Letter Written by a Member of Berdan’s Sharpshooters from Col. Berdan’s Camp of Instruction in 1862 – Letter Discusses Merits of the Colt Revolving Rifle vs. the Sharps Rifle

Letter Written by a Member of Berdan’s Sharpshooters from Col. Berdan’s Camp of Instruction in 1862 – Letter Discusses Merits of the Colt Revolving Rifle vs. the Sharps Rifle – This is a somewhat lengthy letter written on patriotic stationery, by a soldier in Berdan’s Sharpshooters, from the so-called “Camp of Instruction” at Washington, DC, on February 7, 1862, to his parents. The letter, although written in ink and quite legible, is replete with grammatical, syntactical and spelling errors; it is most apparent that this young soldier had a very limited academic background. In the letter, Private Alldritt relates to parents that he is in good health and admonishes them not to be concerned; he mentions that his regiment of sharpshooters were initially provided with Colt revolving rifles and that these rifles can shoot five hundred yards, but that in five weeks, they will be getting the Sharps rifles that he mentions “can shoot half a mile”. He also mentions Colonel Berdan affirming that the Sharpshooters will not be attached to another regiment, but remain under Gen. McClellan. Additionally, Alldritt says that when Gen. Burnside arrives that the fighting will commence, and that the rebels will skedaddle; he says that the regiment will be employed, in the field, as scouts and skirmishers. Alldritt tells his parents that he has heard from a friend who is serving in the Kentucky area and has just participated in a significant battle.

This letter was written about three months after Alldritt enlisted; the rare, patriotic stationery with the Berdan Camp of Instruction imprint, indicates that Alldritt was training at the instructional camp as a member of the elite Berdan’s sharpshooters. Alldritt would remain with the Sharpshooters throughout the rest of the war, surviving a lengthy list of significant engagements to include the Battle of Williamsburg, the Seven Days’ Battles, the Battles of White Oak Swamp, Malvern Hill, Second Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Mine Run, Bristoe Station, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor and the Siege of Petersburg.

The letter remains in excellent condition, with a small area of the bottom right and left corners torn off, but not impacting the text of the body of the letter.

Transcription of the letter written by Private Edwin Alldritt, Co. A 1^st / 2^nd Berdan’s Sharpshooters:

              Co. A 21^st Reg’t, Berdan’s U.S. Sharpshooters,

                        Camp Instruction, Washington, D.C.

                               Washington, DD  1862.

Feb 7 i have receved (sic)

your leter (sic) of January 26 1862

i am in good alth (sic) at

present and in good sprits (sic)

i wase (sic) glad have …?

that you are getting (sic) beter (sic)

Dear parents I ope (sic) that

you will ave (sic) Curage (sic) and not

fret about me any more

then you can alp (sic) yorsel (sic)

in gay my self …?

I ave (sic) plenty to eight (sic) and

weare (sic) we dont (sic) ave much

to due (sic) at present we ave (sic)

got our gons (sic) at last it is

Colts Revolving rifel (sic)

five shooters it is a very

prety (sic) goon (sic) it will shoot

five hundred yards prety (sic)

(over)

Well it shoots prety (sic)

true but we all try to

ave (sic) Sharps in about

five weaks (sic) thay (sic) say

Sharps will shoot alf (sic) a

mile I wose (sic) out shooting it

day we made very

good shootinge (sic) some of the boys

dont (sic) like the gons (sic) because

they thought they wose (sic)

goinge (sic) to get discarged (sic)

we ave (sic) got a gon (sic) that

we can shoot five time in

a minet (sec) and lode (sic) them in

the same time Col Burdan (sic)

says thet (sic) we shall not

be a tached (sic) to any redgment (sic)

or division but stay at

general Mc Clellan (sic) ad (sic)

Hartes (sic ?) and goe (sic) as

SCotes (sic) and scarmihoes (sic)

thay (sic) expect that as soon

as the mud drise (sic) up the armay (sic)

(next page)

 will go formed (?) when

general burnside …? with

his flete (sic) thay (sic) ave (sic) got the

rebels in close qrueters (sic) and

if thay (sic) strike at once

they will make the fire

flie (sic) and if we have to fight

it wonte (sic) to be in the furste (sic)

fire after thay (sic) do strike

it will soon be dun (sic) with

in my a piniun (sic) thay (sic) are

…? goinge (sic) to all strike at

the rebels at once i (sic) expect

and they will make them

scadetel (sic) out af? thet (sic) we

ave good holde (sic?) tims (sic) general

the boys are getinge (sic) over thare (sic)

sickness and feel reely (sic) well

Alexander Livingston got

a leter (sic) from Alexander

grens (sic ?) in Kentucky he

wose (sic) in the fight he says thet (sic)

theare (sic) wose (sic) tue (sic) thousand (sic)

