He used to conveniently disappear when the shooting began I've heard..

So I guess that's where the term sharpshooter comes from? They were shooting sharpes rifles?

@@kzeich yes, but as far him disappearing when the shooting started, I do not know. I do know that he was not well like by his men.

They were called rifleman that's a modern term even the buttons have a R

Thank you very much! A lot of time and research!

@@CompanyD2ndUSSS your diligent research is very apparent Sir 🙂

Yeah, all of the pre existing US infantry units were full time professional soldiers.

Not to be mean but, why are advertising your channel? I mean someone can just press your profilecause the ***Sharpshooter name on ya***.

Thanks. It's always good to hear from the 1st Minn.

No offence taken pard, I'm trying to grow my channel and circle of friends that share the same hobby.

Excellent presentation

James Nelson keeps your eyes peeled. We did a officers sword video over last weekend.

Company D 2nd USSS i went looking for the video on your you tube site and did not see it. Or did y'all mean that y'all filmed it but had not posted it yet? Thanks!

Absolutely correct! However they didnt last long due to be shot at by friendly forces mistaking them for Confederates.

@@CompanyD2ndUSSS I see. Thank you for responding.

There were lenses. They were pretty low powered and fragile but they worked.

James Nelson sharps bayonets were the same style as he 1855 and 1861 Springfield bayonets just with a "Collins&Co." Stamping on the body of the bayonet with a "C" on the blade near the socket. However, for modern reenacting use no one really makes a sharps bayonet specific to these rifles so we take a 1861 Springfield bayonet and modify them for use with a sharps. Capt. Whitehall

Thank you captain Whitehall. Keep up the good work!👍

They did, there were recruitments in 1862, 1863 and in 1864. There wasnt much however to really make an impact. From what our findings show to is the "replacements" suffered high casualties fairly quickly, probably due to lack of experience.

For the time yes and no. While skirmish drill was a known practice at the time the USSS perfected it and made it a whole new animal. I would say they were like SF in the way of being unconventional to win but definitely were not sent on deep enemy missions like the SEALs are today. Great comment!

@@CompanyD2ndUSSS oh ok

You might want to look into the exploits of Commander William B. Cussing. His actions were more similar to the Navy SEALS than any other individual or unit in the Civil War.

Great question. The term sharpshooter actually comes from German and predates both the unit and the Sharp's rifle.

The suspenders you are seeing are probably the riflemans straps from the calf hide knapsacks. As for the bayonets, the sharpshooters were initially issued them but were quickly discarded. However, during an inspection it was noted they were missing and therefore were deducted pay to replace them. They actually did have a small handful of bayonet charges in the war, the battle of Auburn and a small portion of sharpshooters also did so at Gettysburg from what can be recollected at the moment.

They had a pretty colorful reputation. The targets they took and the tactics they used were often looked down upon but officers saw their value. They were unequaled at skirmish, accuracy, and their ability to work independently. At times, sharpshooters were mutinous, unruly, and didn't look particularly martial in appearance but their reputation as professionals on the field gained them a lot of respect even as the entire 2nd USSS cocked their rifles at a threatening general once. Diaries do show a level of mutual respect between US and Confederate sharpshooters. Wyman White tells of a story while on furlough a drunken Union soldier in a bar said he'd fight any man in the bar except a Berdan. Post war, they went back to their communities with the same level of respect (if not more) as any other veteran it seems. Great question, I hope this helped a bit.

@@CompanyD2ndUSSS Thanks for the info! It clears out a lot of misinformation I had, I always thought they were considered little more than murderers but were apparantly able to live in their communities post war, which makes sense since they fought and risked their lives like everyone else in the army. My idea of sharpshooters living a sectarian life unable to present themselves as sharpshooters in social life also seems not so accurate then. Shame there seems to be no definitive modern study of the Berdan's I looked on the net, saw some book from the 1890s and some more modern expensive ones that didn't. I'm interested in the whole story, not only tactics and weapons and stuff but what it was like to be part of something very modern within military life and society back then.

Ideally yes they would have. However the green uniforms quickly wore out and blues were alot more common for quite obvious reasons. A mixture of blue and green especially in the summer months. By the end of the war it was a mix of military and civilian gear.

Known as rifleman, or rangers. The United States Sharpshooters were the first ones to be designated as such in the US Army. Voltigeurs, Jägers and Scharfschutze were used well before and after George Washington as well.

They were not. Just a very coincidental situation where the USSS used sharps rifles. Sharpshooter goes back to the early 1800s with the Germans/Prussians.

There's no units in the Regular Army that draws their lineage from these U.S. Volunteer regiments that I am aware of.

Uh no they were white dude.

I have seen alot of that with other berdan units than our own. We love to take casualties and have some good guys of us that take awesome hits

@@CompanyD2ndUSSS Other than just knowing they were Berdans I have no idea what units they were, but the reenactments I observed this at were in New England or New York. I never noticed this when I went to big events down South.BTW I loved taking a hit as well. I honestly don't think I ever survived a battle. LOL I once even fled and had one of our sergeants shoot me in the back.