Georgia Sharpshooters?

[Jabby76]

This illustration is being passed off on Wikipedia as the 1st Georgia Sharpshooters and I have my doubts. I'm far from being an expert on the uniforms of Confederate marksmen but isn't this just yet another image of Berdan's Sharpshooters?

 

[RedRover]

Yes. The artist certainly appeared to be copying the uniform of the Berdan sharpshooters of the US Army, with green uniforms, and leather leggings, hair-on cowskin knapsacks, etc.

The First Georgia Sharpshooters of the Confederate army as a battalion formed in the summer of 1862 from men of several different units combined. For example, Company A, 1st Georgia Volunteers (Olmstead's regiment) was transferred/detached to serve as Company B of the new 1st Battalion of Georgia Sharpshooters, etc. Company A of the Sharpshooters was composed of men transferred from the 1st, 25th and 47th Georgia Volunteers, etc.

Uniform clothing was contracted for the battalion by the Government, from Mr. Henry Lathrop of Savannah. Though it was noted that by the time they went to the front not all of the men had been outfitted. Some wartime ads from Mr. Lathrop's concern...

From July, 1862:

 

[Jabby76]

Yes. The artist certainly appeared to be copying the uniform of the Berdan sharpshooters of the US Army, with green uniforms, and leather leggings, hair-on cowskin knapsacks, etc.

The First Georgia Sharpshooters of the Confederate army as a battalion formed in the summer of 1862 from men of several different units combined. For example, Company A, 1st Georgia Volunteers (Olmstead's regiment) was transferred/detached to serve as Company B of the new 1st Battalion of Georgia Sharpshooters, etc. Company A of the Sharpshooters was composed of men transferred from the 1st, 25th and 47th Georgia Volunteers, etc.

Uniform clothing was contracted for the battalion by the Government, from Mr. Henry Lathrop of Savannah. Though it was noted that by the time they went to the front not all of the men had been outfitted. Some wartime ads from Mr. Lathrop's concern...

From July, 1862:

View attachment 547195

View attachment 547196

Thanks for your answer, mate. I've been looking for good images of Confederate sharpshooters and was momentarily excited by this one but upon closer inspection...

 

[RedRover]

Thanks for your answer, mate. I've been looking for good images of Confederate sharpshooters and was momentarily excited by this one but upon closer inspection...

Here's one posing with his Whitworth...

Only known image of a Confederate Sharpshooter with a scoped Whitworth Rifle | Small Arms & Ammunition

Unidentified http://www.oldsouthantiques.com/os1389p2.htm

civilwartalk.com

Here's an online collection of Confederate sharpshooters' photographs...

A Sharpshooter's Gallery

History of the sharpshooter battalions of the army of nothern Virginia in the American Civil War using recently discovered documents and diaries

www.cfspress.com

Confederate veteran A.C. Redwood illustrated a sharpshooter of the Army of Northern Virginia helping a comrade, while wearing a sharpshooter badge on his jacket...

So did Winslow Homer, in his famous painting of "Prisoners from the front" depicting a scene of the siege of Petersburg.

The prisoner in front wears a sharpshooter badge on his jacket sleeve (and a veteran badge below it)...

 

[Jabby76]

Here's one posing with his Whitworth...

Only known image of a Confederate Sharpshooter with a scoped Whitworth Rifle | Small Arms & Ammunition

Unidentified http://www.oldsouthantiques.com/os1389p2.htm

civilwartalk.com

Here's an online collection of Confederate sharpshooters' photographs...

A Sharpshooter's Gallery

History of the sharpshooter battalions of the army of nothern Virginia in the American Civil War using recently discovered documents and diaries

www.cfspress.com

Confederate veteran A.C. Redwood illustrated a sharpshooter of the Army of Northern Virginia helping a comrade, while wearing a sharpshooter badge on his jacket...

View attachment 547634

So did Winslow Homer, in his famous painting of "Prisoners from the front" depicting a scene of the siege of Petersburg.
View attachment 547635
The prisoner in front wears a sharpshooter badge on his jacket sleeve (and a veteran badge below it)...

View attachment 547636

Beautiful images. Thank you kindly.

 

[Mississippian1861]

Beautiful images. Thank you kindly.

Here is an photo of Pvt. Green Sheppard, Co. C, 1st Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters. KIA Chickamauga. He is showing off his Enfield Rifle Musket and British style accoutrements.

 

[Stryker65]

@Barnesville Blues may have some more information; they've researched the 4th Georgia Sharpshooters for a while.

 

[jepridgen]

The 1st Ga SS was a western battalion. Were they authorized a badge? The ANV Sharpshooter battalions were ad hoc organizations from picked men, but the various GA battalions were actual units organized similar to a regular regiment. I'm straining my brain, but I can't recall if western/AoT sharpshooters had authorized distinctive badges.

 

[Mississippian1861]

The 1st Ga SS was a western battalion. Were they authorized a badge? The ANV Sharpshooter battalions were ad hoc organizations from picked men, but the various GA battalions were actual units organized similar to a regular regiment. I'm straining my brain, but I can't recall if western/AoT sharpshooters had authorized distinctive badges.

No special badges that I can recall. The AoT sharpshooter organizations were mixed in their organization. Units like the 9th Battalion Mississippi Sharpshooters were picked men from various regiments in their brigade, but in a formal rather than ad hoc organization. Other units like the 1st Battalion Mississippi Sharpshooters were simply line infantry companies that were pulled together in to a light infantry/sharpshooter role. The only ANV style ad hoc unit I can think of off the top of my head was a battalion formed from Walthall's Mississippi Brigade before the Atlanta campaign.

 

[Stryker65]

The 1st Ga SS was a western battalion. Were they authorized a badge? The ANV Sharpshooter battalions were ad hoc organizations from picked men, but the various GA battalions were actual units organized similar to a regular regiment. I'm straining my brain, but I can't recall if western/AoT sharpshooters had authorized distinctive badges.

Pretty sure the 1st GA SS was a battalion formed for that role. The three other GA SS units were all ad hoc as well -- the 2nd was surplus companies of the 5th GA and the 4th was surplus companies of the 37th GA.

 

[Barnesville Blues]

The 1st and 4th Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters didn't have any badges, at least I have never found any evidence of it. Admittedly, of all the photos of members of the 4th Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters I have, none of them are portraits of them in Uniform at a time when they would have been in the 4th Georgia Sharpshooters. I have photos of some of the members in Uniform including my avatar but these were taken very early in the war, perhaps before they had even left Georgia when they were members of the 3rd Battalion Georgia Infantry.

The 1st Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters did have a few Whitworth Rifles. During the Atlanta Campaign, inspections were done of the Army of Tennessee and Survive in the National Archives. It was in this inspection report where it is mentioned there being Whitworth Rifles in the 1st Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters.

The 4th Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters were mainly armed with the 3-Band Enfield Rifles and some of the men also had Lorenz Rifles. I have found no evidence of any Whitworth or any other Target Rifles in the 4th Battalion Georgia Sharpshooters.

 

[gary]

Third Battalion was raised differently from the other three by the general commanding. They were afterward given state recognition.

I'll have to check my book as it's been over a decade ago.

 

[Mint Julep]

 

[Klaudly]

My Sharp Shooters Badge: