Garry Yee, author of Sharpshooters 1750–1900: The Men, Their Guns, Their Story, a book that has become an instant classic and go-to source on the subject, has a new work out from Osprey publishing. The book, Union Sharpshooter versus Confederate Sharpshooter, an 80page soft cover, is a unique study. The book’s artwork and strategic and tactical maps are superb; and Gary’s combat and tactical analysis is excellent and without peer.
In Union Sharpshooter versus Confederate Sharpshooter Yee, a former firearms and relics curator at the San Francisco War Memorial and a trained gunsmith, selects three battles, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, and Battery Wagner, where the tactical role of sharpshooters in the opposing armies was significant, to analyze. He begins with an overall assessment of weapons, dress, and equipment available to and used by sharpshooters of both sides; he then describes and analyzes their training and tactics before considering the particular battles. He concludes the book by discussing the aftermath of the conflict, in which, perhaps surprisingly to many, the idea of special sharpshooter units was ignored by the United States Army. Union Sharpshooter versus Confederate Sharpshooter is a must for students of military and/ or firearms history and deserves a place on the bookshelf of any Civil War buff as well.
by Joe Bilby
With the shooting season coming to an end soon, it is probably a good time to check out the Buffalo Arms website for components and equipment to use over the winter to restock your shooting supplies and reloading bench. The Buffalo Arms website offers most anything a black powder shooter could desire, including various brands of black powder, loaded tapered percussion revolver cartridges in .36 and .44 calibers, hand cast bullets for those who do not wish to mold their own slugs, rare brass cartridge cases for reloading old time breechloaders, case cleaning devices designed to get black powder residual crud removed, and much more. Dedicated black powder shooters, whether their specialty is military or civilian arms, pre-1865 or after, should check out the company’s website at https://www.buffaloarms.com.
This is not specifically a Civil War story, although William “Buffalo Bill” Cody did serve as a teamster with the 7th Kansas Cavalry in the last year of the war and generously enhanced
his reputation in the conflict’s aftermath. The Cody Firearms Museum in Cody, Wyo., has been a firearms history fan’s must see tour site for many years. Closed for more than a year for a twelve million dollar remodeling, today it is an integral part of the larger Buffalo Bill Center of the West with four other museums, the Whitney Western Art Museum, the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Plains Indian Museum, and the Draper Natural History Museum. Each museum has its own staff, advisory board and curator.
The curator of the Cody Firearms museum is Ashley Hlebinsky, who has worked at the museum for eight years and appeared on several television series, including Travel Channels’ “Mysteries at the Museum” and Discovery Channel’s “Master of Arms.” She is also the CEO of a firearms museum consulting firm, a television producer, public speaker, and expert court witness.
George Dillman, a member of the museum’s Board of Trustees, said that “one of the objectives of the renovation was to make the firearms museum more a handson experience, especially for the non-gun enthusiast who would often leave the museum numbed by sensory overload.” Ashley had noted that many visitors had little or no knowledge of firearms or firearms history and often seemed somewhat confused or bewildered by the museum exhibitions, that problem has been solved. The new and up to date exhibits are explanatory beyond their predecessors, using video, interactive touch screens, and hands on displays to enlighten the visitor.
A recent feature article in the “Shooting Wire” online newsletter by noted gun and outdoor writer and former law enforcement and USMC officer Greg Moats noted that: “The CFM now houses 10,675 artifacts on display dating back to the 1200’s. The displays are not a random accumulation of guns; each exhibit manifests some element of historical significance due to either innovation, scarcity, or provenance. Ernest Hemingway’s Winchester Model 21, Theodore Roosevelt’s “Big Medicine” Winchester 1895, and guns of numerous other U.S. Presidents grace the halls, as do the tools of exhibition shooters and competitors of note.”
Moats also noted that “Cinematic celebrity-guns dating back to Gary Cooper’s Colt Single Action Army right up to Robert Taylor’s 1911 used on the Longmire series are on display. Matt Dillon, Paladin, and the Cartwrights’ sidearms are on display (if those names are unfamiliar, you’re either very young or suffered a mis-spent youth).” I guess my youth was not misspent.
The Cody museum also has a vastly expanded top notch military arms display, including Civil War guns. If you are traveling out west be sure to stop and pay a visit. For more information check out the museum website at https://centerofthewest.org/ explore/firearms.
“Being asked to succeed Ted as program coordinator is one of the great honors of my life,” said Eric. “I say ‘succeed’ rather than ‘replace,’ because nobody can replace a legend. One can only hope to carry on and to maintain the high standards set by Ted. Knowing that, and with a great deal of humility and no small dose of trepidation, I have agreed to succeed Ted as program coordinator.”
Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours will no longer be necessarily tied to Chambersburg. In the future, summer programs will stay focused on the Civil War and alternate between the Eastern and Western campaigns. For July 22- 26, 2020, the program will cover the Battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga with David A. Powell as the lead tour guide. The July 2021 program will focus on the Battle of Chancellorsville, and July 2022 on the Battle of Vicksburg.
This coming spring, the American History Seminar series will be held April 30-May 1 and cover the 1777 Philadelphia Campaign led by Michael Harris. This conference will shift its focus beyond the Civil War and include other conflicts including the French & Indian Wars, Revolutionary War, and others. The April 2021 Seminar will focus on the Battles of Brandywine, Paoli, Germantown, Whitemarsh, and the winter encampment at Valley Forge.
Future fall conferences will focus on Civil War topics and will remain based in Chambersburg, Pa. These events will feature intensive study of specific themes such as infantry, artillery, cavalry, and guerilla warfare.
More information about the upcoming 2020 tours can be found by visiting CivilWarSeminars. was joined by General E. O. C. Ord (Mark Day) to talk of the success and failure of attempts to cut Lee’s supply lines. General Grant talked of his desire to cut Lee’s supply arteries by taking the Weldon Railroad and extending his lines to the Globe Tavern. He also addressed the same efforts leading to the second battle of Ream’s Station. General Grant and Ord both stressed the importance of railroads in the War in general and during the Petersburg Campaign in particular.
General Grant was pleased to be joined on Sunday by his Aidede-camp as well as his personal Surgeon (Greg Eatroff and Rick Gist).
Ranger Rowland advised that the numbers of visitors for the weekend was 532. They attended four programs presented by General’s Grant and Ord, an extended caravan tour of the battles for Weldon Railroad on Saturday and Sunday, and “Confederate Rail Supply Systems in Petersburg” (Saturday-Ranger Grant Gates/Sunday-Ranger Tracy Chernault).
The second weekend anniversary observations were deemed
Even the Generals read Civil War News. General E. O. C. Ord (Mark Day) and General’s Ulysses S. Grant (Curt Fields). (CWN photo was taken by Ranger Abbi Smithmier) successful in explaining what happened at Weldon Railroad and Ream’s Station.
Ranger Rowland gave this statement to the local journalists:
“The final year of the American Civil War brought large Federal armies to Petersburg where numerous offensives were launched against the city’s railroads. For ten months, Robert E. Lee struggled to defend the city’s lifelines. Petersburg National Battlefield commemorates the struggles of both sides that fought for control of the railroads.”
Professor Veritas would like to thank NPS Ranger Aaron Rowland for his significant contribution to this article.
“Simply put: tell the simple truth, simply.”