The NRA was first proposed in 1861, in part to address the poor marksmanship of Union Army recruits.
Union Army records for the Civil War indicate that its troops fired about 1,000 rifle shots for each Confederate hit, causing General Burnside to lament his recruits: "Out of ten soldiers who are perfect in drill and the manual of arms, only one knows the purpose of the sights on his gun or can hit the broad side of a barn."
General Ambrose Burnside was the NRAs first president. Several Union generals would follow him, including Grant.
In a way its ironic considering the neo-confederate bent the NRA seems to espouse today.
Union Army records for the Civil War indicate that its troops fired about 1,000 rifle shots for each Confederate hit, causing General Burnside to lament his recruits: "Out of ten soldiers who are perfect in drill and the manual of arms, only one knows the purpose of the sights on his gun or can hit the broad side of a barn."
General Ambrose Burnside was the NRAs first president. Several Union generals would follow him, including Grant.
In a way its ironic considering the neo-confederate bent the NRA seems to espouse today.