RIFLEMEN (called by the French tirailleurs) were soldiers whose duties corresponded nearly to those of light infantry troops, but their muskets being rifled or grooved, the effect of their fire, within certain limits, was more certein.
In the preceding article we have stated what is known concerning the first use of rifled barrels on the Continent; and in the article Antis it has been shown that the duty of riflemen is indicated in the ' Observations' compiled by the Earl of Albemarle in 1646. The Anglo-American people are, however, believed to Intro been the first who organised corps of infantry armed with rifle-muskets, and during their struggle for independence the fire from those pieces too often took effect with fatal precision against the officers and in the ranks of the British forces. From that time the incorporation of bodies of riflemen with the armies began to take place among the nations of Europe, and it is now become a general practice. In the British service, the 60th, formerly called the Royal American regiment, is a rifle corps ; and Manningham's rifle corps appears in the Army List' for 1801, but this became in 1803 the 95th regiment. In 1816 it was
formed into the present Rifle Brigade, and placed under the command of Sir David Dundas, who had before been colonel of the 60th regiment. Subsequently to that year a regiment of native riflemen had been raised in Ceylon, and a rifle corps of cavalry at the Cape of Good Hope.
lm 1853, after the Mini6 rifle was adopted into the service, it was intended to arm the whole of the infantry with it. In fact, the greater portion, if not the whole, of our army, were armed with it at the battle of the Alma; but the Enfield rifle having been decided on in 1854 by the committee appointed by Lord Hardinge, the whole of the infantry are now armed with it. Such being the case, the titles of Rifle Brig,ade and 60th Rifles become meaningless, though still retained on account of old associations.
Tho 60th and Rifle Brigade are however armed with a short Enfield and sword bayonet.
it] G EL. [0 efox.]