"How many Berdan's Sharpshooters" Topic
11 Posts
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maciek72 | 18 Jul 2014 4:03 a.m. PST |
How many 1st and 2nd US Sharpshooters took field during Widerness and Overland campaign ? |
Who asked this joker | 18 Jul 2014 5:27 p.m. PST |
There were about 500 over all at Gettysburg (200 and 300 but I don't remember which regiment was which number). I can't say about the numbers in the Wilderness but this is probably a rough indicator as to how many men in the brigade. |
Trajanus | 19 Jul 2014 2:53 a.m. PST |
The 1st and 2nd were in 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Corps at Gettysburg. The 1st had 312 men the 2nd 169. Depending on whose version of losses taken there and in smaller actions before May '64 you choose, they could have been anywhere between 250 – 300 for the 1st and 120 – 150 for the 2nd, prior to the Wilderness. I imagine you could add back a small number of replacements or wounded returned to action, although replacements may not have been in ready numbers because of the original entry requirement – you had to shoot well! Incidentally, for infantry, they were both good units to be in, each loosing only just over 10% to enemy action during the war! |
ScottWashburn | 19 Jul 2014 3:49 a.m. PST |
More men returned to the ranks in Union regiments than we sometimes realize. Can't speak for the Sharpshooters, but the 61st NY only had 114 men at Gettysburg (and took about 50 casualties in the Wheatfield) but was back up around 300 by the spring of 1864. |
donlowry | 19 Jul 2014 9:30 a.m. PST |
Scott, that might have included draftees. |
Trajanus | 19 Jul 2014 10:40 a.m. PST |
Mathematically it must have done! Although to be fair it may have included some 61st NY men returning from earlier injury as well. However, Fox's "Regimental Losses" has the 61st marked down for 6 KIA and 56 wounded at Gettysburg, which is possibly a nice illustration of Scott's point, depending on the severity of the wounds sustained by the 56 in question. |
TKindred | 19 Jul 2014 2:54 p.m. PST |
And there are other "sources" of replacements. As an example, when the 16th Maine was overrun at Gettysburg, Not all of it's men were captured/killed/etc. Some 60 men had been assigned to assist a depleted battery in 1st Corps (name escapes me at the moment, but I can dig it out if you like) and right after the battle, these men were used, along with the survivors, as a core to rebuild the regiment. Remember that when you see "numbers engaged" in any OOB, that these were the men physically present at that date/time and that perhaps 12% of a units strength from the previous muster could have been assigned elsewhere as clerks, wagoners, commissary details, etc. For an example of this, at Gettysburg, the 3rd Maine infantry had 210 men & officers in the ranks on 2 July, but had some 20+ men assigned elsewhere within their division. This was temporary duty and so these men would be available to return almost at once after the battle. In addition, there were men in hospital, on leave, etc, who also came back soon afterward. |
Trajanus | 20 Jul 2014 2:29 a.m. PST |
That temporary duty stuff must have been very popular! I'd have volunteered for it! :o) |
TKindred | 20 Jul 2014 6:57 a.m. PST |
It was a rotating duty where each regiment in the brigade sent "X" number of men to Brigade HQ for guard duty. Some of those went to Division HQ, etc. Small groups were also sent to the brigade, division, and corps trains for escort duty, and general support, etc. A couple of fellows from each unit who showed excellent penmanship would be assigned to Brigade or Division as clerks. and so forth. The problem both armies faced was that there was no dedicated staff. It wasn't until after the war that the US Army began to establish staff schools and train officers in their various functions. Before that, everything was ad hoc. |
1968billsfan | 21 Jul 2014 4:56 a.m. PST |
I have it on the good authority of an opponent in a recent wargame, that the sharpshooters were in Divisional strength. |
DHautpol | 21 Jul 2014 6:41 a.m. PST |
"I have it on the good authority of an opponent in a recent wargame, that the sharpshooters were in Divisional strength." …and which just happened to match the number he had to hand? |
Trajanus | 21 Jul 2014 11:08 a.m. PST |
Interesting, maybe that's why the North won! |
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