The Louisiana in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Sharpshooters
In Response To: Re: Sharpshooters ()

Wayne-If you would like to post your e mail, I can send you a copy of Gen Order #34 as taken from:
NARA
Record Group 109
Ch 1 vol 2

Paragraph 2 of this order states: Generals commanding military departments may cause to be organized within their commands, battalions of Sharp Shooters, as provided in this act in such numbers as they may deem necessary. not exceeding one such battalion for each brigade, and will report to the department the organization of such corps, recommending for appointment the commissioned officers allowed by law.

Extenuating and varying circumstances caused local commanders to organize such commands to suit their own needs. The commands formed were not always just from men selected from other regiments of the same brigade.

Examples to include:

6/15/62 Army of the West S.O. #115
-As it is at present impracticable to organize a Bn of sharpshooters for each Bgde as contemplated in Gen Order #34 from the War Dept., each Div commander will designate one reg’t from each Bgde to act as sharpshooters. They will be particularly instructed...& armed with long range arms.

6/25 Col Rogers of the 2nd Texas Regiment writes in a letter home to his wife about a visit from Gen Maury, the division cdr presenting two honors to the 2nd Texas...

The second honor given is being designated the “sharpshooters” regiment of Gen Moore’s Brigade. The designation means that the 2nd Texas will have the honor of leading all attacks made by the brigade, and perform the duties of rear guard for any withdrawals or retreats. Hereafter, the 2nd Texas Sharpshooters becomes their preferred designation.

In the spring of 1863, the 7th Texas of Gregg's brigade while on duty at Port Hudson, were designated as sharpshooters and assigned to duty in rifle pits near the river to pick off the naval gunners of the Union fleet as they passed.

14th Bn La SS
Austin’s La SS Bn org 8/23/62 from men of 11th La

Guide to Louisiana Confederate Military Units-Bergeron
Maj Austin
Co A
Co B
"This Bn was formed Aug 21, 1862 from 200 picked men from the recently disbanded 11th La regiment. The men were to serve as sharp shooters and skirmishers for Adams' La Brigade in the Army of Tn.

http://www.acadiansingray.com/11th%20Regtl.%20Inf.htm
11th La Regt Vol Inf: Organized at Camp Moore on August 13, 1861. Mustered into CS service on August 18, 1861. Failed at reorganization in the spring of 1862. The Regt was disbanded with the men assigned to the 13th and 20th Infantry Regts and the 14th Sharpshooters Bn on August 19, 1862. Ordered to be reorganized by S.O. #222, dated Sept 23, 1862. However, this was soon deemed to be impractical.


15th Bn La SS

Guide to Louisiana Confederate Military Units-Bergeron
"This battalion was organized about July, 1864, probably at Pineville, from men of Miles’ Louisiana Legion on parole west of the Mississippi River and from new recruits. The battalion was assigned to General Allen Thomas’ brigade at Pineville and did guard duty there during most of its service. Some of the men appear to have served as pickets along the upper Atchafalaya River early in 1865. Thomas’ brigade moved across Red River to Bayou Cotile in April, 1865, and soon marched to Natchitoches. On May 19, the brigade was disbanded at Mansfield in anticipation of the surrender of the Trans-Mississippi Department."

3rd Battalion Georgia Sharp Shooters

http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pudig/GAInfantry.htm
Six Companies
This battalion was organized 8 June 1863 primarily from re-enlisted men from other Georgia units.

Re: 4th Georgia Sharpshooters
Posted By: Lee White
Date: Thursday, 1 June 2006, at 1:25 p.m.
In Response To: 4th Georgia Sharpshooters (Billy)
The 4th GA Sharpshooters were organized in the spring of 1863, from part of the 3rd GA Infantry Battalion, the rest of the 3rd being joined with the 9th GA Battalion to form the 37th GA Infantry Regt.

South Carolina had sharp shooter battalions formed without regard to a specific brigade and were their own entities. For example, the 1st South Carolina SS Battalion was eventually joined with another battalion to form a complete regiment.

And, has been previously mentioned, some brigades of the Army of Northern Virginia formed their own sharp shooter battalions seemingly as provisional units.

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