I have noted with interest discussions of Eugene Blackford's sharpshooter at Gettysburg. I am working on book about Iverson's NC brigade at Gettysburg.In researching that book, I found in the national archives a set of orders for the 23rd NC that established formal sharpshooter or skirmish battalions (these are copies of orders sent throughout the army of Northern Virginia).General Order No. 6, Jan. 28, 1863 required each regiment to select one-twelfth of the men present for duty as members of the sharpshooters.Each regimental detachment was commanded by a Captain or lieutenant. The regimental detachments were organized into a single unit at the brigade level under the command of a major or captain. The men were exempt from most other duties but remained with their individual regiments except "in the immediate presence of the enemy." The arrangement proved so successful that a second corps of the same size was formed in each regiment in General Order No. 10, May 25, 1863. it appears that only one set of sharpshooters went into action at a time.