The evolution of military tactics brough on by the advent of the Rifle was less than a smooth process. In 1812 were as the rifle had a far greater range than did the smoothbore muskets of the times, the disadvantage was that the rifles of that time were much slower to load. This made the rifle regiments subject to being overrun more easily in a charge because they could not provide the firepower that a regular regiment did. Therefore they were of very little use unless employed in longer ranges. At close ranges (where most battle of the period were fought of less than 100 yards, where the smoothbore muskets were effective), they had to be given support by the regularly armed regiments.

At this period in 1812, as in the Revolution, the military thinking was that actually shooting at an enemy to Kill him specifically was considered as Murder. Prior to actually pulling the trigger the soldiers would actually close their eyes, or look away from their sight, when they pulled the trigger. Therefore if they did hit someone it was considered an "Act of God". Which it pretty much was.

By the time of the Civil War the accuracy/reloading time problem had been solved for the standard rifle muskets of the time. However, the most accurate rifles, as the Whitworth and Kerr, were still as slow to reload as ever because of the rifleing systems that gave them that accuracy. So the actual snipers that used these rifles still had to be protected, and did not usually opperate in front of their respective armys positions, less should their positions be found out they were easily outmanuvered and eliminated.