Berdan

[MikeyB]

hey guys,
Two questions on Berdan's USSS.
Any evidence that Berdan modeled his unit after or took inspiration from the green jacket rifles from Sharpe fame?
Were USSS technically "regulars?" Could you be organized by the Federal government versus a state and NOT be considered a regular unit? Was there such a thing as Federal Volunteers for instance?

 

[major bill]

I have not overly studied Berdan and the USSS so am not sure what inspired him. Before and during the Napoleonic Wars, Great Britain as well as other European nations had worked with light infantry type units. the United States experimented with these type of units during the American Revolution and War of 1812. Special tactics had been developed by the various nations. Some time ago I read a study that compared the tactic used by some of the European nations during this time frame. I can not remember too much of the article.

The United States Regiment of Riflemen was formed in 1808 and was used during the War of 1812 (4 regiments during that war). The Regiment of Riflemen wore green uniforms. The Regiment of Riflemen was ended in 1821.

 

[major bill]

Were USSS technically "regulars?" Could you be organized by the Federal government versus a state and NOT be considered a regular unit? Was there such a thing as Federal Volunteers for instance?

I know the early in the Civil War the Federal Government formed two regiments here in Michigan outside of the State of Michigan's control. They were not really regulars but not really State regiments as they were formed under the Federal government and not supplied nor controlled by the State of Michigan.

 

[Philip Leigh]

hey guys,
Two questions on Berdan's USSS.
Any evidence that Berdan modeled his unit after or took inspiration from the green jacket rifles from Sharpe fame?
Were USSS technically "regulars?" Could you be organized by the Federal government versus a state and NOT be considered a regular unit? Was there such a thing as Federal Volunteers for instance?

The Wikipedia article is pretty good but has some errors.

It was a volunteer Federal regiment composed of sharpshooters from different states. They chose the Sharps breechloading rifle but Ordnance Chief General James W. Ripley resisted the request. (Wikipedia erroneously says it was Scott who was the key resistance agent.) Ripley tried to give them Springfield muzzleloaders, but was eventually forced to provide Sharps breechloader based upon a directive from President Lincoln.

Berdan turned down the Spencer repeating rifle after testing one that misfired in his face.

Several companies of the Sharpshooters are sometimes said to have played a critical role in delaying Longstreet's attack on the second day at Gettysburg owing to their superior firepower.

 

[Rhea Cole]

There were a lot of sharpshooter units in the Union army. Notably, the 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters were on Little Roundtop with the 20th Maine. There were sharpshooter battalions from Maine, Massachusetts & there states, as well.

 

[rpkennedy]

hey guys,
Two questions on Berdan's USSS.
Any evidence that Berdan modeled his unit after or took inspiration from the green jacket rifles from Sharpe fame?
Were USSS technically "regulars?" Could you be organized by the Federal government versus a state and NOT be considered a regular unit? Was there such a thing as Federal Volunteers for instance?

I suppose they were technically Regulars as they were federal units (recruited by companies in various states) but I would call them more specialized units that were distinct from both Regulars and volunteers. As for inspiration, Americans have had a relationship with marksmen and riflemen going back to the Revolution (many of whom also wore green uniforms). I believe that Colonel Berdan was reaching back to that heritage rather than British history (although it could be argued that the British and American riflemen were coming from similar histories).

Ryan

 

[rpkennedy]

Several companies of the Sharpshooters are sometimes said to have played a critical role in delaying Longstreet's attack on the second day at Gettysburg owing to their superior firepower.

I personally would say that that is overstating what happened. I would argue that the companies of the 2nd United States Sharpshooters pulled the line of march of General Evander Law's brigade further eastward due to their threat against his rear if he turned northeast rather than due to their firepower. The sharpshooters didn't lay down heavy fire but rather, played annoying skirmish fire that simply could not be ignored by the Alabamans. That said, this annoyance plus General Hood's wounding early in the march, dramatically influenced how the assault against Devil's Den, Houck's Ridge, and Little Round Top transpired.

Ryan

 

[rpkennedy]

There were a lot of sharpshooter units in the Union army. Notably, the 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters were on Little Roundtop with the 20th Maine. There were sharpshooter battalions from Maine, Massachusetts & there states, as well.

Most of the 2nd United States Sharpshooters did not end up fighting on LRT (although some did rally around the 20th Maine's Company B) but were rather spread out to the east of both Round Tops having retreated in the face of Law's Alabamans.

In the area though was Brady's Michigan Sharpshooters (attached as an extra company to the 16th Michigan) who were sent as skirmishers towards Big Round Top along with the 16th's Company A.

Ryan

 

[Rhea Cole]

In the Gettysburg movie, Colonel Chamberland orders sharpshooters to the flank. The green clad soldiers rush past, exiting camera right. From the thread, I assume they were men of the sharpshooters who rallied with the 20th. No doubt, someone with far more AoP knowledge than I have will enlighten us on the subject.

