Old Hickory
Sergeant Major
- Joined
- May 4, 2010
- Location
- Enders, Pa.
This is the first I've read of air rifles used in the ACW. This taken from Greg Coco's book, "War Stories."
Reported from Col. John H. Patrick, 5th Ohio Inf. near Culp's Hill, Gettysburg July 3, "...being much annnoyed by Confederate sharpshooters. Some of them had air rifles, and we could not discover their whereabouts. At night the flashes of regular rifles can be seen, but there is no warning from an air rifle."
I know air rifles have been around for centuries in Europe, and have been used by hunters, poachers, and soldiers, but this is the only ACW refrance I've ever seen. BTW, these ain't DAISYS!..The rifles in question here are of fairly large caliber and quite capable of killing a man or deer with a single shot. I've seen some in museums dating from the 18th. century, but paid little attention to them. They were so deadly that in some European countries they were out-lawed.
Reported from Col. John H. Patrick, 5th Ohio Inf. near Culp's Hill, Gettysburg July 3, "...being much annnoyed by Confederate sharpshooters. Some of them had air rifles, and we could not discover their whereabouts. At night the flashes of regular rifles can be seen, but there is no warning from an air rifle."
I know air rifles have been around for centuries in Europe, and have been used by hunters, poachers, and soldiers, but this is the only ACW refrance I've ever seen. BTW, these ain't DAISYS!..The rifles in question here are of fairly large caliber and quite capable of killing a man or deer with a single shot. I've seen some in museums dating from the 18th. century, but paid little attention to them. They were so deadly that in some European countries they were out-lawed.