Confederate Sharpshooters

[AZReenactor]

Being aouthentic in the mainstream?!?

Adam,
It really sounds like you are falling into a mainstream reenacting unit where authenticity isn't all that likely to be a real focus. As such, I'd suggest looking for something not too expensive that you can resell later, since if you stick with the hobby you'll likely want to move up at some point in the future. That or do a little reflecting on where you really want to take yourself in the hobby and begin preparing for that goal by purchasing a weapon appropriate to it now. The hobby is a whole lot bigger than the small local group that lets you fall in with them and you may want to explore a little more of it before investing too much in one little specialty impression.

[Todd Watts]

Re: Which Rifle for a Sharpshooter Impression.

There is a good article on these men in this past month's issue of "The Amercian Rifleman" (NRA magazine). According to it, and a lot I have heard from other sources as well, the standard 3-band Enfield was a very common rifle used by CS sharpshooters. They were typically unscoped as well. Some men wore special glasses that were frosted except a small clear center which did the same thing as modern target shooters' glasses to help the ey focus on the sights and target and blind the shooter from all other activities that could distract him. I have seen a pair of these glasses which were dark amber tinted except a small clear circle in the center of the right lense. Otherwise, they were identical to standard spectacles of the era.

The article also discusses how the CS sharpshooters were largely mis-used/utilized which lead to high casualties to them and minimized their effects.

[Rev]

Re: Which Rifle for a Sharpshooter Impression.

Todd,
Have you ever seen a pair of the spectacles which were coloured dark red except for the center? My grandfather had a pair which he said belonged to one of his great uncles who was a sharpshooter. One could barely see through the red.

[PvtShot]

Re: Which Rifle for a Sharpshooter Impression.

Maybe someone in this kid's area might want to invite him to come join the ranks of their unit for more knowledge on accurate or universal immpressions? I think that may be a little more constructive.

Adam, try to contact the Liberty Rifles if you would like to branch and explore a more progressive side of the hobby, they cover several different immpressions and I'm sure they would be happy to have a young recruit who is WILLING to learn. I'm assuming thats why you are on this forum.

Thanks,
Eliot Toscano
The Buckras

SCAR/SRR

[Moose]

Re: Which Rifle for a Sharpshooter Impression.

Adam,
Being from central Virginia I have done a lot of reserch on the 47th Virginia. I can you tell that the 47th did not have a "sharpshooter" company. So, obtaining a weapon based upon the normal duties of skirmishers does not justify, as others have said, a "sharpshooters" impression, and in this case completly out of historical context for the 47th Virginia.
Now as for what weapon you should look into, go with an Enfield 3-band rifled-musket, or a Harper's Ferry musket. Those whould be your best options for and ANV unit from Virginia.

BTW, what company of the 47th does your unit portray?

PS - for some good reading, pick up Homer D. Musselman's History of the 47th Virginia.

Cheers,

[Silas]

Re: Which Rifle for a Sharpshooter Impression.

Here's a quick discussion from a few years ago about the so-called sniper glasses : http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/...s+sharpshooter

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Which Rifle for a Sharpshooter Impression.

Hallo!

There are pre 1860 and post 1860 frosted amber "shooters" glasses" as well as green, blue, and red type lens glasses for eye disorders as well as the "treatment" of certain types of vision loss and light sensitivity from syphillis, etc.
Amber lenses were also sold as "landscape" glasses to enhance the appearance of the Outdoors for "vacationers and "strollers."

Curt
Blind Pew Mess

[Rebbeh]

Re: Which Rifle for a Sharpshooter Impression.

Another neat little book, chock full of information is "Sharpshooters of the American Civil War 1861-65" by Osprey Publishing, writen by Philip Katcher

[DougCooper]

Re: Which Rifle for a Sharpshooter Impression.

Adam, by now you might be a touch confused, so here is a condensation, so far.

The 47th Virginia did not have a sharpshooter company, according to some folks who have researched it. I did a quick search - found nothing as well.