Historical perspective:

At the Battle of New Orleans, the 500 man "demi-batallion" of the 95th Rifles led the the assault on Jackson. Advancing in open order as skirmishers were trained to do, the 95th made it to the ditch below the parapet. Those of us familiar with the Battle of Franklin will recognize what happened next. As the 95th cowered in the ditch unable to go forward or retreat, the main force was slaughtered. The account I have does not make it clear, but when General Lambert of the reserve ordered a withdrawal, it appears that the 95th joined the covering force.

If Franklin is any indication, there is no wonder that Cornwell left Sharpe out of that one. At Franklin, the men who made it to the ditch collapsed against the berm, unable to go any further. It isn't hard to imagine something of the sort happening to men of the 95th. It must have shocked them to the very core of their being to withdraw over the shattered remains of their comrades who literally lay in heaps.

During the buildup to the battle, the British veterans were shocked by the aggressive behavior of the Americans. In the war with France, once the armies confronted one another, an informal truce would take hold. Jackson had no such Continental manners. Militia & Indians constantly harassed the British camp. A night attack came very close to overrunning the British HQ. I do not have a source on how the men of the 95th coped with rifle fire coming from invisible hit & run attackers on a 24/7 schedule.

How's this for a bar bet....

The U.S. & Britain were still at war during the Battle of New Orleans. The Treaty of Ghent did not arrive in Washington until February 14, 1814. News of Jackson's victory had arrived more than a week before. President Madison signed the unanimously ratified agreement on February 16th. That officially brought the war to a close. Free drinks, you don't have to thank me.

 

[gary]

Could be Swiss influence for the green. Co A. of 1 USSS European Jagers traditionally wore green. I doubt if it was because of the British rifleman. Remember, our rifle regiments on the War of 1812 initially wore green too. The notion of wearing green is obvious: less visibility. In winter they were supposed to be clad in grey, but that would cause obvious problems.

Somebody mentioned they were federal. They were not regulars but volunteers and federal in the sense that they were authorized by the War Department and not by some state governor. In that sense, they were no better than the 20th Maine or any other state raised unit. Secondly, holding a rank in the USSS did not mean that one could immediately transfer to the regulars post war with that same rank. Look at all the Maj. Gen., Brig. Gen. who in regular service were only Colonels or Lt. Colonels - if they were invited to remain. Thus Hiram Berdan could not expect to command the 7th Cavalry or any other unit as a colonel in 1866.

 

[Rhea Cole]

Feldjäger Corps Uniform
​

It was traditional for light infantry to wear green uniforms. Hessians during the Revolution wore green. Jäger means hunter in German. The light/jäger infantry provided skirmishers ahead of the heavy infantry. Because of the necessity of using a lubricating patch & forcing the bullet down the bore, rifles were slower to load than a smoothbore musket. It also required a trained man to take advantage of its accuracy. As a result, Jäger & rifle regiments came into being. In that tradition, sharpshooters wore green uniforms.

Berdan Sharpshooter Uniform, National Museum of American History​

This uniform is the original style. Later issues had hard rubber buttons to avoid reflections. A green forage cap with leather trim accompanied the Berdan uniform.

Berdan required volunteers to undergo a rigorous trial to prove their skills. Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper.​

Thought this image of Berdan auditioning volunteers was worth posting. General McClellan & apparently a whole crowd of Ladies came out to see the show.

​

 

[gary]

It is noteworthy that the Fifth Battalion, Royal Americans, 60th, later retitled the King's Royal Rifle Corps, was raised 1797 prior to the Experimental Corps of Riflemen that became the 95th. The 5/60 wore green trimmed in red. There were other smaller units that preceded the 5/60 that wore green too that were amalgamated to form the 5/6. The very first green clad riflemen in the British Army was the Queens Rangers, formerly titled Roger's Rangers (the Revolutionary War one raised by the same man who raised the F&I War Roger's Rangers), had a small section (16 men, one sergeant) clad in green and armed with rifles (read Simcoe for confirmation). Best read on the German jagers of the translated diary is von Ewald's which was published as, Diary of the American Revolution. von Ewald wrote some light infantry material that influenced the light infantry and rifleman manuals used by the British Army. The British were the last in the old world to adopt the rifle on a regular basis.

The Germans though were the first to use green but I'm not going to figure out which principality of the Holy Roman Empire set the precedent. Gotta speak and read olde German to do that.

This material was discussed in chapter 1 (and less so in chapter 2) of my first book.

