Demon of Undoing wrote:Yes, I am familiar with those stories and more. Stories of generations of veterans that were ersatz snipers, but told nobody out of a sense of social preservation. You must understand, the entire story on snipers changed after a guy named Jim Land hit. He and Hathcock, through the shoestring, pre- Vietnam USMC rifle team, were instrumental in putting the narrative on snipers where it is today. Not since Berdan had it been fashionable to even organize like that- and Berdan was a maverick, like Land. Neither officer at the time had an easy go of it.
Yes, critical shots were made, but the British sniper that did not shoot Washington in the back was not violating practice, but conforming to common values held at the time, and since. Does considering sniping unsportsmanlike matter a hill of beans? No. But for many years, the idea of standing off and shooting down an unsuspecting, essentially defenseless man was simply not mainstream. Only war experience changed the notion, and yes, that lesson was re- learned in every war. Sharpshooters, yes. Modern sniper teams, working long range and stalking? No.
Yes, there is a very fine line between a sharpshooter/ DM and a scout/ sniper. Civil War and before was almost totally skirmishers with longer range ( in Europe jaeger types were sometimes issued rifles to work as skirmishers). A man with an accurized rifle situated with line troops, is working as a marksman/ sharpshooter. It is in these two roles that yes, an impact was made. You want to champion accurate rifle fire as an American virtue ( wow, ok), fine. It's had its place. But actual sniping per se - at distance, isolated, forward of lines and cut off from aid, out for precision targets of high value- that's got a very recent history.
Long Carbine was essentially native, would not fight with armies, and was a renegade by nature and reputation. He too was not celebrated as a soldier in his time ( even for a fictional character). Didn't want to shoot men, anyway.
An interesting distinction, DU, and one that hadn't occurred to me. But where do we go with it? Also, what is "DM" above?
You pretty well described Hawkeye . . I'd add that Bumpo was also very much into Christian virtue, constantly contrasting it with the "savage" virtue of his friend Chingachgook. Read them all . . passed them on to our grandkids.