PRINTER'S NO. 3687
No. 534 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY S. H. SMITH, HERMAN, ALLEN, ARGALL, ARMSTRONG,
M. BAKER, BARRAR, BASTIAN, BEBKO-JONES, BELFANTI,
BENNINGHOFF, BROWNE, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CLARK, CLYMER,
L. I. COHEN, M. COHEN, COLEMAN, CORRIGAN, COSTA, CREIGHTON,
CRUZ, DALEY, DeWEESE, J. EVANS, FAIRCHILD, FEESE, FICHTER,
FLEAGLE, FORCIER, GABIG, GEIST, GEORGE, GRUCELA, HARHAI,
HARHART, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HESS, HORSEY, HUTCHINSON,
KELLER, KIRKLAND, LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, LEH, LESCOVITZ, LEWIS,
MAITLAND, MAJOR, MARKOSEK, McCALL, McGEEHAN, McILHATTAN,
MELIO, MICHLOVIC, MICOZZIE, S. MILLER, PHILLIPS, PICKETT,
PIPPY, PISTELLA, READSHAW, ROBINSON, ROSS, RUBLEY, SATHER,
SAYLOR, SCHRODER, SCHULER, SHANER, B. SMITH, STABACK, STERN,
SURRA, E. Z. TAYLOR, TURZAI, WATSON, WILT, WOJNAROSKI,
G. WRIGHT, YOUNGBLOOD AND BROOKS, APRIL 16, 2002
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS,
APRIL 16, 2002
A RESOLUTION
1 Urging the National Park Service to honor the great sacrifices
2 endured by the men of the Second Regiment United States
3 Sharpshooters, Company C, during the Civil War by
4 memorializing their efforts at the Gettysburg National
5 Military Park.
6 WHEREAS, At the suggestion of Hiram Berdan, a New York
7 inventor and eventual Colonel of Volunteers, that the best
8 marksmen in the North be organized into two distinct units, the
9 United States Sharpshooters were raised and mustered into action
10 by President Abraham Lincoln in 1861; and
11 WHEREAS, These men were to be armed with the most reliable
12 rifles and employed as scouts and skirmishers, with each
13 applicant having to pass a shooting test to prove his worth; and
1 WHEREAS, No men were enlisted who could not put ten bullets
2 in succession in a ten-inch circle at 200 yards at a rest and
3 100 yards offhand; and
4 WHEREAS, Under the command of Colonel Henry Post, the Second
5 Regiment was called into service on October 5, 1861, and
6 composed of eight companies representing six states; and
7 WHEREAS, Company C came from Pennsylvania; and
8 WHEREAS, Of the 1,178 men who served in the ranks of the
9 Second Regiment United States Sharpshooters, 30 members were
10 from Jefferson County, Pennsylvania; and
11 WHEREAS, The Sharpshooters were uniformed in dark green frock
12 coats, forage caps adorned with a black ostrich plume, light
13 blue trousers, brown leather leggings and a knapsack, in the
14 Prussian style, made of calfskin; and
15 WHEREAS, The Sharpshooters first arrived at the Camp of
16 Instruction in January 1862, where they honed their skills until
17 March 1862; and
18 WHEREAS, Unlike regular line companies, the Sharpshooters
19 learned to take orders by bugle call, an imitation of European
20 light infantry; and
21 WHEREAS, On April 15, 1862, the Second Regiment faced their
22 first battle at Falmouth, Virginia, where they succeeded in
23 quickly thwarting an advancing Confederate Cavalry division,
24 eventually securing Falmouth Heights; and
25 WHEREAS, One of the documented efforts of the men of Company
26 C occurred on July 24, 1862, where under the command of
27 Lieutenant Colonel Peteler and General John Gibbon they joined
28 with the men of Company A, who came from Minnesota, on a
29 reconnaissance mission 45 miles from Fredericksburg to Orange
30 Court House; and
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1 WHEREAS, At Orange Court House, the Sharpshooters engaged
2 some Confederate Cavalry, easily pushing them off the field, but
3 the advancing Confederate Infantry forced the Sharpshooters off
4 the field and into the camp of their reserves, the Second
5 Wisconsin; and
6 WHEREAS, The Sharpshooters fell in on General Gibbon's left
7 and engaged the Confederates, pushing them off the field for
8 good; and
9 WHEREAS, The exploits of this decorated group were rivaled by
10 few as they fought Confederates across the Rappahannock River to
11 the plains of Manassas, through Antietam and Chancellorsville
12 and eventually to the fields of Gettysburg; and
13 WHEREAS, At Gettysburg the men of Company C were chosen to be
14 the color company of the entire Second Regiment; and
15 WHEREAS, They fought valiantly and courageously, helping to
16 defeat the Confederates at the Battles of Big and Little Round
17 Top; and
18 WHEREAS, The men of Company C and all who served with them in
19 the Second Regiment United States Sharpshooters served this
20 nation with honor; and
21 WHEREAS, There is no monument recognizing the efforts of the
22 men of Company C at Gettysburg National Military Park; therefore
23 be it
24 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
25 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the National Park Service to
26 erect a monument befitting their sacrifices; and be it further
27 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
28 each member of Congress from Pennsylvania; to Fran P. Mainella,
29 Director, National Park Service, 1849 C Street NW, Washington,
30 DC 20240; and to John A. Latschar, Superintendent, Gettysburg
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1 National Military Park, 97 Taneytown Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325-
2 2804.
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