 

[MikeyB]

It is noteworthy that the Fifth Battalion, Royal Americans, 60th, later retitled the King's Royal Rifle Corps, was raised 1797 prior to the Experimental Corps of Riflemen that became the 95th. The 5/60 wore green trimmed in red. There were other smaller units that preceded the 5/60 that wore green too that were amalgamated to form the 5/6. The very first green clad riflemen in the British Army was the Queens Rangers, formerly titled Roger's Rangers (the Revolutionary War one raised by the same man who raised the F&I War Roger's Rangers), had a small section (16 men, one sergeant) clad in green and armed with rifles (read Simcoe for confirmation). Best read on the German jagers of the translated diary is von Ewald's which was published as, Diary of the American Revolution. von Ewald wrote some light infantry material that influenced the light infantry and rifleman manuals used by the British Army. The British were the last in the old world to adopt the rifle on a regular basis.

The Germans though were the first to use green but I'm not going to figure out which principality of the Holy Roman Empire set the precedent. Gotta speak and read olde German to do that.

This material was discussed in chapter 1 (and less so in chapter 2) of my first book.

What was the thinking behind slower British widespread adoption of the rifle? Did smoothbores have a higher rate of fire as an offset to accuracy and range?

 

[BillO]

It is noteworthy that the Fifth Battalion, Royal Americans, 60th, later retitled the King's Royal Rifle Corps, was raised 1797 prior to the Experimental Corps of Riflemen that became the 95th. The 5/60 wore green trimmed in red. There were other smaller units that preceded the 5/60 that wore green too that were amalgamated to form the 5/6. The very first green clad riflemen in the British Army was the Queens Rangers, formerly titled Roger's Rangers (the Revolutionary War one raised by the same man who raised the F&I War Roger's Rangers), had a small section (16 men, one sergeant) clad in green and armed with rifles (read Simcoe for confirmation). Best read on the German jagers of the translated diary is von Ewald's which was published as, Diary of the American Revolution. von Ewald wrote some light infantry material that influenced the light infantry and rifleman manuals used by the British Army. The British were the last in the old world to adopt the rifle on a regular basis.

The Germans though were the first to use green but I'm not going to figure out which principality of the Holy Roman Empire set the precedent. Gotta speak and read olde German to do that.

This material was discussed in chapter 1 (and less so in chapter 2) of my first book.

I have the first book but didn't realize there were more?

 

[redbob]

In the regimental history of the 11th Alabama at Gettysburg it is mentioned that they were harassed by the Sharpshooters from the front, side and rear( as the 11th was on the far right of the Confederate line) as they advanced during the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble assault on July 3rd.

 

[MikeyB]

If a good soldier could fire 3 aimed shots in a minute with a muzzle loader, what was the equivalent metric on a breechloading Sharps? And would a sharpshooter be expected to fire at this rate, or because they are aiming and firing more deliberately, in practice they were only getting off 2 shots a minute or something like that?

 

[gary]

What was the thinking behind slower British widespread adoption of the rifle? Did smoothbores have a higher rate of fire as an offset to accuracy and range?

It was believed volume of fire won battles. Flintlock rifles of the era by nature required patched balls for accuracy were slower to load. Second, open order formation required more training otherwise there is less command and control by the officers. Men were ignorant brutes; so thought the aristocratic officer class. By keeping them in closer proximity, one had better command and control. The light infantry and riflemen were controlled by bugle calls (as demonstrated by the Germans decades earlier).

Mind you, Master Gunsmith Wallace Gusler late of Colonial Wiliamsburg told me he once used a loading block to attain 5 rounds a minute with a rifle. He practiced first. This is not sustainable because rifles will foul faster than the smoothbore musket. After a while, you're going to have to rinse the fouling out.

I have the first book but didn't realize there were more?

Second book: Sharpshooters: Marksmen Through the Ages (the publisher picked the title, not I).
Third book: Union Sharpshooter v. Confederate Sharpshooters

Work on #4 on WW II sniping.

 

[gary]

If a good soldier could fire 3 aimed shots in a minute with a muzzle loader, what was the equivalent metric on a breechloading Sharps? And would a sharpshooter be expected to fire at this rate, or because they are aiming and firing more deliberately, in practice they were only getting off 2 shots a minute or something like that?

Breechloaders have their advantage. Read the Civil War Diary of Wyman White, 2nd USSS.

 

[BillO]

It was believed volume of fire won battles. Flintlock rifles of the era by nature required patched balls for accuracy were slower to load. Second, open order formation required more training otherwise there is less command and control by the officers. Men were ignorant brutes; so thought the aristocratic officer class. By keeping them in closer proximity, one had better command and control. The light infantry and riflemen were controlled by bugle calls (as demonstrated by the Germans decades earlier).

Mind you, Master Gunsmith Wallace Gusler late of Colonial Wiliamsburg told me he once used a loading block to attain 5 rounds a minute with a rifle. He practiced first. This is not sustainable because rifles will foul faster than the smoothbore musket. After a while, you're going to have to rinse the fouling out.


Second book: Sharpshooters: Marksmen Through the Ages (the publisher picked the title, not I).
Third book: Union Sharpshooter v. Confederate Sharpshooters

Work on #4 on WW II sniping.

Thanks.