Mr Hann,

I believe that Lt Fogle (elected in April 62, ref the Fogle collection at Emory) wrote a second letter to his father, which was published in the Columbus Weekly Sun. After a battle, it was typical of Fogle to write one letter to his family in general, and an edgier letter to his father, excerpts of which were regularly published. The article, "From the Columbus Guards", Sept 22, 1862, does not include an author and adds only a bit of color, saying that "Sgt. Spivey" was wounded as the regiment was retreating from Burnside's Bridge, and left on the field with a badly shattered knee. It was expected that Spivey's leg would be amputated.

Later correpondance by Fogle indicates that Spivey's pistol was sent home to Columbus, circa May/June 1863, but that the valise in which it had been packed - formerly Lt Richard Potter's, Columbus Guards, killed at Malvern Hill, and containing several other items valued by Fogle and friends - had been stolen.

All of the men from the 2nd Georgia that I have tracked that were captured at Sharpsburg were paroled that fall, if healthy, or exchanged by early summer of 1863, if taken wounded.

The Columbus Guards were established in 1834 and had served continually since that time, against native Americans in Georgia and Florida, and during the Mexican War. The company maintained its readiness with one meeting and two formal drills per month, along with annual field exercises. New members, after being elected by the company, drilled weekly until they attained proficiency in the manual of arms. The Guards were preparing for a drill contest with the “United States Zouave Cadets of Chicago,” commanded by Elmer Ellsworth, when the War intervened, but the Guards did participate in the inauguration of Jefferson Davis. They were among the first companies called into Confederate service, and their ranks literally doubled as men rushed to enlist. By summer of '62, the Columbus Guards had suffered some battle casualties, and lost many more men transferred to cavalry units, or to other infantry units as officers.

Armament at Sharpsburg was mixed. Portions of the 2nd and 20th Georgia Regiments (the 20th also fighting at Burnside's Bridge) were armed with rifles from the start, but they were a decided minority in both regiments. Many dropped rifles were collected during the Seven Days battles, but individual soldiers only start talking about trading muskets for Enfields (which seem to have been he preferred "upgrade") at Second Manassas. These exchanges were unofficial - the men doing so on their own initiative - so if there are ordnance records, they probably under-represent rifles in September 1862.

In the Fogle letter you mention, Lt Fogle told his mother that he picked up and fired a musket, loaded with buckshot, that had been dropped by a member of the 2nd or 20th. I believe Fogle was in/around the quarry above the bridge. He also noted, “Armstrong Bailey was as cool as if he was shooting squirrels. He was some sixty or seventy yards on my right in charge of a party of sharp shooters” [T. T. Fogle to Father & Mother, Sept 28, 1862, Fogle Papers, Emory University]. So I give you a non-answer - yes there were some "sharpshooters", which in this case is descriptive rather than an official military term; there were additional men armed with rifles, and probably more men armed with muskets than rifles.

My experience studying this brigade tells me that the term "sharpshooter" was applied to someone who merely had a rifle, rather than someone who could hit x bull's eyes with y shots.