, 1861-05-30
ShaTpshootfnE.
From tha N. T. ETa. Pnst1

According to accouuta OF firing kept In the
late Italian MAR, It Is s.id to require not less
than two hundred and seventy pounds Of lead
to kill man In battle. And yet, into the
regiment Of crack rife shots which 1t 10 pro-
mittea who cannot bit al enemy 1t iesst M 70 oues @
In three times ut the distance OF half mile;
and so thoroughly are English light Infantry
troops now pfactlced In the use OF the Minle
and Enfield rifles, that party Of thirty skir-
mishers will be able to destroy battery Of
{nearjy half i mile] In one minute. s.
=. The battles Of the revolution we're galnedby
tho rifle; and American troops have always
retained name among the armies OF the
world for -exceuent marksmAnshlp. In the
Italian var. each man killed cost four thousand
the battle Of Vlttoria, in the Peninsutar Wat,
eight hundred balls we're fired for each man
Killed. At the battle Of Cherubusco the Mex
leans Killed one of our men for every eight
hundred rounds they fired, Whi1s the Ameri-
cans cans 4 kiaed a one for every one hundred snd
What proportion Of aharp-shooters there
are in our present volunteer army, It is no.
easy to say. Probably more than IL generally
thought. Target shooting has been practice
growing In favor for some years among the
military companies in all onr large cities and
the troops from tho conntry-eapecially the
western men-are probably eYen more prac-
tised mar 1ksmen than our city regiments.
The value Of good shooting In action can
not be over1ated; and every general who has
commanded in battle has felt the benefit Of
large parties Of skirmishers, picked men, who
hover on the outskirts Of battle, and with IN
erring aim pick of the enemy In detail. The
mere knowledge that they are thus marked by
men who hnye only to aim to make death Ger
tsin is often quite sufficient to make the enc.
my's force WaTer, In a important position
and with Mimic or Enfield rifles regiment OF
dead shots would be quite ab1e to cope WITH
and render useless the enemy's field artillery.
We alude to this because we desire to in
press upon those who superIntend the orga11-
zation Of reEcTTe corps In various States the
Importance Of establishing everywhere con-
pany target practice; and encouraging by eY-
cry means citizens Of al ages to make them
selves expert in the use Of the rifle. In less
than two years the English have become na-
tlon OF narksmen; and setting aside the i'm
mense increase In effectiveness which they
have thus gained In case Of war, the mere
practiccd win go into battle is in Itself NOR
ii force which cannot be ovcrratcd.
We are not likely to lack men to maintain
the Union against al enemies that nav come:
but everybody desires that this war uay be 80
useful as to hare every mnn q dead shot, and
every regiment regiment Of shaTpahoote1s.
Those Who are now In the field will have to
perfect their practice in battle; but for those
who remain at home and await further call,
there is time still to make themselves more
effective for their couutry's service. Let us
have 1ife galleries and shooting matches in
every city, town, vil1age ard country neigh
borhood throughout the country; aud with
proper encouragement We shall soon be q na-
t1un Of crack shots