Skirmishers

[bankerpapaw]

On a skirmish line, how many men would go out and how far out would they go?

 

[rpkennedy]

It depended on a situation. Generally speaking, a regiment would deploy a company or two forward about 100 yards or so to see what was in front of them.

R

 

[huskerblitz]

It depended on a situation. Generally speaking, a regiment would deploy a company or two forward about 100 yards or so to see what was in front of them.

R

What's a good way to find out what companies would have been selected for a particular engagement?

 

[rpkennedy]

What's a good way to find out what companies would have been selected for a particular engagement?

If a regiment had a sharpshooter company attached, the sharpshooters were most often deployed as skirmishers. In most cases, no particular company would be given those duties but the job would be rotated between the companies or whomever was most convenient.

R

 

[JerseyBart]

I'd love to know casualty percentages for skirmish duty during an advance or defense of an advance. It seems like the kid of duty I would not like to pull on attack day.

 

[rpkennedy]

I'd love to know casualty percentages for skirmish duty during an advance or defense of an advance. It seems like the kid of duty I would not like to pull on attack day.

When defending, most skirmishers would fire off a shot or two and then bug the heck out. They had to clear the regimental line's field of fire or else get caught between the lines.

On the attack, they would pretty much do the same. They would move forward to find the enemy, get an idea of what was in front of them and then would wait for the bulk of the regiment to catch up, reforming on one end of the line or the other.

As for casualties, they would be generally lower than on the regular battle line. The spacing would force the enemy to attempt to target individuals rather than a mass of men, which is much more difficult. In addition, the skirmishers would often drop to the ground to load, rise up to fire, and then drop down again, again, making it very difficult to hit any particular person. Having said that, the incoming fire could be incredibly intense. At Gettysburg, the Union skirmish line forward of Cemetery Ridge came under very heavy fire during the morning of July 3. So much so, in fact, that many of the skirmishers feared standing up to fire.

R

 

[JerseyBart]

When defending, most skirmishers would fire off a shot or two and then bug the heck out. They had to clear the regimental line's field of fire or else get caught between the lines.

On the attack, they would pretty much do the same. They would move forward to find the enemy, get an idea of what was in front of them and then would wait for the bulk of the regiment to catch up, reforming on one end of the line or the other.

As for casualties, they would be generally lower than on the regular battle line. The spacing would force the enemy to attempt to target individuals rather than a mass of men, which is much more difficult. In addition, the skirmishers would often drop to the ground to load, rise up to fire, and then drop down again, again, making it very difficult to hit any particular person. Having said that, the incoming fire could be incredibly intense. At Gettysburg, the Union skirmish line forward of Cemetery Ridge came under very heavy fire during the morning of July 3. So much so, in fact, that many of the skirmishers feared standing up to fire.

R

Thanks...maybe it just seems like the company or regiment that was on skirmish duty pulled the short straw on the day of an attack.

 

[Missouri 1st]

I really like the phrase "...Brigadier X threw out a cloud of skirmishers..."

I think skirmishers were a more complex/versatile asset than one used to find the enemy lines or taking a pot shot or two. They were sent out to find the weak spots, i.e., enemy flanks, "seams" between regts/brigades/divisions, the extent and strength or lack thereof of fortifications, terrain features offering a battlefield advantage and even reconnaissance where cavalry was lacking as in the Vicksburg campaign for Pemberton or when Heth moved down the Chambersburg Pike.

An even more crucial role was their immediate deployment in front of a parent formation. Not only to take a few shots to target Officers, color bearers, artillery crewmen or other sharpshooters, but more importantly to delay and break up attack formations. Imagine moving to the front and forming into line while a small but steady and well aimed stream of shot is flying into your ranks. The psychological effect and the feeling of vulnerability/exposure of taking casualties even as you form up had to be considerable, even for veterans especially when the skirmish fire is effective. This has the added benefit of giving your side time to move troops, change formation, use or move artillery, tear down fence lines, resupply ammunition, etc.

Certainly it was dangerous, but normally an opponent would not use a large formation volley fire or cannon fire to clear out a pesky "cloud of skirmishers", but certainly it did happen. I think the bigger fear would have been being exposed while concealed/covered enemy sharpshooters are working on you OR when you were caught between much larger formations during an assault. Watch out!

As for numbers employed and or distance, I submit that there was no standard and their deployment was dictated by availability, terrain and what a commander intended to accomplish (mission goal).

 

[AUG]

Captain John T. James' company of the 11th Virginia Infantry, Kemper's Brigade were deployed as skirmishers during the attack on Cemetery Ridge on July 3rd. According to James the skirmish line became greatly disorganized because orders couldn't be heard and they stretched out a long way, although all the Federal artillery fire passed right over their head, as the batteries were aiming for the larger mass of infantry behind them.

After about an hour's work of the artillery ceased firing and allowed the infantry to pass them, Slowly but steadily we marched forward, the line of battle suffering terribly; but we skirmishers being in front and extended across the field they shot over us, seeming to prefer the larger mass. I may remark here that this thing saved our company from the fearful loss that befell those in the regular line. By some mischance the line of battle, instead of fallowing us, oblique to the left, and by the time they came on a line of use we were their right instead of being immediately in front, but as soon as I noticed this I tried to get my men to go with me to the brigade; but the noise was so great and the line of skirmishers so long I could not get them to hear me. I fallowed out with those near me. trusting the rest would fallow as soon as they noticed the mistake. At every step some poor fellow would fall, and his pitiful cry would come to my ear I almost imaged it the wail of some loved one he had left at home. The ground as covered with the dead, but not all ours, for the Federals had been driven over the same ground the day before. As the brigade reached nearer the enemy's position the death rate increased.

