The WSS-14th MO is one of the great regiments of the war, and almost lost to history. It was the Western Theater counterpart to Berdan's 1st & 2nd USVSS in the Eastern Theater. It was raised (under the personal sponsorship of Theater commander MG John C. Fremont) in St. Louis in Nov 1861, and like "Berdan's Sharpshooters" it was composed of companies and detachments contributed by multiple western states. Candidate members had he be able to place 10 shots in s three inch circle at 200 yards. The regiment was armed with highly accurate hand-built Plains Long Rifles, procured by well-known master gunsmith Horace (H.E.) Dimick.
The WSS was officially know as "Birge's Western Sharpshooters" in honor of their first Colonel, the shadowy John Ward Birge. The man who made the regiment a crack unit was their fourth commander Colonel Patrick E. Burke, a veteran St. Louis militia officer (of the "Washington Blues" aka "Captain Kelly's Company") who (in the early days of the war) lead Company K of Frank Bair's 1st Missouri Volunteers at Boonville, Dug Springs and Wilson's Creek.
Burke was appointed Colonel in June 1862, after new Western Theater commander MB Henry Halleck order "Birge's WSS" was ordered transferred from de facto direct U.S. service to Missouri state control.
Burke lead the WSS-14th MO and other skirmishers on the first day of 2nd Corinth (Oct 3, 1862) in fighting around "White House". That night, on order of MG Rosecrans, three companies of the 64th IL (Yates SS) and the entire regiment of the WSS-14th MO dug into a line of woods forward of the fortified Federal line around Corinth. There, starting around 4 AM they skirmished...first with artillery, then scout-skirmisers, and finally with the main force of Moore's and Gate's brigades. The WSS-14th MO held their position until around 9:45 AM, when the detachment of Yates SS (64th IL) on their left collapsed and they were forced to make a fighting retreat back to the main Federal line. A neighboring brigade commander, Col (later BG) Sweeney of the 57th IL reported "Colonel Burke's regiment fought line heroes, disputing every inch of ground as they fell back on my position." The WSS-14th MO fought on till the main Federal line collapsed (under the pressure of Price's Trans-Mississippi Confederates), at which point the Sharpshooters retreated back towards Battery Robbinette, where they continued to fight on. They then participated in the counterattack that drove the Confederates out of Corinth, capturing 72 prisoners. [The stand of the WSS-14th MO at Corinth ranks among the most impressive in U.S. Army history.]
On the next day, MG Rosecrans, who was enraged at most of officers due to (in his view) widespread failures of command on the 4th, promoted Burke to the position of Commandant of Corinth, responsible for the post, town security and all the CSA prisoners. Burke found himself the custodian of a number of CSA officers who were acquaintances from the old pre-war St. Louis militia. Part of the WSS-14th MO and the 64th IL participated in the "pursuit" to the Hatchie River.
Burke continued in command of the WSS when they were "reflagged" once again in December, this time as the "66th Illinois Volunteer Infantry (Western Sharpshooters)", due to the exercise of the political influence of Governor Yates of Illinois. The Western Sharpshooters honorific was retained as part of the regimental title, after a personal request by Burke to Governor Yates. In April 1864, Burke was given command of 2nd BDE, 2nd Div, XVI Corps, Army of the Tennessee. His brigade consisted of: 9th IL Mounted Infantry; 12th IL VVI; 66th IL VVI (WSS); 81st OVVI. By this time the WSS had rearmed themselves with Henry repeating rifles, and often acted as shock troops, in addition to skirmishing. Burke's men made the initial breakthough at Snake Creek Gap, and the crossing at Lay's Ferry that flanked Johnson's army out of Resaca. Tragically, Burke was mortally wounded at the Battle of Rome Crossroads on May 16, 1864.
The WSS continued to fight and win, under Burke's hand-picked successor, Captain William S. Boyd (formerly Captain of Co A, WSS) a Irish immigrant from St. Louis. Boyd would remain in de facto command through the capture of Savannah, GA after the "March to the Sea". Boyd's most impressive combat action, was probably during the July 22, 1864 Battle of Atlanta, where the 66th IL (WSS)...standing un-protected in the middle of a field....broke a Confederate attack on the XVII Corps area, then ran 2.5 miles to lead a counter-attack which reversed a CSA breakthrough in the XV Corps area.
Back in 2008 "Kris L" stated on this message board that he had discovered a copy of the "Summary of the Art of War" inscribed to "Col. P. E. Burk, Western Sharpshooters, 14th Mo. Vol, June 24, 1862". He stated that he was interested in depositing the book in an appropriate repository. If anyone knows him, the Missouri State Archives are interested in the book, or any other materials relating to the WSS-14th Missouri Volunteers.
[In addition to these Federal sharpshooter regiments, there were two other Independent Sharpshooters (ISS) Companies in the Army of the Tennessee. They were both in the 26th Missouri Infantry. Co A (ISS) was originally Co A, Holman's Independent Battalion of Sharpshooters. It was armed with Sharps Rifles. Co B (ISS) was originally "Captain Welker's Company" ("Original A") of "Birge's Western Sharpshooters". It, like the rest of the WSS, was armed with "Dimick" Plains Rifles. Welker's Company was involuntarily transferred to the newly forming 26th Missouri in early February 1862 on the orders of General Halleck.]