The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-08-29
CORPS OF sHARP-sHooTERs.
Lanes North Carolina Brigade--"As
Fine a Body Of Soldiers as the World
Ever Saw"--Complimented by
General Lee-.-Chosen FIRE.
quently for Delicate and
Dangerous Work,

quently for Delicate and
Dangerous Work.
Mr.. EDITOR LANES Brigade" had
no organized corps of sharp shooters
until it went into winter quarters at
Liberty Mills, Orange county, Va, IN
1868. There a number of picked officers
and men were detailed from all the
regiments in proportion to. their
strength. The various details having
been consolidated, Captain John G.
Knox, of the Seventh Regiment, was
selected by the brigadier to command
them, and thus organized the corps OF
sharp shooters. The choice of Knox
proved to be most fortunate. He was
not only cool, brave and popular, but
he was at the same time a most accom-
plished tactician. To him was largely
due the efficiency of the corps.
The sharp-shooters were excused
from all duties of camp or picket, and,
under the skillful guidance of Capt,
Knox, very soon became singularly
proficient in the kind of tactics suit
able to their duties. AS soon as they
had thoroughly mastered the move
ments of the drill, it became necessary
for them to acquire nice notions of To-
cation. For this purpose they were
daily drawn up in line, and one OF their
number having been sent forward, 1t
was their duty to guess how far distant
he was. When the first guesses were
read aloud and the correct distances
we're made known, loud laughter and
amusing remarks soon convinced many
that their unframed eyes we're any
thing but accurate. The use of the
sights was much taught. That was
followed by practice at the target.
After the exercise the targets were
brought to brigade headquarters and
there, with the names of the best shots
written conspicuously on them, were
publicly displayed. When the follow
ing campaign opened this corps was as
find a body of soldiers as the world
ever saw. 1t distinguished itself in its
first fight.
On the 5th of May, 1864, in the Viii
derness the brigade was assigned a pc,
sition on the left of the plank-road near
the home of a Mr.. Tuning. Tue sharp
shooters had pushed far to the front
when orders were received to form the
brigade at right angles to it's original
position for the purpose Of sweeping
the woods in front of another com
mand. On being notified of this
change, the corps, at a double quick,
closed intervals, returned and deployed
in front of the brigade while it was
changing direction. They then ad-
vanced promptly and the enemy
opened on them. The fire was re-
turned with deadly effect, and in the
charge that followed, the corps cap
tured 147 prisoners including eight
commissioned officers. Just as the
brigade was ready to advance, it was
ordered to hurry back to the support
of the hard pressed troops on the right
of the plank-road. There the corps
fought in line on the right with the
Eighteenth Regiment, and Capt. Y. V.
Richardson, a most reliable officer of
oft-tried gallantry andsecond in rank,
was severely wounded. The fight in
the dense underground in the woods
continued until after midnight, the
contending lines were very close to
each other, and when the enemy at
tempted to turn the right Of the Eight
teenth Knox was captured.
The accomplished and fearless Capt.
William T. Nicholson, of the Thirty
seventh Regiment, was then selected
to take charge of the corps and he con-
ASo,,aI - o0~oNoa4I I1nE1l 1o -nn 1nvo
gerously wounded on the 18th of May.
On the 18th of May, while the brigade
occupied that part of the line between
the salient and the brick-kiln, a little
to the left of Spottsylvania Court
House, this corps was ordered overt the
works to reconnoitre the ground in
front of the salient, and it there be-
haved with conspicuous GOODNESS and
bravery in the presence of Gen. Lee.
An instance: When it had advanced
some distance two of it's number saw a
Yankee peeping and trying to fire on
them from behind a tree. The two
rebs at once agreed that, on the next
peep, one of themshOuld fire and when
the unsuspecting Yank should step
forth for a better aim upon him whose
gun was empty the other should ''plug"
him. The scheme vas successful and
soon another soldier was added to the
list of the dead in Grants great army.
That afternoon, after the brigade had
attacked the Ninth Corps, under Burn
side, in flank, Gen. Lee sent for Gen.
Lane. When that officer reported Gen.
Lee told him that he had witnessed the
gallantry of his sharp shooters as well
the alacrity with which they had
borne the hardships of the day, and
that he did not have the heart to order
them forward again; and yethe wantde
just such a body of well tried men to
make an important reconnaissance on
the Fredericksburg road, and he would
be glad to have them make it for him.
When Lane told him that he knew they
would cheerfully do whatever he