The Story of California Joe Neither army trained snipers in the professional, dedicated way that they are developed today. Rather, they used sharpshooter units to scout and harass the enemy. Some individuals, like the Confederacy’s Ben Powell or the famously shaggy Union sniper Truman “California Joe” Head, would stand out as particularly good shots and gradually slip the bonds of military discipline, working more and more as freelance snipers, less and less as uniformed sharpshooters. California Joe—a favorite of Berdan and the Northern press—was celebrated for the number and difficulty of his “kills” with the Sharps rifle, one of them at 1,500 yards. The Muster records for Truman Head state; Age 42 years, height 5 feet 7 inches with light complexion, L.B. eyes, D.B. hair, born in Otsego, N.Y. with occupation as Hunter. He enlisted Sept. 14, 1861 at Washington City. On Aug. 26, 1861 he was on Company Muster-in Roll at Detroit, Mich. as private, in Capt. Dueslers Co., Berdans Sharp Shooters. The last bit of information is his discharge paper; Army of The United States Certificate of Disability For Discharge. During the last two months he was at Cliffburne General Hospital and the following appeared on his certificate and discharge ... October 3, 1862 Surgeon U.S. Vols in charge. I certify, that I have carefully examined the said Truman Head of Lieut Bakers Company, and find him incapable of performing the duties of a soldier because of Senility and Impaired Vision. Discharged this fourth day of November 1862, at Washington City. by Henry Bryans, Surgeon U.S. Vols in charge. The following article about him appeared in the Harpers Weekly Newspaper of August 2, 1862 ... sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1862/august/california-joe.htm
Posted on: Sun, 19 Jan 2014 04:24:44 +0000
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