Sharpshooter Duels, Buffalo Arms and Wild Bill’s Firearms Heritage
Garry Yee, author Sharpshooters 1750–1900: The Men, Their Guns, Their Story, a book that has become an instant classic and go-to source o the subject, has a new work out from Osprey publishing. The book, Union Sharpshooter versus Confederate Sharpshooter, an 80-
page soft cover, is a unique stu The book’s artwork and strategic and tactical maps are superb; an Gary’s combat and tactical analy sis is excellent and without pee 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 th 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, perhap
surprisingly to many, the idea of special sharpshooter units was ig nored 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.
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 bul-
lets 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
This is not specifically a Civi 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 Cody Firearms Museum “The Cost of
his reputation in the conflict’s aftermath. The Cody Firearms Museum in Cody, Wyo., has been a firearms history fan’s must se tour site for many years. Closed for more than a year for a twelv million dollar remodeling, today it is an integral part of the la er Buffalo Bill Center of the We 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 ” exhibit. (All photos courtesy
appeared on several television s ries, 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, pub speaker, and expert court witnes George Dillman, a member of the museum’s Board of Trustees, said that “one of the objectives the renovation was to make the firearms museum more a handson experience, especially for th non-gun enthusiast who would often leave the museum numbed by sensory overload.” Ashley had noted that many visitors had lit tle or no knowledge of firearms or firearms history and often irearms Museum)
1200’s. The displays are not a random accumulation of guns; each exhibit manifests some element of historical significanc 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 “Cinematic celebrity-guns datth
ing back to Gary Cooper’s Colt Single Action Army right up to Robert Taylor’s 1911 used on the Longmire series are on dis-
play. 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).” 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 an pay a visit. For more information check out the museum website at https://centerofthewest.or explore/firearms.
Joseph G. Bilby received his BA and MA degrees in history from Seton Hall University and served as a lieutenant in the 1st Infantry Division in 1966–1967. H is Assistant Curator of the New Jersey National Guard and Militia Museum, a freelance writer and historical consultant and author or editor of 21 books and over 400 articles on N.J. and military history and firearms. He is also publications editor for the N.J. War 150 Committee and edited the award winning New Jersey Goes to War. His latest book, New Jersey: A Military History, was published by Westholme Publishing in 2017. He has received an award for contributions to Monmouth County (N.J.) history and an Award of Merit from the N.J. Historical Commission for contributions to
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wife, Susan. “Being asked to succeed Ted as program coordinator is one of the great honors of my life,” said Eric. “I say ‘succeed’ rath er 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 hav agreed to succeed Ted as program coordinator.”
Chambersburg Civil W 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 2226, 2020, the program will cover the Battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga with David A. Powell as the lead tour guide. T 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 f cus 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 cus on Civil War topics and will remain based in Chambersburg, Pa. These events will feature in tensive study of specific themes such as infantry, artillery, cav ry, and guerilla warfare.
coming 2020 tours can be found by visiting CivilWarSeminars.
org or by calling 717-264-71 If you have any questions re ing the transition, please c
About Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours was founded by the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Ted Alexander i 1989. The programs are designed to support the local ness community, attract tour to the area, and raise funds battlefield preservation. To
donated to nonprofit organiz tions that support the inter tion and preservation of our War heritage. For more detai about upcoming tours, please it CivilWarSeminars.org or c
Deadlines for Advertising or Editorial Submissions is the 20th of each month.
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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. Gener Grant talked of his desire to cu Lee’s supply arteries by taking the Weldon Railroad and extending his lines to the Globe Taver He also addressed the same efforts leading to the second batt of Ream’s Station. General Grant and Ord both stressed the importance of railroads in the War in general and during the Petersbur
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 attend-
ed four programs presented by General’s Grant and Ord, an extended caravan tour of the battl for Weldon Railroad on Saturday
and Sunday, and “Confederate Rail Supply Systems
Petersburg” (Saturday-Range Grant Gates/Sunday-Ranger Tracy Chernault).
Robert E. Lee (Thomas Jessee) sp participants. Ranger Aaron Rowla
(Mark Day) and General’s Ulysses (CWN photo was taken
successful in explaining w happened at Weldon Railroa Ream’s Station. Ranger Rowland gave thi statement to the local jou “The final year of the Civil War brought large Fe armies to Petersburg where merous offensives were lau against the city’s railroa ten months, Robert E. Lee gled to defend the city’s Petersburg National Battle commemorates the struggles both sides that fought for of the railroads.” Professor Veritas would
to thank NPS Ranger Aaron Rowland for his significan tribution to this article.
“Simply put: tell the si truth, simply.” Professor E. Veritas