The 47th Virginia, like all infantry regiments, did have skirmishers - a basic skill of the soldiers.

The 47th Virginia was issued standard long arms, as with other ANV regiments, so try to find out from your new unit, or on your own, what arms they were issued.

Ergo, avoid special glasses, scopes and special rifles if your impression is the 47th Virginia.

If NOT the 47th Virginia, then the most prevalent sharpshooter weapon was probably an Enfield 3 band rifle musket, without a scope.

And at the end of the day, an Enfield is simply a good choice for your CS infantry impression, absent any other more specific info.

But the best advice was that offerred by Curt, Eliot and Troy, et al. You sound like our kind of guy, so look toward joining an authentic unit in your area.

Good luck!

Oh here is another good book on the 47th VA:

Reminiscences of a Rebel [40th & 47th Virginia Infantry]
Dunaway was a member of the 47th Virginia Regiment and saw action at Seven Pines, the Seven Days fighting, Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. He became Captain of Co. I, 40th Virginia Infantry in 1863, was captured shortly after the Battle of Gettysburg and spent twenty months in the Old Capitol Prison in Washington and later Johnson's Landing in Lake Erie. By Rev. Wayland Dunaway. Hardcover. $25.00.

PS - found an article here by Ley Watson who mentions that the 47th Va was issued Harper's Ferry muskets early on: http://www.47thva.org/pages/articles/bayonet.html

[Rev]

Re: Which Rifle for a Sharpshooter Impression.

Hallo!

There are pre 1860 and post 1860 frosted amber "shooters" glasses" as well as green, blue, and red type lens glasses for eye disorders as well as the "treatment" of certain types of vision loss and light sensitivity from syphillis, etc.
Amber lenses were also sold as "landscape" glasses to enhance the appearance of the Outdoors for "vacationers and "strollers."

Curt
Blind Pew Mess

From what I can tell these are not the specs for eye disorders. The left lens is completely read and frosted and the right has a small clear center. They look different from any of the therapeutic spectacles I've seen. But, who knows?

[27thNCdrummer]

Re: Which Rifle for a Sharpshooter Impression.

I would suggest reading Shock Troops of the Confederacy. That should answer all your questions.

[RJSamp]

Re: Which Rifle for a Sharpshooter Impression.

Hallo!
3. Skirmish order and skirmishers do not involve sharpshooters or sharpshooter type long-range rifles.

Curt
Company "A," 1st USSS (LH)
Company "C,", 7th ICOVSS (LH)

Curt, yes they do......especially Army of Northern Virginia. Start with "Shock Troops of the Confederacy". Eugene Blackford's private papers (quoted extensively throughout the book) are especially revealing. One of the reason's that Iverson gets KO'd severely on July 1st 1863 by Baxter is their lack of a skirmish line....their skirmishers having been organized into the Division Sharpshooter Battalion under Blackford....who were being used to maintain a firepower line from Oak Hill in the West to Gordon's troops by Steven's Run over by 'Barlow's Knoll'.

The simple PEC answer to this thread is a P53 Enfield......2 bander rifles being banned from many reenacting events.

[Minieball577]

Re: Which Rifle for a Sharpshooter Impression.

"Berry Benson's Civil War Book" is also a great primary source work about rebel sharpshooters. You can get it through Amazon.

[tmdreb]

Re: Which Rifle for a Sharpshooter Impression.

Being that the only real difference for the most part between CS sharpshooters and "regular" infantry is how they were used, I would think that a standard rifle musket would be your best choice for a weapon.

By yourself, your sharpshooter impression shouldn't look any different from any other CS infantryman, save for the fact that you're more likely to carry a rifled weapon.

[Rebbeh]

Re: Which Rifle for a Sharpshooter Impression.

Depending on what unit also, you may or may not have a sleeve insignia (this was used in order for officers not to shoot the roaming sharpshooters as mistaken shirkers :p )