Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-04-12
The shnrp.hooters at yorktown.

Berdan's sharpshooters were not well re.
ceived by some of the army officers, on their
arrival at Washington and in the camps They
were considered useless, because neither their
arms, their drill nor their tactics, were recog.
nized in any OF the books. Their wonderful
skill with target rifles was not appreciated,
their arms were despised, and their usefulness
entirely undervalued The neglect and con.
tempt endured by Berdan's regiment at Wash
ingtn attracted attention, and was talked
about in the newspapers. There was an at
tempt TO force upon them common army mus.
kets, and, at the time, we heard army officers
maintain, as if they actually believed it, that
the common rified musket was a far better
gun for sharpshooters than the heavy target
rifles of Berdan's men.
The first good word uttered in the army in
behalf of Berdan's men and guns, was spoken
by Gen. Lander. In giving an account of the
fight at edwards Ferry in which Lander was
wounded, he spoke in the highest terms of
what was done in that fight by the Andrew
sharpshooters, a company from this state,
armed with target rifles. The effect of their
fire on the enemy appears to have been more
terrible than that OF two regiments, firing
in the ordinary way, would have been.
1t was not as rapid, probably, but it
was terribly effective. Not a shot was
lost, and a large force of rebels was
checked and driven back by it. Lander,
warming with enthusiasm as lie described their
services, said "both the men and their guns
are admirable" And well he might say this
for their guns are the best in the world for
sharpshooting, and the men whom Berdan's
call drew into this service are among the best
in the nation, deserving to be ranked high for
their intelligence and personal worth, as well
as for their selt.sacrifcing patriotism.
Gen. Mcclellan, 1t seems, was shrewd
enough to take Berdan's regiment with him to
Yorktown, and allow the men to use such tar.
get rifles as they were able TO obtain. The
ordnance department had refused to procure
such guns for them, and not enough could be
obtained by the men themselves to supply the
whole regiment, and portion of them have
Enfield and Sharpe's rifles, we believe Prob,
ably none of the men have target rifles save
those who carried them from home. We no.
tice that those of Berdan's men who have tar
get rifles are doing very efficient service at
Yorktown, causing great annoyance to the
enemy, and winning admiration from their
friends. A correspondent of the New York
Herald says
"The Berdan SharpshooterS made fearful
havoc among the enemy's gunners, picking
them off By the dozen. Colorel Berdan says
they killed at least fifty of the rebels and
wounded hundred. Toward night the enemy
commenced Smelling them by running a gun
charging it and then dragging il in TO load
again, the only way they were enabled ia
work the gun. They tried the plan of cover.
ing the working OF guns by running a mani
upon the parapet and turning it upon tho
edge but they did not seem to like 10 trust
1t. The attemptat Smelling was not long CON.
tinued. As soon as gunner showed himself
the aim of the unerring rifle would enforce ON
him the prOpriety Of retirement.
At FIRST the rebel sharpshooters attempted
to shoot our men from rifle pits but thew
found even these places too hazardous and
were not long in Withdrawing to safer posi-.
lions behind the entertainments. During the
afternoon small mounted party, led by an
officer wearing a white shirt the bosom Of
which was distinctly visible, ventured outside
the fort A member of the sharpshooters,
who goes by the sobriqUet of "Caliiornia Joe, d"
observed that che was best ut a white mark. "
lie quickly drew up his telescope rife, took
aim, fired, and the man reeled in his saddle
aud fell to the ground, apparently dead.
"Ai one time during the day a squad Of
rebel cavalry came out, apparently to charge