1st North Carolina Infantry Battalion Sharpshooters

"Shoot the brave officers, and the cowards will run away and take the men with them.”
General Thomas J "Stonewall" Jackson to General Ewell

Organization: Organized at Gordonsville, Virginia, by the assignment of Companies B and E, 21stInfantry Regiment on April 26, 1862. Reorganized for the war April 28, 1862. Surrendered Appomattox Court House

First Commander:
Major Rufus W. Wharton

Assignments:
Trimble’s Brigade Ewell's Division Dept of Northern Virginia
(April - May 1862)

Trimble’s Brigade Ewell's Division Valley District Dept of Northern Virginia
(May - June 1862)

Trimble-Hoke’s Brigade Ewell-Early's Division 2nd Corps Army of Northern Virginia
(June 1862 - January 1864)

Hoke's Brigade Dept of North Carolina
(January - May 1864)

2nd Military District Dept of North Carolina and Southern Virginia
(May - October 1864)

Johnson's Brigade Pegram's Division Valley District Dept of Northern Virginia
(October December 1864)

Johnson's Brigade Pegram's Division 2nd Corp Army of Northern Virginia
(December 1864 April 1865)

Battles:
1st Winchester  May 25,1862
Cross Key's   June 8,1862
Seven Day's   June 25 - July 1,1862
Gaines Mill   June 27,1862
Malvern Hill  July 1,1862
Cedar Mt.   August 7,1862
2nd Manassas  August 28-30,1862
Harper's Ferry  September 12-15,1862
Antietam   September 17,1862
Fredericksburg  December 13,1862
Chancellorsville  May 1-4,1863
Gettysburg   July 1-3,1863
Jack's Mt   July 1863
Bachelor's Creek Bridge February 1,1864
Plymouth   April 17-20,1864
Petersburg Siege  June 1864 - April 1865
Hatcher's Run  February 5-7,1865
Fort Stedman  March 25,1865
Appomattox Court House April 9,1865

One has to think of the famous last words of General John Sedgewick at Spotsylvania regarding Confederate sharpshooters, "Don't worry boys, they could not hit an elephant at that distance!” No sooner had Sedgwick spoken than a bullet from a Rebel's .45-caliber Whitworth rifle ripped into his left cheek, killing him instantly.