The Second United States Sharpshooters in the Civil War: A History and Roster »

Gerald L. Earley is a lifelong student of the Civil War and has personally visited all the major battlefields of the Second U.S. Sharpshooters. He is a graduate of Wichita State University and a veteran of the Vietnam War.

The Second U.S. Sharpshooters was a hodgepodge regiment, composed of companies raised in several New England states. The regiment was trained for a specific mission and armed with specially ordered breech-loading target rifles. This book covers the origin, recruitment, training, and battle record of the regiment and features 32 photographs, four battlefield maps, and a regimental roster.

Preface 1

1 Elite and Unique: The Genesis of Berdan's Sharpshooters 5

2 Berdan's Camp of Instruction: Training and Turmoil 16

3 At the Bloody Point of Lincoln's Sword 33

4 A Continual Wasting Effect 45

5 "There Was Bloody Work Done" 70

6 The Most Dismal and Despondent Days 93

7 At Their Best: Chancellorsville 106

8 "Turning the Tide": Gettysburg 116

9 The Feckless Campaigns 135

10 With Ulysses in the Wilderness 151

11 A Plethora of War: Spotsylvania to Cold Harbor 165

12 Winning the Hard Way: Petersburg 184

Epilogue 198

Appendix: Roster 207

Chapter Notes 227

Bibliography 237

Index 241