Rifleman (Civ3)/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.