Of particular tactical importance was the usage of skirmishers, which historian Earl J. Hess argues reached its apogee during the Civil War. The textbook deployment of skirmishers was for a company to break into two platoons, one of which formed the skirmish line and the other a reserve 150 paces behind it.
Skirmishers were strategically important in warfare, according to historian Earl J. Hess, reaching their peak during the American Civil War. The textbook deployment of skirmishers involved dividing a company into two platoons: one platoon served as the front line, while the other remained a reserve 150 paces behind it.