I was born James Edgar Smith in 1840 in North Carolina, County of Alimance. I had to leave there because I stabbed a man who kicked my dog. I entered the Army of the South in 1860. I was called "Reb" in the army and the name stuck with me. Also known as "Johnny Reb", I was taught to shoot by my uncle and was an expert shot at a very young age (I was a natural). I was assigned to a special unit of sharpshooters who harassed artillery units before they could get their guns in position.
Shots of 800 yards were common for me. On a still spring morning, with the sun at my back, I hit an artillery captain astride his horse. Some say it was a half-mile. Actually it was about 1100 yards.
I had a method of shooting at night (could only shoot three times before my location was found). I would catch a fire fly and pinch off its tail, put a small amount on the front sight and it would glow through the peep sight. One more Yankee would not go to breakfast! This only worked on moonlit nights in spring and summer.
I caught a mini-ball in my left leg in 1865. I left the army in 1866 and went to California where I became a master gunsmith.
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