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Historical Topics >> The Military Marksman >> Long Range rifles in the Palmetto SharpShooters CS
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Message started by Pistolero on Nov 27^th, 2007, 7:04pm

Title: Long Range rifles in the Palmetto SharpShooters CS
Post by Pistolero on Nov 27^th, 2007, 7:04pm

Hello,
My gr gr grandfather was in Co. "K", Col. Micah Jenkins' "Palmetto SharpShooters", Longstreet's Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, C.S.A. It was originally intended to be a crack unit of Sharpshooters the equivilent of Berdan's SharpShooters (Union). People usually say that due to lack of lagistics and material, equipment and arms it wound up being just another infantry unit.

But I do know that at least in 1862 during the Battle of Seven Pines or the Seven Days battles that they had at least some long range rifles. General Longstreet wrote that while he and other officers met to reconnoiter that they were under Union artillery fire. He said that he sent a note to Col Jenkins, who was in that vicinity, to silence the union battery, "Supposing that he could do so with his longrange rifles."

Also, years ago Civil War Times Illustrated had an article entitled "The Guns of the Palmetto SharpShooters". In it, it had some pics of some guns, I think around 7 or 8 guns. Mostly it was a motley collection of various intantry weapons, but I do remember there was at least one Kerr rifle. Perhaps that is what Longstreet meant when he said long range rifles. Remember in 1862 they were still well uniformed and armed. In 1865 there were few left of the once magnificant unit, and they had picked up what they could as their original issue was either lost or destroyed.

Just thought someone might find that interesting.
Take care,
Pistolero
Alabama

Title: Re: Long Range rifles in the Palmetto SharpShooter
Post by David on Nov 27^th, 2007, 7:37pm

Thanks for posting that. Re. the Kerr rifle an article from the May 1971 edition of Guns Review (UK journal, now ceased publishing). The article is about "Major Caleb Huse C.S.A."

The article says that after signing a contract with the London Armoury Company (who also manufactured the small-bore Kerr rifle) supplies were turned over to the Confederate army from September 1861 until April 1865. The only reference to numbers in the article is a return dated February 3rd, 1863 which apparently lists some of the purchases already shipped: "70,980 long Enfield rifles, 9,715 short Enfield rifles, 354 carbine Enfield rifles, 27,000 Austrian rifles, 21,040 British muskets, twenty small-bore Enfields, 2,020 Brunswick rifles at a cost including cases, molds, kegs, screwdrivers, etc., of �417,263 9s. 11d."

The "twenty small-bore Enfields" are likely to be the Kerr rifles I would suggest.

David

Title: Re: Long Range rifles in the Palmetto SharpShooter
Post by Pistolero on Nov 28^th, 2007, 4:10am

That is interesting Dave. If only so much of the Confederate records and such were not destroyed during and after the war. The untold amounts of historical info that was lost could help out historians, researchers, etc, so much.
Take care,
Dave E.
Alabama