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.
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Insights into the real lives of history's fighting men, packed with full colour illustrations, highly detailed cutaways, exploded artwork of weaponry and armour, and action-packed battle scenes.
About the Author
Philip Katcher served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam. He is the author of over 30 books in the field of American military history, and was named a Fellow of the Company of Military Historians for his work on the Vietnam conflict. He is also a member of the living history Civil War unit, serving with Huckstep's First Fluvanna Battery/24th New York Light Artillery.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent introduction to the Civil War's elite soldiers,
By Dave (Tennessee United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sharpshooters of the American Civil War 1861-65 (Warrior) (Paperback)
This is a great summary of the role of sharpshooters in the American Civil War. It has a list of the different sharpshooter units of both Union & Confederate armies, b & w photos of artifacts including a James Morgan target rifle, a Colt revolving rifle, a Sharps rifle, 1858 Enfield rifled muskets, & thankfully, an 1863 Whitworth, the preferred choice of the Confederate sharpshooters. I've been a Civil War buff since the age of seven & two of my ancestors were Confederate sharpshooters: Pvt. David B. Forehand, Co. C, 1st Bn. Georgia Sharpshooters, & Pvt. Jeptha Forehand, Co. B, 17th Bn. Alabama Sharpshooters. Both served honorably throughout the war in the Army of Tennessee. This book has eight pages of color illustrations, including one of a soldier of Georgia's 1st Bn. Sharpshooters. While only 64 pages long, this book is highly recommended to all Civil War buffs. For a more in-depth look at Union sharpshooters, I recommend Wiley Sword's "Sharpshooter: Hiram Berdan, His Famous Sharpshooters, & Their Sharps Rifles". Books on Confederate sharpshooters are few & far between, but I recommend "Diary of a Confederate Sharpshooter: the Life of James Conrad Peters" as well as "Georgia Sharpshooter: the Civil War Diary & Letters of William R. Montgomery".
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite Osprey titles...,
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This review is from: Sharpshooters of the American Civil War 1861-65 (Warrior) (Paperback)
This book covers training,combat,uniforms,weapons and tactics of Union and Confederate sharpshooters. The plates are great especially Berdan's Sharpshooters at Gettysburg. Any Civil War fan will enjoy this book!
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sharpshooters of the American Civil War 1861-1865,
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This review is from: Sharpshooters of the American Civil War 1861-65 (Warrior) (Paperback)
Very nice pictures of uniforms and equipment for the Confederate and Union Armies. Nice detail and focus on accuracy of the accessories used by the soldiers. Rifles were pictured in a group with enlarged breech areas. All done in artists rendition. Few actual pictures of rifles, except with pictures of soldiers posing with rifles. Hard to see detail then.Pictures are old and grainy. And no close-ups of them. I suppose there are few rifles to use for pictures. I like the Green uniforms shown for Berdains Sharpshooters. Book presents brief overview of Sharpshooters from both sides. Nice quick summary book. Short but sweet! Thanks. Larry
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Americans have long made their ability with rifles, something required on a frontier where most of one's food came from what one hunted, a matter of national pride. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
sharpshooter battalion, sharpshooter units, skirmish drill, sharpshooter companies, sharpshooter company, target rifle, rifled musket Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Army of Tennessee, New York, Army of the Potomac, South Carolina, Army of Northern Virginia, North Carolina, Barry Benson, Mahone's Brigade, United States, John Laughton, Georgia Battalion, Georgia Sharpshooter Battalion, John Young, New Hampshire, West Point Museum, Alabama Battalion, Army of North Virginia, Harper's Weekly, Major Charles Mattocks, Major Dunlop, Mississippi Battalion, Mississippi Sharpshooter Battalion, Private William Greene, Richard Carlile, Trans-Mississippi Department New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Americans have long made their ability with rifles, something required on a frontier where most of one's food came from what one hunted, a matter of national pride. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
sharpshooter battalion, sharpshooter units, skirmish drill, sharpshooter companies, sharpshooter company, target rifle, rifled musket Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Army of Tennessee, New York, Army of the Potomac, South Carolina, Army of Northern Virginia, North Carolina, Barry Benson, Mahone's Brigade, United States, John Laughton, Georgia Battalion, Georgia Sharpshooter Battalion, John Young, New Hampshire, West Point Museum, Alabama Battalion, Army of North Virginia, Harper's Weekly, Major Charles Mattocks, Major Dunlop, Mississippi Battalion, Mississippi Sharpshooter Battalion, Private William Greene, Richard Carlile, Trans-Mississippi Department New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 7
books:
See all 7 books this book cites
- The Civil War by Eugene M. Wait in Back Matter
- Abraham Lincoln (The Ohio Experience) by Carole Marsh on page 15
- American Civil War (Praeger Illustrated Military History) by Angus Konstam on page 56
- War Diary: 1939-1945 (The Story of World War II in the words of those who lived through it) by I W Museum on page 56
- AMERICAN CIVIL WAR (Brasseys Almanac) by Philip Katcher in Front Matter
See all 7 books this book cites
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