Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-05-01
BERDAN'S sHARPsHOOrERs.

Last year, before actual hostilities gave oc-
casion for trial of craftsmanship, certain
southern journals were accustomed to maintain
that the men of the South would make much
the most formidable soldiers, because "they
were used to arms from their youth, and, being
aristocrats-gentlema of leisure-delighted in
practice Of the rifle" 1t was very pretty
theory, though the crack shots of the tree states
knew very well how ridiculousy false it was.
The truth has come out clearly in the course of
some sixteen or eighteen battles, that free-state
men shoot the best.
AS for the sharpshooters, we seem to have
almost a monopoly Of them; and this need not
surprise us, for good marksman requires rot
only courage which all Americans have, but in
telligence, energy, and that mechanical turn
which is ofener found in the mud-sill of the
free states than in the fre-ealer of the South.
At Fort Doneson one of our sharpshooters
posted himself in rihe-pit and took charge of
the cnemy's cannon, from which he picked off
the artillerists fast they appeared, and thus
made the gun entirely useless. At the sege of
Island Ten regiment of sharpshooters, posted
in rifle pits by General Pope drove off the IRON
sheathed gunboats OF the rebels when they
came to attack a battery of feld-pieces of too
light calibre to resist them. They aimed at the
gunners and helmsmen, and, by two wel-de-
livered volleys, forced the enemy to haul off in
great haste. And now, at the seige of York
town, Berdan's regiment of Sharpshooters is
teaching them another lesson.
The difference between southern and north
ern target-shooting was explained to us very
briefly by an officer of Berdan's regiment some
time since. In the South, at shooting matches,
they fire at the body of turkey, at a hundred
yards. In the free states it is the practice to
fire at the head of the turkey, at four hundred
yards-nearly quarter of a mile-and, even
then, the owner of the birds does not find it
profitable to charge less than shilling shot.
while formerly for shots at hundred yards,
the charge was but sixpence, Target shoot
ing at these great distances is, we have been as
sured by Colonel Berdan and other noted
marksmen, an amusement practiced only in the
free states and almost unknown in the South.
1t is sufficient proof of this fact that in list of
the best rifle shots in the whole United States,
for the last fifteen years. published in the Spirit
of the Times last May, there is but one name
from the slave states and that is far down in the
list The men of the slave states are good
marksmen at short distances, from twenty-five
TO fifty yards. They care nothing for shoot
ing" said an enthusiastic target-frer to us last
spring, recounting some of his experiences in
the southern states. They have learned to care
something since, however.
The target rifle used in the free states, and
practice with which has produced the crack shots
Of Colonel Berdan's regiment, is very peculiar
instrument 1t is made with an increasing
twist il has a false muzzle-a contriyance
which preserves the fine true edge of the real
muzze from wear, in the act of loading; the
barrel is of steel the balls are made of COM
pressed lead and the weapon is fitted with