The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1865-07-14
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e8th III. haIpshooters. .Ht "a
A friend has handed us late copy
of the Louisville Daily Press, con
tanning an interesting sketch OF Che
66th ILL.,, or Western Sharpshooters.
We are unable, for want of space; to
publish the article entire, hptgive a
history of its Organization and a
description or its style OF equip
ments, etc. ..-,t. ..rt.I
"This regiment was raised at Ben
ton Barracks, near 1t. Louis, Mo, in
the fall Of '61, under the patronage
and special favor of General remont,
who intended to make of It a model
eharpshootng regiment, and one that
would represent the whole West
With this view, recruiting officers
were appointed in nearly all the Wes-
tern States, to recruit for Birge's
Sharpshooters. Two companies were
raised in Ohio, three in Illinois, one
in Michigan, and three were organ
lied ut the barracks from squads sent
by ecruiting officers from Iowa, Min
nesota, and other Western States,
thus forming regiment different
from any other, in this, that it repre-.
scented every State in the West. Com.
menced under the most favorable aus.
pices, it would have been before talk
ing The field large and splendidly
equipped organization, had not Ere
mont been superseded in command
of the department. His pct scheme
Of a complete sharpshooting regiment
was partly squelched by General Hal.
leck, who stopped all recruiting tor
it and hurried IL into the field, before
IL was thoroughly equipped and or
ganized, leaving it with but nine COM
panes, and in numbers below the
minimum required for n regimental
organization. It's arm was the Amer
lean Deer and Target Rifle. The ac-
couterments were not OF the kind
prescribed by army regulations, but
consisted of bullet pouch of bear
skin covering, and powder horn, or
in some cases flask In the bullet
pouch was a compartment where the
soldier, or rebel hunter, carried his
little etceteras, such as screw drivers,
bullet moulds and patch cutter; sin.
gular implements for soldier, but
Birge's boys moulded their own bul.
lets, CREASED them and patched them
with as much care as an old hunter
would, and used them as effectively. |
1t was the design TO give them q COM
plete hunters dress, but this, too was
vetoed by Halteck; and the only
thing peculiar about the dress was
the hat, which was gray sugar-loafl
shaped affair, with three squirrel
tails running from both back and
front and meeting at the apex Of the
crown in an indescribable knot
Lieut.. Col. John NJ. Birge, Of st
Louis, commanded the regiment, and
on the 18th Of December, '6l, march
ed it from Benton Barracks to take
the field in North Missouri. Arriv-
ing at Ccntralia, on the North Mis-
souri, Railroad, the Colonel found !
plenty Of work for his little com
niand, which he scattered in dctach
ments over the country in search OF
rebels, several small bodies of whom
were met and defeated, besides he
ing badly frightened at the squirrel
tail hats and long range rifles"
The Press gives an account OF their
subsequent movements, from which
VIC learn that they participated in six
zen pitched battles, and did good
,nrvicc on every occasion.
Quite number Of Hancock com
y boys belong to this regiment. -
They are at present at Louisville, Ky