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Deltaboy wrote:Try reading Jack Hinson' s One Man War by Tom C.a McKenny. It goes into some detail about his tactics and his custom built Sniper Rifle.

I've read it, AND....I specifically talked to Maj Plaster about Jack Hinson. John's theory is that Jack Hinson, as popularized in the stories, didn't really exist. He bases this on his reading of confederate historical records and evaluation of regional reports. His supposition is that, had such an accurate and effective sniper existed, there would have been far more discussions about it after the war (and perhaps during). He couldn't find sufficient evidence that Jack Hinson existed in the fashion that has been popularized by Col. McKenney.

I had the delight of meeting Maj John Plaster during the NRA Annual Meeting. He and a couple others gave a presentation on sharpshooters during the civil war, which, sadly, I missed. Still, I was able to pick up a copy of his book (which he politely signed). It's a fun read for anybody interested in the history. Frankly, I was hoping there would be a chapter or two on some of the technicalities that were typical of sharpshooters during that time, but there wasn't much said about it. Still, it's a great read!

Sharpshooting in the Civil War