In the Edinburgh Advertiser, 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.ĭuring the American Civil War, sharpshooters were used extensively by both sides. Another term "sharp shooter", was in use in British newspapers as early as 1801. These Riflemen were the elite of the British Army, and served at the forefront of any engagement, most often in skirmish formation, scouting out and delaying the enemy. Through the combination of a leather wad and tight grooves on the inside of the barrel ( rifling), this weapon was far more accurate, though slower to load. ![]() While most troops at that time used inaccurate smoothbore muskets, the British " Green Jackets" (named for their distinctive green uniforms) used the famous Baker rifle. ![]() In February, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Benjamin Forsyth, the regiment led one such successful raid on a British grenadier unit, with one member of the defeated unit later remarking that he had, "Never experienced such sharpshooting."Īnother use of units of marksmen was during the Napoleonic Wars in the British Army. By 1813, the unit had found its way to Canada where they launched a series of raids. Prior to entering the War of 1812, the unit would have seen some of its first combat in the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811 as part of the preceding Tecumseh's War, though they had fought in this battle using smoothbore muskets. The unit was equipped with the first American manufactured rifle, the Harpers Ferry Model 1803. As opposed to the standard line infantry equipped with muskets and bright blue and white uniforms, this new regiment focused on specialist light infantry tactics and uniforms were tactically colored in black and green to blend in with surroundings. As a result of the incident, the US passed legislation increasing the size of the US Army to allow for the establishment of the Regiment of Riflemen in 1808. However, over the next decade, tensions between and US and British would continue to escalate eventually culminating into the Chesapeake–Leopard affair in 1807. The unit was again disbanded in 1796 following the conclusion of the Northwest Indian War. The US army abolished rifle units following the war in 1783, but they were later revived under General Anthony Wayne and used in the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. Some of the earliest mentions of rifling and sharpshooting units in the United States originate in the time following the American Revolutionary War and during the War of 1812. Military sharpshooter history Post-American Revolution (1794–1815) ![]() The United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard use a ribbon with an attached "S" device to note a sharpshooter qualification. Along with " marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" is one of the three marksmanship badges awarded by the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. An unidentified sharpshooter for the Army of the Potomac on picket duty during the American Civil WarĪ sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately.
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