Long Range Engagement

[Busterbuttonboy]

I am posting the following primary source quote to maybe foster some discussion using PRIMARY sources to discuss longer range engagements. Lets avoid sharpshooters and focus on regimental or battalion drills, exercises, manual excerpts focusing on the utilization of the rifle at a distance. We are all familiar with close quarters actions, buck & ball etc.

Camp Marshall near Orange CH
April 26th 1864

.... We get plenty to eat yet. There is but little sickness in our company now but there is right smart of it in the Regt and Brigade you said that you should soon be done planting corn I have not seen any planted yet up here. The drum has beat for drill I will have to stop until after drill to finish it. "Just came off of drill" The 26th Regt is practicing their skirmishers. all of the Regiment have been practicing the pickets here for sometime have been shooting at the distance of 900 yards and doing good execution at "a man painted on a plank"

Letters of Benjamin Freeman Pg 37
Exposition-University Book: New York 1974

[Busterbuttonboy]

Re: Long Range Engagement

Some other excerpts to get the discussion going.

Rifles and Rifle Practice:An Elementary Treatise upon the Theory of Rifle Firing
Wilcox, 1859
"At 654 yards the Enfield rifle musket placed 40 per cent in a target 9x12 feet at 818 yards the federal rifle placed 96 per cent in a target 8x8 feet and the entire hundred balls in a target 10 x 13 feet the Belgian rifle at 818 yards put 20 per cent in a target 13 x 20 feet the Baden rifle 61 per cent in a target 9 x 30 feet at 990 yards in a target 10 x 19 feet the federal rifle put 85 per cent of its balls at 1308 yards the federal rifle put 47 per cent in a target 10 x 19 feet "


Casey's Revised Volume I
77. The instructor will recommend to the captain to make a short pause between the commands aim and fire, to give the men time to aim with accuracy.

[Blair]

Re: Long Range Engagement

Drew,

A very interesting idea.
Might I suggest Claude E Fuller's book, "The Rifled Musket".
This book shows the targets of the common firearms in use within The Service, fired at the various ranges, under differing conditions, during the Ordnance trials of the late 1850's.

[Busterbuttonboy]

Re: Long Range Engagement

H.J. Williams 5th Va.
Chap XXXI Pg 1011- Maryland Campaign
"About 5pm the enemy approached as well as could be ascertained to within some 300 yards of our immediate front...After a brisk fire of a few minutes duration the enemy retired."

Col Alonza G Draper
36th USCT
P. 165. Expedition to Popes Creek, Va
Chap XLIX
"...The enemy reserved his fire, evidently expecting a combined charge from our infantry and cavalry, and intending to open upon us at short range. I ordered my men to fix their sights for 500 yards, and directed the company commanders to pass along the line and see that every sight was properly raised. I then cautioned them to aim steadily, and fire at the bottom of the fence. "