A true sniper is an operative who gathers intelligence for the command structure (law enforcement or military) and occasionally takes the one, well-aimed shot that, if done properly, will save lives.

Since the invention of the firearm, skilled individuals with specialized equipment have influenced the tide of battle. At times, this effect has been so great as to turn the tide of history. From Leonardo da Vinci to present, the long range rifleman has had a telling effect on the direction, drive and scope of battle. By his discriminatory nature, he has felled the command structure of his enemies, rendered their equipment useless and driven fear into the hearts of their fighting men. The sniper is one of the most effective weapons on the field of battle. He is frugal, and precise. He is not a superman, capable of incredible feats, but he is skilled in ways that many misunderstand.

This section is devoted to the marksmen of history who have, by their actions, changed the face of battle to favor their nation of origin. No political judgments will be made on their leadership. Bravery and skill cross territorial borders.

Col. Patrick Ferguson, British Army
Patrick Ferguson was a leading developer of breech loading firearms. The Ferguson Rifle was considered at the time to be one of the most deadly weapons in the British inventory. Ferguson's second claim to fame was the "Shot Never Taken." As a Major, Ferguson found himself in position to make a shot on an unidentified Continental officer near Germantown Pennsylvania. When the man turned away at approximately 125 yards, the good major chose not to shoot him in the back. That man turned out to be none other than General George Washington. Had Ferguson taken the shot one can assume that the entire history of what is today the United States would have been affected. Recall it was Washington who turned down the offer to be King of the Colonies after the successful resolution of the War for Independence. Had he not been in charge of the Colonial forces, not only would the outcome of the war have been in question, but so would the very nature of the Republic which rose from that conflict. Ironically, Patrick Ferguson was later killed on 7 October of 1780 when a member of Morgan's Kentucky Riflemen shot him at approximately 450 yards. As a result, Fergusons unit surrendered which forced Gen. Cornwallis to abandon his invasion of North Carolina. The loss was doubly hurtful 'to the British cause, since they had lost one of their premier weapons designers.

Timothy Murphy, Battle of Saratoga. Morgan's Kentucky Riflemen
On 7 October, 1777, Timothy Murphy, a rifleman in Morgan's Kentucky Riflemen shot and killed General Simon Fraser of the British army. Murphy was said to have taken the shot at roughly 500 yards. He was using the renowned Kentucky rifle. Fraser was leading a recon in force against the rebellious colonists at Bemis Heights in New York. As a result of Fraser's death, the recon failed. This had a direct impact on the overall battle, leading to the British defeat. The Battle of Saratoga was considered one of the turning points of the War for Independence.

Sergeant Grace, 4th Georgia Infantry
On 9 May, 1864 a confederate sniper took what was to be considered an incredible shot at that time. During the Battle of Spotsylvania, Sgt. Grace of the 4th Georgia Infantry, took aim and fired at a distant Union officer. Grace was using a British Whitworth target rifle and the distance was 800 yards. Grace's target, Major General John Sedgwick, fell dead after uttering the words "Why, they couldn't hit an elephant at this dist...". Sedgwick's death resulted in a delay of the Union attack which in turn gave General Robert E. Lee the edge he needed to win the day at Spotsylvania.

Col. Hiram Berdan, Union Army
Col. Berdan was the commanding officer of the 1st and 2nd US Sharpshooters. Himself a controversial figure, under his tutelage, skilled Union marksmen were trained and equipped with the 52 caliber Sharps Rifle. It has been claimed that Berdan's units were responsible for killing more enemy than any unit in the Union Army.

Captain John T Metcalf, US Army Engineers
During Red River Campaign in 1864. Using a heavy, 50-caliber muzzle-loading rifle - one authority states it weighed between 23 to 27kg - fitted with a 24x scope, Metcalf fired at and hit a Confederate officer at a distance of 1666 meters. The officer was standing in front of a tent on a distant hillside and Metcalf had previously established the range with a surveyor's transit. The bullet took approximately five seconds to reach the target.
Note: Capt. Metcalf purportedly shot Confederate General Lainhardt at one mile's distance. Bill Edwards in "Civil War Guns" (Stackpole, 1962) proved that Metcalf did not receive his medal for sharpshooting. Second, there was no General Lainhardt and the Mr. Edwards traces the story to Charles Sawyers who started the fiction.

Unknown Confederate Sniper
On September 19, 1863, a confederate sniper armed with a Whitworth .45 caliber percussion rifle, most likely shooting a 530 grain bullet, mortally wounded Union General William H. Lytle, during the battle of Chicamauga. General Lytle was leading a charge at the time. He died the following day. The Confederate army relied heavily on these marksmen to make up for their lack of heavy weapons and war fighting material. They were quite effective at harrying Union troops, artillery units and specialized in the taking of union officers. They were certainly one of the most effective forces on the battlefield and the Union was hard pressed to match their skill. Unfortunately for the south, these sharpshooters were neither numerous enough or effective enough to halt the tide of the well equipped Union forces.

Alvin C. York. US Infantry. 1917 - 1919
In Germany in 1918, with the rank opf corporal, he took part in the Argonne-Meuse offense as a member of the 82nd division. His platoon realised they could not take the German machine-gun posts with a frontal attack and decided to take them from the rear to allow the rest of the Allied forces to be able to advance. When his commanding officer was wounded and most of his compatriats were killed or wounded, York began to fight the Germans single-handed. He killed about 25 Germans, knocked out 35 machine guns, and captured 132 prisoners almost single-handed.

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