So this term "long range arms" is not talking about specialized weapony dedicated to the single purpose of sniping.

That's true, Doyle, and I don't think anyone has leapt to a different conclusion. It's clear that the sharpshooter battalions were, first and foremost, conceived as "special" units (and, in fact, that term was sometimes used) to be used in a skirmisher role. There are several references to the use of sharpshooter battalions as forward-deployed skirmishers who, using their long-range rifles, were able to prevent the enemy's skirmish line from approaching to within anything like 300 yards of the Confederate lines.

Clearly, however, the sniper role was an adjunct to their primary mission.

It is also clear that the sharpshooter battalions were intended to be "elite" maneuver units -- highly trained and motivated, with audacious leaders -- to be used in "daring enterprises". Not all of the battalions approached this level of skill and professionalism, of course, and there are relatively few instances where they were so employed. In my opinion, this is due to the lack of inspired leadership in the higher command. Tradition-bound commanders have always failed to appreciate the proper role and unique capabilities of special units -- this was certainly true right up through Vietnam, and up to and including Mogadishu. This was clearly the case in the Army of the West, where the 12th Arkansas Battalion was rarely, if ever, used in anything other than a standard-issue infantry battalion.

The Army of Northern Virginia appears to have had a better grasp on the use of sharpshooter units than other Confederate commands. Indeed, it is my opinion that the inspiration for the establishment of the sharpshooter battalions came from the ANV's previous experience with such units as the 2nd Battalion Arkansas Infantry.

There has been some speculation as to why small battalions, such as the Louisiana Tigers and the 2nd Arkansas Battalion, were used to spearhead the attacks of larger regiments. I tend to think that the cohesiveness of a smaller unit, and its ability to perform abrupt maneuver changes with less confusion than a larger unit, played some part. The timing is right, and the effusive praise heaped on the 2nd Arkansas Battalion by the army seems to point in that direction.

So, I think it's possible that the ANV's success with outfits like the 2nd Arkansas Battalion served as the inspiration for the order to set up similar units in the other Confederate commands.

But, as Dennis Miller says, "That's just my opinion, and I could be wrong."