The Skirmishers

The Skirmishers. The Battle of Richmond, Kentucky. , 18th Century Tactics , Movies, paintings and drawing of battles often show Civil War battles being fought by two lines of men standing shoulder to shoulder, firing their weapons at close range. These tactics were developed during the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). They were based on the use of smooth bore muskets, which were only accurate at about 50 yards. Both sides fired away until one side was forced from the field by superior firepower or by a bayonet charge. By 1862 these tactics were largely outdated because rifled muskets were accurate at 400 yards - almost one-quarter mile., Civil War Tactics , Civil War armies used skirmishers - soldiers placed in front of the main army in a loose, open formation. Operating between the lines, they protected the flanks of the main army, secured outposts, deceived the enemy, and ensured the safety of other troops by scouting ahead. They were trained to fire slowly and carefully and to use the terrain to their advantage., The Battle Of Richmond , Both sides used this tactic at Richmond. Gen. Mahlon Manson used skirmishers to harass and drive away Confederate artillery near Pleasant View. Skirmishers were an important part of Gen. Patrick Cleburne's strategy. In the first phase of the battle his skirmishers continuously engaged the Union infantry, creating the illusion that the Confederate line was trying to flank the Federals on the east. The skirmishers used the rolling terrain and a wooded area to mask their numbers. They drew the Union line further and further east - a mistake that proved to be their undoing.