Bolda and Fellow Sharpshooters.
Correction: the quote you were looking to cite was on page 235, last paragraph. C.A. Stevens reports: The first sargeants of each company had been furnished with a telescope rifle, to be used only upon special occassions; which were afterwards turned in, being too heavy to carry around, and as prevously stated, unfit for general use on the skirmish line. These rifles were all right in a fixed posiiton-a good rest-and did great work at long range, particularly among the enemies batteries. But for hurried off-hand shooting, skirmishing or in line of battle, the open sights could be brought to the eye quicker, and even the muzzle-loading muskets with which the infantry were armed could be loaded quicker, while the breech-loading Sharps were far ahead of all, for rapid firing.
Among the men specificially cited in the Regimental history (1st USSS) for being issued telescopic rifles during the Petersburg campaign are:
"One of the first men struck was James Heath of Michigan, who carried a 34 pound telescope rifle, the heaviest in the regiment, and which, as he went down, fell with a heavy blow in the middle of the road. This rifle was immediately turned over to James Ragin, of Wisconsin, who was sent to the rear by Capt. Wilson, to put in in thorough repair before attemptingto use it..."
"Emery Munsell, who was seated in an arm chair (in the basement of O.P. Hare's estate 'Newmarket') with his 28 pounder, making long range shots, several which were thrown at random towards Petersburg, in hopes of attracting the notice of the editor of the Express (who had published false accounts about the Sharpshooters when they were at Yorktown) while seated in his evidently uneasy chair..."
"The following day, Ragin got "barked". A rebel rifleman in a pit 400 yards off commenced shooting through a small opening to the great annoyance of the Union soldiers moving about in rear of the breastworks. Ragin getting range on the fellow, a few shots silenced him effectually, and for several hours afer no shooting was done from that qauarter when Ragin noticed that another man was sent to the pit to take the place of the one he had already 'shut up'. This fellow proved to be a tough customer, evidentally a splendid marksman. The contest soon commenced, and for a long time the Wisconsin man exchanged shots with him, Ragin putting his balls into the opening almost every time, throwing the dirt down the back of the pit, while his oppoenent dusted Jim repeatedly.... Finally, an almost simultaneous exchange took place, Ragin shooting through the opening and recieving a clip through the hair close to the scalp, and inflicting no injury. It was a close shave for the veteran, but he was used to such things,...his opponent never fired again".
During the Crater operation, Stevens notes the loss of "...James Ragin of Wisconsin, shot in the left arm. The 34 pound telescope rifle I then turned over to Frederick H. Johnson of Co. B, another deserving soldier. He was always with is company, did effective service at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, and was one of it's "reliables", therefor the compliment of the regimental commander having turned over to him one of the telescope guns, which he invariably used with good effect".
I haven't had a chance to review the company records to determine the ranks of the men when they were issued the treasured telescope rifles, but despite their rank they were recognized by peers and superior officers alike as men who were worthy of carrying a 'heavy' and using it effectively.
Bill Skillman Randolf Mess
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