1st United States Volunteer Sharpshooter Regiment
The 1st United States Sharpshooters were an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Hiram C. Berdan of New York state created the Sharpshooters. Berdan began recruiting men for the first Sharpshooter regiment in 1861. He recruited men from New York City and Albany and from the states of New Hampshire, Vermont, Michigan and Wisconsin. The volunteer recruits had to pass a rifle test in order to qualify to be a member of the Sharpshooters; each man had to be able to place ten shots in a circle of 10 inches (250 mm) in diameter from 200 yards (180 m) away. They were able to choose a rifle and position of their preference for the test. A man eligible to be a Sharpshooter had to possess a keen eye, steady hands and a great deal of training and skill with a rifle. In addition to that, for a man to be a Sharpshooter, it took cool nerves in order to be able to estimate carefully their target, determine the high trajectory needed and to take in consideration the effect that any current wind may have. On top of that, they had to focus on all those things while at the same time being covered in black gunpowder and shell fragments (because guns during the Civil War left mass amounts of black gunpowder residue) and while having Confederate riflemen aiming at them as their target.
The first regiment of volunteers began service in late November of 1861. During their service they fought in every Eastern battle up until autumn of 1864. During their tour, the Sharpshooters were noted for efficient service in the battles of Yorktown, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Spotsylvania and Petersburg. During battle, the mission of the Sharpshooter was to kill enemy targets from a far distance.
The first United States Sharpshooter regiment consisted of the following commanding officers (listed by company):
- Company A- Captain Casper Trepp, New York
- Company B- Captain Stephen Martin, New York
- Company C- Captain Benjamin Duesler, Michigan
- Company D- Captain George S. Tuckerman, New York
- Company E- Captain Amos B. Jones, New Hampshire
- Company F- Captain Edmund Weston, Vermont
- Company G-Captain Edward Drew, Wisconsin
- Company H- Captain George G. Hastings, New York
- Company I- Captain A. M. Willet, Michigan
- Company K- Captain S. J. Mather, Michigan
During the Civil War, regiments were usually composed of companies all from the same state. On the other hand, due to the strict qualifications and special skills in order to become a member of the Sharpshooters, each regiment was assembled of companies from various different Union states. Below is a list of each company in the first regiment, their origin and date of establishment.
- A, D & C-New York City, NY-September 1861
- B-Albany, NY-September 1861
- C-Michigan-August 21, 1861
- E-New Hampshire-September 9, 1861
- F-Vermont-September 13, 1861
- G-Wisconsin-September 1861
- I-Michigan-March 4, 1861
- K-Michigan-March 30, 1862
Read more about 1st United States Volunteer Sharpshooter Regiment: Founder, Weapons, Uniform, Service, Total Strength and Casualties, Commanders
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