(over)

 of them fired at

the rebels and thay (sic)

Run (several words crossed out)

but they did not lose

a man out of three Compnay (sic)

thare (sic) ten cold (sic) out of

the redgment (sic) i ave (sic) tolde (sic)

you all i can think of

so be of good

Curege (sic) and truste (sic) in

god (sic) and all will goe (sic)

well

         So i must

Close give My

love to all My

frends (sic) from your

son  Edwin Alldritt

 

Surname	Aldritt
Given Name and Rank	Edwin Pvt
Age	21
Induction Date	05/Oct/1861
Regiment	FIRST SHARPSHOOTERS
State of Residence	Minn
Notes	SERVICE; TRANSF. TO 1 BAT., MINN VOLS., 30/JAN/1865
Discharge Date	JUL/1865

 

Name	Edwin Aldritt
Enlistment Age	21
Birth Date	abt 1840
Enlistment Date	5 Oct 1861
Enlistment Rank	Private
Muster Date	5 Oct 1861
Muster Company	A
Muster Regiment	U.S. Volunteers 2nd SS
Muster Regiment Type	Sharpshooters
Muster Information	Enlisted
Rank Change Rank	Corpl
Muster Out Date	30 Jan 1865
Muster Out Information	Transferred
Side of War	Union
Survived War?	Yes
Additional Notes 2	Muster 2 Date: 30 Jan 1865; Muster 2 Place: Minnesota; Muster 2 Unit: 3385; Muster 2 Regiment: 1st Battn Vols; Muster 2 Regiment Type: Volunteers; Muster 2 Information: Transferred; Muster Out 2 Date: 15 Jul 1865; Muster Out 2 Information: Mustered Out

 

Name	Edwin Aldritt
Gender	Male
Birth Date	4 Apr 1840
Birth Place	Staffordshire, England
Death Date	10 Jan 1917
Death Place	Waconia, Carver County, Minnesota, United States of America
Cemetery	Woodside Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place	Shorewood, Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States of America
Has Bio?	Y
Mother	Anna Aldritt
Spouse	Ann Elizabeth AldrittMaria Lizzie Aldritt
Children	Essie Idella MaynardJohn Edwin AldrittLizzie AldrittWilliam Joseph Aldritt

The “21st Regiment Berdan’s Sharpshooters” refers to a regiment of sharpshooters, specifically the first two regiments of the United States Sharpshooters, led by Colonel Hiram Berdan during the American Civil War. These regiments were known for their superior marksmanship and were often used for special assignments, such as skirmish duty. The 21st Regiment designation is not accurate as it was actually the 1st and 2nd United States Sharpshooters.

Berdan’s Sharpshooters initially received Colt Model 1855 revolving rifles, but they were not satisfied and demanded the Sharps rifles they had been promised. The Sharpshooters used Colt revolving rifles briefly, particularly during the Siege of Yorktown, where they engaged in skirmishing and targeting enemy artillery; however, they were later replaced with the promised Sharps rifles.

1st United States Sharpshooters

1st United States Sharpshooters Regiment
Founded	September 2, 1860
Disbanded	December 31, 1864
Country	United States (Union)
Type	Sharpshooter
Size	Regiment
Equipment	Sharps rifle
Engagements	American Civil War ·       Peninsula Campaign ·       Battle of Williamsburg ·       Battle of Hanover Court House ·       Seven Days Battles ·       Battle of Mechanicsville ·       Battle of White Oak Swamp ·       Battle of Malvern Hill ·       Second Battle of Bull Run ·       Battle of South Mountain ·       Battle of Antietam ·       Battle of Fredericksburg ·       Chancellorsville Campaign ·       Battle of Chancellorsville ·       Battle of Gettysburg ·       Bristoe Campaign ·       Second Battle of Auburn ·       Battle of Bristoe Station ·       Second Battle of Rappahannock Station ·       Battle of Mine Run ·       Battle of the Wilderness ·       Battle of Spotsylvania Court House ·       Battle of Cold Harbor ·       Siege of Petersburg
Commanders
Notable commanders	Colonel Hiram Berdan

The 1st United States Sharpshooters were an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. During battle, the mission of the sharpshooter was to kill enemy targets of importance (i.e., officers, NCOs, and artillery crews) from long range.

