Ras Stirman's Sharpshooter Regiment

With the issue of General Van Dorn's order to establish a regiment of sharpshooters in each brigade of his Army of Northern Mississippi. Word went out from Colonel Phifer's headquarter for each regiment to establish a battalion of sharpshooters, and to train them as skirmishers and long distance shooters. Ras Stirmans Battalion was designated, and a company each from the 6th and 9th Texas Cavalry Regiments were placed under command of Harry F. Bridges of Company I, 6th Texas to form another Battalion. Stirman's Battalion had eight companies and on August 1st, 1862 Bridges and his companies merged with Stirman to form a new regiment. Bridges, who was newly promoted from Captan to Major, quickly became a Lieutenant Colonel, and deputy commander of Stirmans regiment.  Both units had been dismountedso training as infantry, skirmishers and sharpshooters soon began. (More Follows)