Hello All

[Barnesville Blues]

Hello everyone!

I just joined so wanted to come by and introduce myself. I live in Ireland and have spent the last two years researching a Georgia Sharpshooters Battalion. I was born in Georgia and my family is from there. I immigrated to Ireland after College. This research has been one of the most challenging and rewarding things that I have ever undertaken especially considering how hard it is to get research materials from over here across the big pond. I have been reading civil war books since I was in High School and have procured quit a nice library. I have a very good understanding of tactics, army movements, and Battle Histories. The reason I joined these forums is to talk about and learn about Uniforms, Equipment and especially firearms. This is something that I have just never read a lot about and therefor don't know much. I also hope to meet up with people who have like interests and perhaps might could help me learn more about the firearms, uniforms, and equipment used by this Sharpshooter's Battalion.

Thank you all and I look forward to many good conversations.


Kindest Regards,

Vance Harris

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Hello All

Hallo!

Welcome lad!

Curt

[Tyler Underwood]

Re: Hello All

Welcome to the AC Vance! Glad to have you join our community. This forum has quite a lot of information that just may help you turn up the answers you are looking for.

[Eric Tipton]

Re: Hello All

Vance:

Good to have you here! Welcome. Have you ever heard of the Lazy Jacks? They are a group also from across the pond and they come over a couple of times per year to attend some of the bigger events. They are not exactly in your neck of the woods but close - England:

Here is their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lazy-...ess/5572413887

Again, thanks for coming aboard. We could use some authentic Irish accents over here at some of our events. ;)

[Dennis W. Duerbeck]

Re: Hello All

Welcome, Vance. You've come to the best place to learn. Cherrio !
Dennis W. Duerbeck

[53rd PVI Co.C#]

Re: Hello All

Welcome Vance, You have come to the right place ..you will get the right information here ….

[Jeremy Bevard]

Re: Hello All

Welcome and I'll second the Lazy Jacks. I seem to recall at 200 yards distance event I was a federal portraying the. 11th Michigan and the other side was portraying. Georgia sharpshooters. The scenario was based on history of opposing pickets at Chattanooga. Might be worth digging in the search feature. The federal presence was a secret/surprise so there will be no record of that side on here.

[DBURT]

Re: Hello All

Vance,

The 1st Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters received British imported accoutrements and Enfield rifles on the 19th August 1862 whilst at Savannah, after its formation four days earlier. The accoutrements included British army knapsacks, ball bags, waist belts, cartridge boxes, frogs, scabbards and mess tins and covers as well as Enfield rifles.

From the Compiled Service Record of Major Robert Anderson, Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters.

Dave Burt

[Coatsy]

Re: Hello All

Vance, I'll throw this in too. Which Georgia sharpshooter command are you interested in? The three in the AOT and the battalion in Wofford's Briagade ANV, jump out at me at the top of my head.

[Barnesville Blues]

Re: Hello All

Thank you all for the welcome. I have been told by various people over the years that this site was the place to come to learn about the equipment used during the war on both sides.

Reenacting is something that i have always wanted to get into, I even bought a uniform from a sutler at the reenactment of the Battle of Aiken S.C. one year. The problem is Ireland, the firearm laws are so weird. A friend of mine's brother is a Garda (police) and I have talked this over with him in detail and basically, it would cost me over 1800 Euro on top of the price of the firearm just to keep it. I would have to buy a fireproof gun safe to keep the gun in and then another fireproof safe to keep the Black Powder, and caps in. Ireland is crazy about guns and most people here are strictly anti-firearms of any kind. Only farmers here really have guns and then only shot guns to protect their sheep.

I am actually researching the 4th Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters. My ancestor was a Private in Company B. He also had three brothers-in-laws in Company B. I also had two uncles in Company A (brothers of my direct ancestor on my mothers side) along with their first cousin and one of their third cousins so I had a lot of family tied up in this unit.

I have gathered a lot of information on their battle, formation, and movement history. The only thing I am really missing is information about their equipment and which they had. I believe that they probably had Enfields of some kind but am not sure if they had the 1853, 1858, or 1860 models. Company A, prior to being turned into a Sharpshooter Company was issued Mississippi Rifles. They were used as the flanking company in their original unit and Company B was originally issued a Model 1842 Springfield so they would have certainly had to have been issued a different firearm upon being made Sharpshooters. Company C was a mixed company, men from Company B were transferred over as well as men taken from the other Georgia unit in the Brigade who could do the job.