The first regiment of volunteers began service in late November 1860. During their service, they fought in every Eastern battle up until autumn of 1864. During their tour, the Sharpshooters were noted for efficient service in the battles of Yorktown, Gettysburg, Spotsylvania and Petersburg.

The 1st and 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters were consolidated on December 31, 1864.

Founder

Hiram C. Berdan was the founder of the Sharpshooters. Berdan was born in the town of Phelps, New York, on September 6, 1824. Not only was Berdan a military officer in the Civil War and creator of the Sharpshooters regiment, he was also an American mechanical engineer and creative inventor. Some of Berdan’s inventions included the Berdan rifle (a repeating rifle) and the Berdan center fire primer, a range finder torpedo boat for evading torpedo nets during and after the Civil War. Berdan also developed the first commercial gold amalgamation machine to separate gold from ore. Berdan was also known for being an amateur champion marksman in the United States. Berdan’s interest in rifles and shooting led him to the idea of creating a regiment full of men who all had notable shooting skills: the Sharpshooters. Berdan left active service in the field in the summer of 1863. He died on March 31, 1893, and was buried in the Arlington National Cemetery.

Raising the regiment

During the Civil War, regiments were usually composed of companies all from the same state. On the other hand, due to the strict qualifications and special skills in order to become a member of the Sharpshooters, each regiment was assembled of companies from various different Union states. Below is a list of each company in the first regiment, their origin and date of establishment.

• Companies “A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K”
• Companies “A”, “D” and “H” were organized at New York City, New Yorkin September 1860.
• Company “B” was organized at Albany, New Yorkin September 1860.
• Company “C” in Michiganon August 21, 1860.
• Company “E” in New Hampshireon September 9, 1861.
• Company “F” in Vermonton September 13, 1861
• Company “G”in Wisconsin on September 23, 1861.
• Company “I” in Michiganon March 4, 1862.
• Company “K” in Michiganon March 30, 1862.

Company commanders

The first United States Sharpshooter regiment consisted of the following commanding officers (listed by company):

• Company A- Captain Casper Trepp, New York
• Company B- Captain Stephen Martin, New York
• Company C- Captain Benjamin Duesler, Michigan
• Company D- Captain George S. Tuckerman, New York
• Company E- Captain Amos B. Jones, New Hampshire
• Company F- Captain Edmund Weston, Vermont
• Company G– Captain Edward Drew, Wisconsin
• Company H- Captain George G. Hastings, New York
• Company I- Captain A. M. Willet, Michigan
• Company K- Captain S. J. Mather, Michigan

 Selection of recruits

Hiram C. Berdan began recruiting men for the first Sharpshooter regiment in 1861. He recruited men from New York City and Albany and from the states of New Hampshire, Vermont, Michigan and Wisconsin.

The volunteer recruits had to pass a marksmanship test in order to qualify to be a member of the Sharpshooters; each man had to be able to place ten shots in a circle of 10 inches (250 mm) in diameter from 200 yards (180 m) away. The shots were to be accurate enough so that the average distance of them all would be 5 inches (127 mm) or less from the center of the target. They used a piece of string to measure from the center point to each bullet hole. The accumulated distance for all the shots on this string could measure no more than 50 inches (127 cm) long. They were allowed to choose a rifle and position of their preference for the test. A man eligible to be a Sharpshooter had to possess a keen eye, steady hands and a great deal of training and skill with a rifle. In addition to that, for a man to be a Sharpshooter, it took cool nerves in order to be able to estimate their target carefully, determine the high trajectory needed and to take in consideration the effect that any current wind may have.

Weapons

The men of the Sharpshooters regiment were armed with various types of rifles, including the Sharps rifle, the Whitworth rifle, sporting arms, and various other custom-made privately owned target weapons. Some of these rifles weighed up to 30 pounds (14 kg) because they contained the first breed of telescope sights.^{[citation needed]} At first, many of the Sharpshooter riflemen used their own weapons, but this led to problems when it came to ammunition supply. As a result, Berdan made a request to receive issuance of Sharps rifles to his men.

