Berdan Sharpshooters (1 Viewer)

These sets ship to dealers and customers in July. We are at 30% sold through already. These will probably be the last sets we keep at the 300 limited edition number as demand is beginning to increase.

best regards,

Brian
 
Reb
How would these chaps be deployed. I presume in some open order in front of the regular troops to try and pick off from long range the enemy. I presume they would have operated as a small group of two or three. Not a big massed firing line like the regulars.
Regards
Damian
 
damian said:
Reb
How would these chaps be deployed. I presume in some open order in front of the regular troops to try and pick off from long range the enemy. I presume they would have operated as a small group of two or three. Not a big massed firing line like the regulars.
Regards
Damian
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Think Voltiguers Flanquers! Not to mention Snipers.
 
Toy Soldier Brigade said:
Who even has these up for preorders ?
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I put my name on the Sierra toy soldier list they said that they would not have them on the website until June but took my name and put me on the list now. Since these seem to be drawing alot of attention and their will only be 300 of them I wanted to make sure I ordered early. Dont collect much in the way of CW but I really like these.
 
damian said:
RebHow would these chaps be deployed. I presume in some open order in front of the regular troops to try and pick off from long range the enemy. I presume they would have operated as a small group of two or three. Not a big massed firing line like the regulars.RegardsDamian
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Damian
It's worth knowing how these Sharpshooters came about. Marksmanship especially in the volunteer Union army was pretty dreadful, although muzzle loading infantry rifles were accurate upwards of 500 yards very few Union soldiers consistently achieved hits at anywhere near this distance on the battlefield. Most of the recruits training especially in the McClellan years was drill and more drill and how to swiftly form from company to regiment to brigade into battle lines. It wasn't until Grant took command in 1864 that men were issued with a few rounds of ammunition for target practice so it's a fair comment to say that if you didn't know how to shoot in civilian life you weren't going to learn to in the Army.

The majority of Rebs on the other hand due to their Southern culture did know how to shoot and ride although marksmanship was very varied even in the Confederate army but they knew the basics.

Enter Hiram Berdan a marksman himself who recruited Northerners who could shoot, he believed he would only muster enough for one regiment, however he eventually had enough for two. They were often deployed in a skirmish line of up to 200 men as they were at Gettysburg in front of Sickles III Corps on the 2nd day. Likewise Grant's overland campaign where they were primarily deployed as a T the cross bar being up to a hundred sharpshooters skirmishing in front whilst the tail was the rest of the army following. And yes of course they deployed in small groups to pick off prime targets such as Confederate officers or artillery emplacements, they were simply professional killers invariably foraging in no-man's land. The Berdan Sharpshooters probably killed more Confederates than any other regiment in the Union army.

They also had quite a few characters within their ranks I remember reading of one in particular Chaplain Lorenzo Barber (The Fighting Preacher) of the 2nd USSS who always as he took aim on his target (apparently he never ever missed) muttered a prayer for his unsuspecting victim, squeezed the trigger of his .52 calibre Sharps breechloader and concluded with a quiet Amen. A real Christian Soldier!
Reb
 
Reb
I did some digging. I hear all these requests for the exotic regiments of the ACW, so I thought let me see what the master Troiani has done in depicting these units. In American Battles The art of the nation at war 1754-1865, I could find only a handful of paintings of Zouave type units. On Page 69 it is called The Red Devils and it portrays the 27 June 1862. There is on page 54 First at Manasas which shows Stuart's cavalry attacking and routing the New York Infantry. Troiani obvioulsy likes the New York firemen because he has another picture entitled New York's Bravest which depicts the11 th New York and the 69 the New York trying to recpature the on Henry Hill. Apart from that Troiani as a few individual studies of Wheat's First special Battalion (Tiger Rifles) and the 79 th New York Highlanders.

I will look through some other books tomorrow. I must say that my interest in the ACW has been restimulated by the latest releases (Brooklyn Zouaves,, Chasseurs and now Berdans' shrpashooters).
Let's see where it leads me.
Regards
Damian
 
damian said:
Reb
I did some digging. I hear all these requests for the exotic regiments of the ACW, so I thought let me see what the master Troiani has done in depicting these units. In American Battles The art of the nation at war 1754-1865, I could find only a handful of paintings of Zouave type units. On Page 69 it is called The Red Devils and it portrays the 27 June 1862. There is on page 54 First at Manasas which shows Stuart's cavalry attacking and routing the New York Infantry. Troiani obvioulsy likes the New York firemen because he has another picture entitled New York's Bravest which depicts the11 th New York and the 69 the New York trying to recpature the on Henry Hill. Apart from that Troiani as a few individual studies of Wheat's First special Battalion (Tiger Rifles) and the 79 th New York Highlanders.

