During the Fall and Winter of 1861 - 1862 one of the most popular attractions in the Nation's Capital was the instructional camp of the First and Second United States Sharpshooters. Private citizens, political dignitaries, even the President himself made the journey to the camp, for here was gathered some of the finest young marksmen from the northern states. In addition to endless hours spent drilling and pulling guard duty, the new recruits put on daily demonstrations of their sharp shooting skills before large crowds of camp visitors for whom target shooting was a popular sport.

The concept of recruiting marksmen into organized regiments was promoted by a wealthy inventor named Hiram Berdan, himself one of the best known sport shooters in the nation. Berdan lent his considerable influence to the project, was appointed colonel for his efforts, and assumed command over the two regiments which came to be popularly known as Berdan's Sharpshooters.

To fill the ranks, recruiting officers scoured the loyal northern states, visiting cities, towns, and small villages in search of qualified candidates. It was an exclusive club and membership requirements were strict. A candidate had to place ten consecutive shots inside a ten-inch circle firing from a distance of 200 yards without the benefit of telescopic sights. Many candidates failed the test but enough passed to fill ten companies in the First Regiment and eight companies in the Second Regiment.

Originally armed with five-shot Colt revolving rifles, the two regiments left Camp of Instruction in March, 1862. The First Regiment distinguished itself during the siege of Yorktown and the Peninsular Campaign. It was at Yorktown that the reputation of Berdan's Sharpshooters grew to near mythic proportions. In addition to actual feats of marksmanship, particularly in picking off Rebel cannoneers, the Sharpshooters attracted numerous news correspondents, some of whose lurid prose and outlandish claims captured the imagination of the country.

Adding to the glamour of the Sharpshooters was the fact that they were dressed in forest green frock coats, trousers, and forage caps. To this was added brown leather leggings and Prussian-style knapsacks of hair-covered calfskin. Many sported black ostrich plumes in their caps to further enhance their dashing image. The green uniform, in addition to lending an elite air to the regiments, served as an early form of camouflage for the fighting soldier. As the war progressed many of these distinctive trappings were discarded by soldiers in the field, however, the Army continued to issue green clothing throughout the war.

The Second U.S.S.S. spent the spring of 1862 performing provost guard duty in occupied Falmouth and Fredericksburg, VA no doubt reading of the heroic exploits of their comrades in the First Regiment with some envy. Shortly after the ill-fated Peninsular Campaign the two regiments reunited in time to participate in Pope's defeat at Second Bull Run and remained with the Army of the Potomac for the remainder of the war.

Hiram Berdan

Timeline:

• Appointed Colonel, 1st United States Sharpshooters, November 30, 1861
• Shortly after the outbreak of the Civil War, he was breveted Brigadier General, United States Volunteers, for services at Chancellorsville,
• Breveted Major General, U.S. Volunteers, for services rendered at the Battle of Gettysburg.
• He commanded the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, III Corps and 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, III Corps.
• He resigned from the service on January 2, 1864.
• A mechanical engineer in New York City when the war commenced,
• He had been the top rifle shot in the country for fifteen years prior to the Civil War.
• He is identified with two regiments of U.S. sharpshooters, and with the "breech loader question." Although crusty, old Winfield Scott was "very favorably impressed" with this aggressive man, "an associate of Berdan called him 'most unscrupulous' and 'totally unfit for a command.'" Major Dyer of the Springfield Armory considered him "thoroughly unscrupulous and unreliable."
• He had invented a repeating rifle and a patented musket ball before the war.
• Later he developed a twin-screw submarine gunboat, a torpedo boat for evading torpedo nets, a long-distance range finder and a distance fuse for shrapnel.

• He was born on September 6, 1824
• He died on March 31, 1893.
• He was buried in Section 2 of Arlington National Cemetery.