Christian Sharps invented the Sharps rifle in 1848 in Hartford, Connecticut. It was a single shot percussion lock breech loader that could be fired eight to ten times per minute (three times the rate of the Springfield rifle), weighed about 12 pounds (5.4 kg), was 47 inches (1,200 mm) in length with a 30-inch (760 mm) barrel and fired cartridges with a .52 caliber conical ball. The Sharps rifle was accurate up to 600 yards (550 m), so the typical Sharpshooter was able to put twenty bullets in a 24-inch (610 mm) pattern from 200 yards (180 m) away. The first Sharps rifle in the regiment was purchased by Private Truman “California Joe” Head while the regiment was at the camp of instruction outside Washington, D.C. during the winter of 1861–1862.

Berdan chose the Sharps rifle mainly because of its fast breech loading and outstanding accuracy from long-range distances. Lieutenant General Winfield Scott denied Berdan’s request because he feared the issuance of Sharps rifles would lead to a waste of ammunition. Lt. General Scott insisted that Berdan’s men use a standard Springfield rifle. Berdan was not at all satisfied with Scott’s ruling, so he took his request for Sharps rifles directly to President Abraham Lincoln. After Lincoln watched Berdan perform a demonstration of the Sharps rifle’s extreme speed and accuracy he was so impressed that he ordered them to be immediately issued to both Sharpshooter regiments. Nevertheless, many of the men still continued to use their own rifles, no matter how heavy and bulky they were, probably because that is what they had training and experience with. The sharpshooters were finally issued their Sharps rifles on May 8, 1862.

Uniform

The green uniform of the sharpshooters

The most notable aspect of the Berdan Sharpshooter uniform is the green color, rather than the standard Union blue. They were one of only a few regiments that went outside the typical Potomac Army’s uniform. The green uniform gave the sharpshooters the clear advantage of camouflage, but also sometimes was a disadvantage because they were easy to distinguish against the rest of the Union soldiers for Confederate marksmen to spot and target. Sharpshooters were high-priority kills amongst the Confederate army, because they had such high skills and good salvageable equipment. Sharpshooters used more guerrilla warfare battle tactics than the rest of the Union infantry. Along with the green uniform, a soldier was to have no brass on any of their buttons. Their shoes were standard Union issue, but their pants were made of green wool just like the frock coats, with a pair of gaiters. Furthermore, Sharpshooter knapsacks were a Prussian-style fur sack fitted over a wooden frame, as opposed to the usual tarred canvas. However, as the war went on the men were not reissued this clothing and many of the men received standard federal clothing making it harder for rebel troops to notice their elite capabilities. By the Gettysburg campaign most of the men were wearing modified blue uniforms.

Total strength and casualties

Ten of the regiment’s officers and 143 enlisted men were killed in action or mortally wounded and 1 officer and 128 enlisted men died of disease, for a total of 282 deaths in the service.

Lieutenant Colonel William Y. W. Ripley was wounded and later received the Medal of Honor for his heroism as second in command of the 1st U.S. Sharpshooters at the Battle of Malvern Hill.

The picture below is a piece of the 1st U.S. Sharpshooters stationary that was used on a letter home by Charles W. Seaton of Co. F, 1st USSS (the same unit as Jerome Fountain). Charles marked his tent location, and the 2nd USSS camp was used on the back of the envelope. Both the stationary and envelope had the Rosenthal scenes.

Jerome’s commanding officers were in the tent marked 12, along with the Michigan Company C. The other two Michigan companies had not arrived yet in Oct./Nov. 1861 when the scene was sketched. As Seaton described, Jerome’s company street would be in line with tent 12.

The house visible just behind the 2nd’s Camp was identified in his journal as belonging to William Emmert by George A. Marden of Co. G, 2nd USSS. Emmert is described as the owner of this house.

The house seen on the picture (Rosenthal Lithograph) was built of brick and was occupied by Mr. Emmert, “a German, with a small family and Col. Berdan and suite comprising his modest Privite Sec’y., alias 3rd Serg’t., Co. G, and a splendid dog “Sport.”  “Mr. Emmert is a dirty looking Dutchman built, I imagine, like the renowned Wouter Van Twiller as described by Irving.  He has a very husky voice and when he comes in to complain about the destruction of his property by the boys, grows pathetic and weeps.  He is certainly a martyr for the Union.”

Additionally, in William Emmert’s property damage claim, he says, “the United States Sharpshooters were camped on his property.”

During the GAR Reunion in Washington, DC in 1892, two Co.A, 2nd USSS Sharpshooters visited the Camp of Instruction area and were photographed at the Emmert house.