupations of the late modern period</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Marksmanship" title="Category:Marksmanship">Marksmanship</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Sniper_warfare" title="Category:Sniper warfare">Sniper warfare</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_errors:_generic_name" title="Category:CS1 errors: generic name">CS1 errors: generic name</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_is_different_from_Wikidata" title="Category:Short description is different from Wikidata">Short description is different from Wikidata</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:All_articles_with_unsourced_statements" title="Category:All articles with unsourced statements">All articles with unsourced statements</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_unsourced_statements_from_March_2023" title="Category:Articles with unsourced statements from March 2023">Articles with unsourced statements from March 2023</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 26 February 2025, at 11:37<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. 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