Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-07-07

son with things that did count, were re-
vel sed. A strip of battlefield ten PAGES
wide was in one mans keeping, to hold
against all comers if he could. to shoot and
20 slay 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 skedaddlc back upon if he saw or
fancied he saw overwhelming numbers of
the unwontedly desperate enemy making a
break for his especial ten yard strip II
he collided with 4 bullet lie had the salts
faction of knowing the other fellow meant
10 hit him, John Smith, and nobody else,
and that he was of sufficient Importance TO
be shot at individually. In battle the
bullets and shells sent after the brigade or
division, or the battery in front Of or behind
you, or even stray shots roaming around
for good place to burrow ia, may light on
you because you present certain square
inches Of surface 10 the windward and look
soft enough for cutting.
Really a man is nobody in battlefield
crowd; on the skirmish line he is host,
and if the eyes OF the enemy are on him and
the muzzlcs Of their ordnance as well, 80
are the eyes OF his own people. aye OF the
nation and OF all tie world Yes, the skir-
will make you fee! when all is over that
YOU really ut in the war" The majority
Of Us found this ont when it was too late.
and it is well 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 Berdan's sharpshooters,
kane's Bucktails and the Independent rifle
companies skinned tLecrean Of volunteers
who offered themselves by thousands for
this branch of service Berdan's recruit
ing ground was the whole north. His re-
cruits, 70 man, could put ten consecutive
shots within an average Of five inches from
the center Of a target, shooting off hand at
100 PAGES AMI zoo PAGES AT rest. Many
got into the bullseye every time at that
distance. Ofier 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 1851 the First United States
took tie field with four com
pauies from New y ork, three from Michi-
gan and one each from New Hampshire.
Wisconsin and Vermont. This regiment
went 70 the peninsula under Berdan in
person in April, let3, and about that time
Berdan's Second United States sharpshoot-
ers took the field in McDowell's corps on
the Rappahsnnoch 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 Mil. June q, 1862,
the regiment was in the vular line of
battle, where it did good Necufion while
the enemy's columns were advancing. But
in subsequent phases OF the fight the men
were out of place. The skilled marksman
IS trained 10 Use his nerve, his wits and all
MS personal resources, and machine fight 1
ng is out of his line
In the Seven Days. the regiment was !
'plit into detachmenfs and one detachment |
marched and fought each day with each Of /
he divisions that had the rear Of the line. |
At Glendale, June 80. the Wisconsin com l
'anywas with Gen. MeCall's Pennsylvania 1
eserves in their disastrous collision with |
-ongstreet's corps, when the Union ranks /
we're literally run over and Mccall was
wounded and captured far within the enc J,
ny's lines The leader of the sharpshoot-