Fred L. Ray's Shock Troops of the South

[gary]

Not since a century ago when in 1899 Maj. W. S. Dunlop penned, Lee’s Sharp Shooters or the Forefront of Battle, has a book been written on the Confederate Sharpshooter battalions. Until now. Author Fred L. Ray, himself a descendent of a sharpshooter, devoted years of research into the Confederate sharpshooter and the sharpshooter battalions in the Army of Northern Virginia. His book, Shock Troops of the South, begins with a brief discussion linear warfare beginning with the hoplite armies of ancient Greece and moves quickly onto early riflemen both in America and abroad and finally, the European influence on antebellum officers who rose to positions of prominence in the Confederacy.

Mr. Ray discusses how the need for a more professional skirmisher capable of screening the line of battle led to raising of sharpshooter battalions in the Confederacy. He identifies the early proponents of whom Major Eugene Blackford, Fifth Alabama, figures prominently. In describing their battles, the author shows how they influenced battles and in so doing, influenced Lee into raising similar battalions throughout his army. What follows is a exhaustive but highly readable study of the actions of the sharpshooter battalions in the Overland Campaign, Early’s Raid on Washington and the Siege of Petersburg. Shock Troops of the South fills the gaps created Dunlop’s work of a century earlier.

Shock Troops of the South does not neglect their Union protagonists nor the Confederate sharpshooters who fought in other theatres. While not as extensively researched, Mr. Ray does leave the reader with an adequate appreciation of what happened elsewhere. He concludes with a discussion of the open order used by the Confederate sharpshooters and how their tactics came to be used by later armies in World War I. A worthy addition to the shelf of any student of the Civil War, Shock Troops of the South was worth the hundred year wait.

GaryYee, author of Sharpshooters (1750-1900), The Men, Their Guns, Their Story.

[william42]

Gary, I guess it was those guys who took out General Sedgwick at Spotsylvania? After he said they couldn't hit an elephant at that distance?? Looks like an interesting book. Didn't know it was out. I guess it can be purchased on Amazon? (maybe Abebooks?) And you're the author..is that correct? Sort of explains your avatar, too.

Terry

[gary]

Fred L. Ray is the author and you can buy it direct from him at http://sharpshooters.cfspress.com or from him at Amazon. Buy direct and save him the commission he'd otherwise owe to Amazon. Be sure to ask him to autograph it to you too William. You may want to contact him first so you know when to submit an order.

BTW, I've read the preview copy and haven't received my own copy yet. My own book is still in the editor's hands. While we cover similar grounds, our two books are very different and complimentary to each other. Mine concerns battlefield marksmanship and while Mr. Ray does cover that too, he extensively follows the battles of the sharpshooter battalions in the Army of Northern Virginia.

[william42]

Thanks Gary. Sorry I got that wrong. Does your book cover both Union and Confederate marksmen (sharpshooters)? Also when do you expect it to come out?

Terry

[gary]

Terry, my book covers North & South and is more extensive in that there is are complete chapters on sharpshooting in the Midwest as well as one for the Mississippi region and the coastline. I've condensed the 40 pages on Battery Wagner to a magazine length article for one magazine. Out of necessity a lot of neat things were left out and I'm hoping they pick it up.

If you subscribe to The Military Collector and Historian (journal of the Company of Military Historians), there will be two articles (Fall & Winter 2006) written by me that will discuss things concerning the Confederate Sharpshooter not covered in Fred's book.

Click on this link and go to the last post on the last page if you want to see more about the contents of my book. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=36853

As to the release date, I've spoken with the editor and hope to get it back in a few months time in order to have it printed after June of this year.