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North-South Skirmish Association members meet for target-shooting contests.
The United States Civil War ended 148 years ago yet people are still fascinated by all aspects of the conflict. Members of the North-South Skirmish Association have a unique way to identify with this pivotal time of our history.

The N-SSA is a competitive shooting organization that was founded in 1950. It has more than 3,300 members, divided into 13 regions, from Michigan to Mississippi to Maine. Members use original or authentic reproduction Civil War period black powder weapons such as muskets, carbines, revolvers and artillery.

Each group represents a specific civil war regiment, or unit, and wears the uniform of that outfit. While groups may shoot at various times during the year in regional competition, a national competition takes place each spring and fall at N-SSA headquarters at Fort Shenandoah, near Winchester, Va.

Philip Spaugy, 58, is N-SSA's national commander. He has been involved with N-SSA for almost 24 years.

"I've had a deep interest in the Civil War since I was real young," Spaugy said. "I had a grandmother who was a one-room schoolteacher. She always had books around and she loved history. (She and her husband) lived on a farm, so obviously my grandfather liked to hunt; and I had a great-grandfather who was quite a marksman in Shelby County, Ohio, so as I grew up I learned to shoot.

"Then (I) got interested in shooting black powder. N-SSA was obviously an avenue to combine both of those interests -- live fire shooting and the history of the Civil War. That tied everything together."

The N-SSA teams are placed into one of three classes according to skill levels.


Within these classes, competition is held for revolvers, muskets, carbines and period artillery. It is not uncommon for the firing line to extend for more than a quarter mile long at a skirmish.

A typical meet is two or three days at a time and begins with individual target shooting. These are in a classic bulls-eye format. The distance is 50 and 100 yards for shoulder firearms and 25 and 50 yards for hand guns.

In team matches, the competitors shoot at breakable targets in a timed match. The targets must conform to set rules and include things like clay pigeons, ceramic tiles and clay pots. At the sound of the horn, firing commences. The first team to break all of its targets wins the event. The teams with the lowest total time are awarded medals or ribbons.

Since all of the weapons must be original or authentic reproductions, this requires close attention. For example there were many types of carbines used during the Civil War. A carbine is shorter than a musket, and it was designed to be used by mounted soldiers. In the Confederacy, muzzleloaders were most often used, while the federal calvary frequently used breech loaders. Both types are used in N-SSA competition.

One of the more fascinating competitions is provided by the artillery teams. These matches are broken down into: mortars, rifled cannon, smooth bored cannon and howitzers. All of these weapons are fired by teams exactly as they would have been fired during the Civil War.

While members of N-SSA are not re-enactors, in the beginning the idea was that they would live in a Civil War-type atmosphere. In fact, to start with, a lot of the participants used tents that were original tents or that conformed to the ones used during the period. That rugged preference has changed over the years, and the competitors now have more creature comforts, but there are still limits to just how many comforts are allowed.

Today the N-SSA, which owns about 550 acres at Fort Shenandoah, assigns campsites to all of the teams and they build accommodations within the rules. Not allowed are sanitary facilities, water or electricity.

Some teams have built cabins, some use RVs and some teams have remained closer to the original intent and have built huts based on the design of those used for winter Civil War encampments. There are however, facilities of differing levels of comfort located around the camping areas for the use of participants.

Chambersburg resident Frank Hocker belongs to The White's Company. On their site, the Whites have built a cabin 36 feet-by-36 feet, with a 12-foot porch in front. One side of the cabin is the sleeping area while the other side is the living and cooking area. They use propane gas and have a large commercial stove.

When they first built the cabin, members were required to sleep in the cabin and eat all of their meals together.

"We did that," Hocker said, "because we wanted to limit the size of our unit and to force people to live together. That way we would learn to accept each other's warts."

Skirmishing has now grown into a family sport, and women compete along with the men. Many units have husbands and wives, and even their children, competing together.

Of course, not all women are interested in shooting. N-SSA provides outlets for these women that connect to the Civil War area as well. For example, costume competitions are held. The women make period clothing and compete for prizes awarded for the best reproductions.

Hocker points out that N-SSA is an egalitarian group of collegial people with common values and interest. Spaugy put that interest into perspective in light of the recent tragedy in Connecticut.

" I think it is real important," he said, "especially with the events of Newtown, to understand that this is an organization of 3,300 members, basically from east of the Mississippi to the Atlantic, that use firearms in a safe and healthy way while at the same time commemorating our heritage."


For events and schedules of the North-South Skirmish Association, visit