Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-07-23
MILITARY DEAD SHOTS.

Army Authorities Encoura-ing Competi- |
ton in Rifle Practice.
In any war in the future in which the
United States may become involved her
armies will be literally supplied with |
trained sharpshooters, the terror of of |
ticers and artillerymen. During the |
late war the value of this class of
marllsmen was demonstrated even by
the crude material which formed Ber
dams sharpshooters and other similar
organizations on the union side, and the
famous Mississippi and Arkansas squir-
rel-shootcr rifiemen in the confederate
armies. The large record of casualties
among officers of high rank on both
sides was due in Il great measure to the
unerring aim of sharpshooters concealed
from view in their covert abode
Gen. G. w. Flagler, chief of ordnance,
United States army, informed n Post
reporter that he was taking much in
terest in tie subject of Workmanship
in the regular army and has formulated
a plan for bringing that branch of the
service up to high state of proficiency.
Approaching the necessity of reliable
sharpshooters in the battles of the
future, the government is not at all lax
in its efforts in that direction, and tar
get practice has now become the rule
rather than the exception, To en-
courage and stimulate the soldier boys
in their efforts before the bull's-eye of
the army target and in firing at dummy
figures on imaginary sllirmish lines, the
ordnance department has provided n
series of handsome gold, silver and
bronze badges as trophies and dis
guished marks in the army, to be com
peted for by privates and non-com-
missioned officers.
There are massive gold badges for
division and regimental contests; silver
badges for the cavalry and infantry,
and neat individual badges, each of
which becomes the personal property of
the winner, to keep for all time. Speci-
mems of these handsome designs are ex-
hibited in a case at Gen. Flagler's office
in the war department
The sharpshootcr badge is a silver
Maltese cross, pendant from n bar, on
which is the inscription, in plain black
letters, "Sharpshooters." Another de-
sign is silver bar inscribed, Marks
man." The difference between the
former and latter is that a sharpshooter
must earn his laurels over one-thou-
sand-yard rifle range, while the marks
man is only required to attain certain
average over thrce-hundred-yard
range. The sharpshooter in each regi-
ment making the best score, up to a
cetain percentage, is then entitled to
enter the contest for the army badge, a
handsome, costly and massive gold de-
sign.
These badges We're all designed by
Gen. Flagler and are manufactured at
the Rock Island arsenal at much less
cost than the work could be done by
contract.
Gen Flagler's idea of the future
sharpshooter organization in the army,
and which will, no doubt, soon be
adopted by the government, is to select
the shooters in each regiment who have
J won trophies and form them into com
panies, so that when occasion arises
companies could be combined, forming
"a large sharpshooter contingent for use
as required
''At the first battle of Chancellors
Tille," said the general, "a confederate
sharpshooter concealed in large tree
a considerable distance from the union
headquarters killed Gen Whipple as he
was walking along the road at a com
/ paratively safe distance from the
enemy. A big Minnesotan, who stoot
over six feet high and whose smiling
face was as innocent looking as that O.
an infant, had been watching the puff:
of smoke from the southern soldiers
rifle concealed in the tree-top. He hac
also observed the sad havoc among hi,
brother officers and men, who had be
come victims of the rifiemans unerrine
aim, and determined to drop the south
erner He could not see the concealed
foe, but commenced firing through the
|s~ hes of the tree, up and down, fol
wing parallel lines, much after thu
ashton of II farmer planting field o
~ Finally one of his shots caused tn,
rifleman in gray to come sprawlinl
from the tree in squirrel fashion, an(
turning to me the giant soldier from
Minnesota said in the blandest manner
II with perfect baby smile, Il fotchet
him, SIR"
In the library OF the war department
10 o photograph taken after the desper