I will look through some other books tomorrow. I must say that my interest in the ACW has been restimulated by the latest releases (Brooklyn Zouaves,, Chasseurs and now Berdans' shrpashooters).
Let's see where it leads me.
Regards
Damian
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I am also quite interested in the early militia uniforms. Thats one reason why I've tried to focus on early war sets as we've moved into the ACW period. We've got loads of fun new sets planned for this and next year. Thanks guys for making the 14th Brooklyn such a great success:D

Best regards,

Brian
 
damian said:
Reb
I did some digging. I hear all these requests for the exotic regiments of the ACW, so I thought let me see what the master Troiani has done in depicting these units. In American Battles The art of the nation at war 1754-1865, I could find only a handful of paintings of Zouave type units. On Page 69 it is called The Red Devils and it portrays the 27 June 1862. There is on page 54 First at Manasas which shows Stuart's cavalry attacking and routing the New York Infantry. Troiani obvioulsy likes the New York firemen because he has another picture entitled New York's Bravest which depicts the11 th New York and the 69 the New York trying to recpature the on Henry Hill. Apart from that Troiani as a few individual studies of Wheat's First special Battalion (Tiger Rifles) and the 79 th New York Highlanders.

I will look through some other books tomorrow. I must say that my interest in the ACW has been restimulated by the latest releases (Brooklyn Zouaves,, Chasseurs and now Berdans' shrpashooters).
Let's see where it leads me.
Regards
Damian
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The 79th will make for some great figures. From what I read, they did have kilts, but went into battle with tartan trousers.

The latest releases are a little lopsided, the last two being Union. Any ideas on interesting Confederate units (Zouaves, militia)?

Ken
 
Mascleo said:
The latest releases are a little lopsided, the last two being Union. Any ideas on interesting Confederate units (Zouaves, militia)?

Ken
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A couple come to mind but there were very few in the Confederacy.

1st Zouave Battalion was formed at Camp Walker -close to New Orleans-mid 1861, the men included a large number of Creoles who were veterans of the Crimean War. Originally they wore Red baggy trousers, red kepis and blue jackets and all orders were given in French. The battalion was active in the Seven Days scraps up to about the time of Fredericksburg (Dec '62)

Then there was 1st Battalion Louisiana Zouaves also known as Coppens Zouaves-Initially they wore Zouave type uniforms. I say initially because unlike their Yankee counterparts by early '63 most of these Southern fancy uniforms had been worn out or discarded apart from the odd jacket and kepi and both Battalions had reverted to the standard Confederate Gray/Butternut or whatever they could steal.

Reb
 
Extraordinary set, also the photography brings up the high quality of the product……excellent job CS.

Cheers
 
noli-poli said:
I thought the Union Army wore blue? I am seeing olive green here...maybe it's my screen resolution?
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There were two regiments of Berdan's Sharpshooters, who were specially chosen because of their shooting skills. They served under Hiram Berdan. Interestingly, if you have ever seen the old mini-series North and South, during the war years one of the main characters serves with one of these regiments. On the 2nd day at Gettysburg, some of these guys marched around to the end of the Confederate line before the Rebel attack began and got into a little fight.
 
6th Wisconsin said:
There were two regiments of Berdan's Sharpshooters, who were specially chosen because of their shooting skills. They served under Hiram Berdan. Interestingly, if you have ever seen the old mini-series North and South, during the war years one of the main characters serves with one of these regiments. On the 2nd day at Gettysburg, some of these guys marched around to the end of the Confederate line before the Rebel attack began and got into a little fight.
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And they were..... USS1 and USS......you guessed it 2! Also in the beginning of the war there were a lot of Regiments that wore grey and the southern regiments that wore blue. Usually these were State Militias that paid for their own uniforms or supplied locally. The confusion was horrendous as 1st Manassas / Bull Run proved out! But still the early years did bring out the most gaudy and colorful uniforms! Attrition being the cause of the demise of the colorfulnes.
 
Are these sets still easy to find through dealers or is it to the point where you need to do a little digging?
 
They are still available at my second favorite (and 1st favorite for TCS products). If you are interested shoot me a PM and I'll give you the link for your perusal.

Eric
 
Troiani is an incredible artist. I would love to have the money for that kind of work.
 
Any idea when these will be out? Is there any clues on whats next for the civil war line?
 
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