Rifleman (Civ4)/Civilopedia

Two developments in the 19th century made early firearms (such as the musket) obsolete. The first was the invention of a spiral groove, or "rifling," inside the barrel of a gun. Second was the development of the repeating rifle, which could fire multiple shots before it required reloading. The rifle was a better weapon than its ancestors, with much more accuracy over a greater range than the musket and a much higher rate of fire.
Riflemen were first employed in large numbers during the American Civil War. The rifle gave a strong defensive advantage, since riflemen could fire several times while the attackers advanced to within hand-to-hand distance. This was normally enough to hold any position. Riflemen dominated the battlefield until the appearance of armored attack vehicles.