 

[phil1861]

Often, the right or left flank companies would be designated for general skirmish duty for a regimental front, but it also depended on the movement engaged. A regiment might be designated as skirmish line for a brigade forward or a brigade with regiments added for a division with flankers and skirmishers forward. Skirmish lines would be thrown out 100 to 150 yards in advance, within sight of the rear element.

The basic unit was the comrades in battle, the two front, two rear men in a company front. On the command to form skirmish line the company comrades in battle would move forward, the far right and left comrades in battle fanning out in an arc and then on the command to font the left comrade in battle would stay in place and the other men would fill in the interval at 5 or 10 paces depending on the frontage covered. Skirmishers were also to take deliberate aim and to fire at will, so the casualty rates while on skirmish line were lower in general or rolled into the overall casualty returns but whose casualties were more from sharpshooter style fighting than massed fire.

Skirmishers could assume any position desired.

Skirmishers were to go in advance of a battle line to develope the enemy and find his own skirmish line to drive it in or to entertain them, masking the movements of the element in the rear. Primary role is to protect the rear elements from surprise and ambuscade for the advancing force, the defending force to warn of an approaching force. Defending skirmish details were to use their own judgement in when to fall back on the rear element and for some of Kirk's brigade at Stone's River their skirmishers were wiped out or approached so quickly they were unable to fall back on the rear line to retreat with their regiment.

For a part of Bragg's advancing force at Stone's River, Cleburne's line was on the left of the line facing McCook's corps on Rosecran's right flank. Cleburne was in the second line 600 yards behind McCown's division who was on the front line. McCown was unable to execute his right wheel sufficiently enough so that a gap ensued between his brigades and that of Polk's front division. Cleburne soon found that he was occupying the front as his brigades wheeled and suddenly had to throw out skirmishers. His line hadn't bothered as they were to only be the supports. He only discovered that his brigades were in the first line when his advance was fired upon by federal skirmishers.

Most of the Confederate brigades had sharpshooter battalions assigned them, these being thrown out with their brigade skirmishers and in some cases thrown forward specifically to harrass or "entertain" federal batteries. Many of the individual battle returns from Stone's River refer to encountering the enemy sharpshooters in both picket and skirmish lines.

 

[rhp6033]

We seem to be using skirmishers and pickets interchangeabably.

A picket is a sentry designed to protect the line. Often they would engage in friendly banter, exchanging coffee, tobacco, newspapers, etc. But at times they would fire at one another- a practice which was not popular since it made everyone's life miserable.

 

[ole]

Pickets were early-warning guards sent out to varying distances to detect possible enemy movements. Skirmishers were sent forward when following action was expected.

It's been said that skirmishers "developed" the enemy. That simply means that a commander could watch the action and see where the enemy was strong, where he was weak, and where his artillery was positioned.

There probably were some preset guidelines in how to assign skirmishers, but I have seen no evidence of adherence to such. It really depended on the man in charge of the arena. How many and whom were his choice. Some rotated skirmish duties, some had favorite companies. How many were assigned the duty depended on how large the force was.

As an aside, it seems likely that if real fight was avoided, the clash was called a skirmish.

 

[Jon G.]

We seem to be using skirmishers and pickets interchangeabably.

A picket is a sentry designed to protect the line. Often they would engage in friendly banter, exchanging coffee, tobacco, newspapers, etc. But at times they would fire at one another- a practice which was not popular since it made everyone's life miserable.

I respectfully submit that pickets and skirmishers weren't interchangeable but pickets are indeed relevant to this discussion as mentioned.
There are many anecdotal accounts of friendly banter and barter but in my opinion, it wouldn't be happening much in the scenario where the two sides were about to collide as in this discussion.

 

[rhp6033]

I respectfully submit that pickets and skirmishers weren't interchangeable but pickets are indeed relevant to this discussion as mentioned.
There are many anecdotal accounts of friendly banter and barter but in my opinion, it wouldn't be happening much in the scenario where the two sides were about to collide as in this discussion.

I agree, they usually weren't interchangeable. To the extent that they were on friendly terms, it occured on a number of occassions where not much seemed to be happening on the front. But often what seemed to be a friendly exchange was actually an intelligence-gathering exercise. You saw this on the Rappidan as there was a long period of apparant inactivity, but Union officers would put on private's uniforms to quiz the confederates about the order of battle, etc. A similar exchange was at Chattanooga when - I think it was Walker - he arranged a truce to cross the Tennessee at Harrison Bay in order to make a purported exchange, but in reality he was testing the depth and soundness of the bottom of the bay for use as a ford. I think it was also rumored that Grant spent a little time on the picket line at Chattanooga, and learned a thing or two about Bragg's forces there.

But I must apologize - here I am getting off-topic onto the area of pickets, when the subject was skirmishers.

 

[ExNavyPilot]

In the 37th Illinois Infantry, the flanking companies--A & K--(and all non-comms) were armed with Colt repeating rifles while the rest of the regiment was armed with Springfields. Based on numerous mentions in the regimental history, it appears that these two companies were the companies of choice for skirmisher duty, based on their rapid-fire capabilities.