Also have a very good Bill Mauldin exhibit. The museum is well worth the visit.
Mauldin served in the 45th and left his original artwork to the 45th Museum. He starred with Audie Murphy in a b/w version of Stephen Crane's Red Badge of Courage. Recently I learned that when Audie played the young soldier, he refused to admit to his fear to the soldier protrayed by Mauldin. "I'm not going to admit my fears to a rear area inkslinger." The script had to be rewritten on the spot to have the Mauldin character admit to his fear and then the young soldier Murphy responding with, "Me too." I shared that with M. Gonzalez, the curator (and good guy)/director of the museum.
Let’s hear more about this book.
If you just ask what’s a good price to sell it it’s not like you be violating and I be interested in reading it.
My book
Sharpshooters (1750-1900): The Men, Their Guns, Their Story provided the format that my other book, World War II Snipers: The Men, Their Guns, Their Story is patterend after. Chapters generally begin with a short discussion of the technology of the era and then the general campaign and then battles where marksmanship played some role. It begins with slightly before the French & Indian War (or Seven Years War in Europe) and why the rifle was slow to win acceptance among the militaries of Europe. You'll read about why the British Army briefly realized why aiming at marks had practical application. Remember the flick, Last of the Mohicans? It protrayed more of 1755 when Edward Braddock's Arrmy met a humilating defeat at the hands of the French Canadians and especially the Indians. By 1757, the British had a command, "Tree all!" which meant break ranks and hide yore arse behind a tree and fight from behind it. Of course, the flick didn't show that.
Second chapter covers the American Revolution and the rise (and fall) of the American Rifleman. They enjoyed a propaganda value until the Hessians showed that a bayonet charge brought them quickly to the feet (run away! run away!). Daniel Morgan at Saratoga worked with the light infantry and showed how teamwork was needed (gotta hide behind the safety of the light infantry bayonet fighters). Still, there were some battles in the South that were easily won b/c of riflemen. Look up Maham towers which were lincoln log structures built off site, diassembled and then reasembled overnight and allowed the Americans to dominate the British field fortifications.
Chapter 3 covers the War of 1812 and has an incident at the Battle of New Orleans which told of E. McBrank, the lone marksman who stood atop of the Jackson's parapet. It discusses his feat and provides a minimun distance that McBrank could have begun firiing at the approaching British. Longest range hit with a flintlock rifle (incredible 600 yds) was between an American and an Indian. It's not the longest and the longest supposedly goes to some feuding Corsicans.
Chapter 4 has marksmarship afloat where men shooting from the firing tops made a difference in ship to ship combat.
Chapter 5 covers The Texas War of Independence, the Mexican-American War and the Crimean War where the minie ball was introduced.
Chapter 6 covers technology with a more indepth discussion of conical bullets, the minie ball and its predecessors, fulminate of mercury for percussioon firing systems and the percussion cap, priming pellets, metallic cartridges and practical breechloading firearms (breechloaders were around since the flintlock era and before but sealing the breech was always an issue)
Chapter 7 discusses the Civil War sharpshooter. Who and what they were, how they were seleted, their training, etc. At over 100 pages, it's an exhaustive study of the subject matter. It also covers why Lee didn't initially raise sharpshooters when ordered by the Confederate adjutant general. Did you know that the periscope rifle was invented by the Yankees? It was a simple hand mirror that was stuck into the stock and hoisted above the trench. By looking at the mirror, the soldier could spot the Confederate headlog and skip a bullet down into the Confederate trench.
Chapter 8-10 covers the Army of the Potomac's battles against the Army of Northern Virginia.
Chapter 11 is devoted to coastal defense with the majority covering the Siege of Battery Wagner (Morris Island, South C'lina).
Chapter 12 covers the battles of the Army of Tennessee.
Chapter 13 covers the battles around the Mississippi (including Vicksburg, Port Hudson, Red River Campaign)
Chapter 14 coers post Civil War into WW I. Billy Dixon and other long range shots are discussed. The "snping" of the Boer War is covered too and "sniper" and "sniping" began being used. Do you guys know who Frederic Maurice Crum was? He was the KRRC officer who complained that they had to do something about the German snipers, but he didn't know what. Well, he later learned from a Gordon Highlander Sgt. Forbes and I've identified him as Sgt. John Keith Forbes and have his image in my book.
Chapter 15 is all about guns. Various muzzle loader types, sharpshooter rifles of the Civil War.
Afterword was written by Maj. Jim Land - Carlos Hathcock's boss.
It's endnoted and supported by a complete bibliography so you can check out my sources.
Log Cabin Shoppe in Lodi, Ohio has some copies (call them and ask for it since it's hard to find on their webiste) and so do I.
BTW, you can also probably borrow it via interlibrary loan for free (as well as my other book,
World War II Snipers: The Men, Their Guns, Their Story (The curator at Fort Benning's Infantry Museum is using that book as a basis for setting up thier WW2 sniping exhibit. The museum's gift shop manager likes the book and is supposed to stock it on their shelves). Some of the major national battlefield parks have them (Sharpshooters) and this would include Springfield Armory, Gettysburg, Antietam, Fredericksburg/Chancellorsville/Spotsylvania Court House/The Wilderness, Richmond (Chimborazo), Petersburg and a few others. If you visit those places, ask the ranger.
