The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-06-09
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son with things chat did count, were re-
versed. A strip of battlefield ten PAGES
wide was in one mans keeping, to hold
against all Corners if he could, to shoot and
to Stay in and get all the glory of it, every
stump and tree and bowlder his to dodge
behind and every foot Of it his line of re-
treat to slledaddle back upon if he saw or
fancied he saw overwhelming numbers of
the unWontedly desperate enemy making q
break for his especial ten yard strip. If
he cOlli0ed with a bullet he had the salts
faction Of knowing the other fellow meant
to hit him, John Smith, and nobody else,
and that he was of sufficient Importance to
be shot ut individually. In battle tho
bullets and shells sent after the brigade or
division, on the battery in front of Or behind
you, Or even stray shots roaming around
for good place to burrow in, may light on
you because you present certain square
inches of surface to the windward and look
soft enough for cutting
Really a man is nobody in o battlefield
crowd on the skirnish line he is host,
and if the eyes of the enemy are on him and
the muzzles of their ordnance as well, SO
are the eyes of his own people, aye of the
nation and of all the world. Yes, the Skin
nish line is the place to get in work that
will make you feel when all is over that
you really fit in the war; The majority
of us found this out when it was too late,
and it is we'll that we did or there would
have been no common soldiers to man the
machine AS it was the cavalry corps were
limited only by the supply of horses, and
select corps like BerClans sharpshooters,
kane's Bucktails and the independent rifle
companies skinned the cream of volunteers
who offered themselves by thousands for
this branch Of service. Berdan's recruit
ing ground was the whole north. His re-
crUlts, to man, could put ten consecutive
shots within an average of five inches from
the center Of a target, shooting off hand at
100 PAGES and 200 PAGES at a rest Many
got into the bullseye every time at that
distance. Other qualifications were neces-
sary as, for instance, good habits and sound
physique, as well as intelligence. Of such
material there was no lack.
Within a few months after recruiting
began in 1861 the First United States
sharpshooters took the field with four COM
panies from New York, three from Michi-
gan and one each from New Hampshire,
Wisconsin and Vermont This reyimens
went to the peninsula under Berdan in
person in April, 1862, and about that time
Bcrdan's Second United States sharpshoot-
ers took the field in McDowell's corps on
the Rappahannocll. The First regiment
was in front Of Yorktown, and their busy
rifles kept the Confederate artillerists well
under subsection. This was the beginning
OF sharpshooting between the Armies of
the Potomac and Northern Virginia. At
the battle of Gaines Mill, June 81, 1862,
the regiment was in the regular line of
battle, where it did good execution while
the enemy's columns were advancing. But
IN subsequent phases of the fight the men
We're out Of place. The skilled marlSsman
is trained to use his nerve, his wits and all
his personal resources, and machine fight
ing is out of his line
In the Seven Days. the, regiment was
split into detachments and one detachment
marched and fought each day with each of
the divisions that had the rear of the line.
AT Glendale, June 80, the Wisconsin COM
pany was with Gen. McCalTs PENNSYLVANIA
reserves in their disastrous collision with
Longstreet's corps, when the Union ranks
were literally run over and Mccall was
wounded and captured far within the enc
my's lines. The leader of the sharpshoot-