This style of glasses wasn't around in the Civil War. This is a great post with great comments loaded with great knowledge. There is a picture of the spectacles in the book, and they look almost exactly like the one's you show, minus the case. I have no dog in the fight, just wanted to make this known. Nobel, a Union sharpshooter, whose rifle also is on display." Army's Infantry Museum at Fort Benning, Georgia includes in its collection a pair of these unusual spectacles, used during the Civil War by Private J.C. The advantage is better defintion, especially of the foresight and bull's-eye. Both books mention that the "principle of the orthoptic is the focusing of the field of vision before it reaches the lens of the eye, explains a 19th-century shooting guide. Both by Major John Plaster (USAR Retired). Granted, both books were written by the same author, one published in 2008, The History of Sniping and Sharpshooting, as well as the 2009, Sharpshooting in the Civil War. I would like to include here, that I was recently researching the 1855 colt revolving rifle, its use by the 1st USSS (Berdan's Sharpshooters) and stumbled across 2 sources that mention "sharpshooter spectacles". You proved your point, and, I am appreciative. Thanks Scott for the very informative and interesting article. The last few pages should be of particular interest. I deal in Civil War items and set up at several major Civil War Shows each year. I can tell you without any doubt that your glasses aren't Civil War. I can't speak to the other glasses without seeing them. If they are sun glasses, why would they be clear and not tinted? I remember well, because I told the reenactor that I had a pair and the only difference between mine and his was the fact that his was clear frosted lenses around a clear center. The spectacles were marked as sharp shooter's glasses used by snipers. One display had a pair of these spectacles as well as a sharps rifle with a tube sight. Some of the soldiers set up display tents to show some of their artifacts during periods of no skirmishes. The participants were required to meet every detail of the period. What puzzles me is that last July I went to a reenactment of a great Civil War Battle. The glass case is possible to have been added to the glasses at any time and they could be with the glasses as a mater of convenience. As I said, There are much more knowledgeable people out there than me, especially pertaining to the Civil War. There is no period documentation and the consensus is that they are later sun glasses.īased on the case and eyeglass construction, I would think your glasses were toward the end of the 19th century.Ĭould be your right Scott. They are part of the "lore" of early Civil War collecting and still can be found with some regularity at Civil War shows (with the Sharpshooter ID). Hate to disappoint, but these glasses post date the Civil War. There are much more knowledgeable civil war and shooting buffs out there that are more knowing then me and can shed better light on this subject. I would be interested to know for sure as to exactly why they used these additives to these spectacles. Again, I believe that this helped them better close in on their target. They are frosted around the perimeter and not in the center of the lens. Today modern shooting glasses often have yellow lenses. I'm not sure why they used yellow lenses (I've also seen civil war sniper glasses with clear lenses). Their rifles were equipped with long tubed sights and the sniper often wore spectacles as shown here to better aim on their unknowing target. Usually officers were the preferred targets. These sharp shooters would sit in trees and other unsuspected camouflaged positions and fire upon their opponents if they were foolish enough to show their selves between skirmishes. ![]() Although snipers and sharp shooters prevailed as early as the French & Indian War, the American civil war brought out most wide spread use of, and trained groups of snipers on both sides of the conflict.
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