12th Regiment
US Regular Infantry
Potomac Region
Welcome to the 12th
We are a member of the North-South Skirmish Association (N-SSA) and participate in many skirmishes held throughout the year at Ft. Shenandoah. Ft. Shenandoah is the N-SSA's home range located on several hundred acres of land in the rolling hills of the lower Shenandoah Valley, just outside of Winchester, Virginia. Facilities include the country's widest (over a quarter mile) rifle range, a separate revolver range, and private camping. The 12th Regiment has a private camping site on Ft. Shenandoah with a pavilion, fire pit, and space for RVs or tents.
Unlike Civil War re-enactments, skirmish shooting is done with live ammunition in original or dimensionally certified reproduction military firearms of the period, such as black powder revolver, rifled and smoothbore musket, carbine, repeater, mortar, and cannon. Uniformed Union and Confederate teams compete in timed, rapid-fire events, shooting at breakable targets such as clay pigeons, ceramic tiles, and clay flower pots at ranges of 50 and 100 yards. In the intensity and excitement of competition, the N-SSA provides a taste of the way it was in 1861 - the urgent need to do your best under pressure.
Skirmishing is a family activity - a pastime in which a person is respected and valued for their shooting skill and their companionship rather than their station in life. Members come from all over the United States, but what brings them together is a common interest in our national heritage and the love of black powder shooting
Feel free to learn more about skirmishing from the N-SSA Recruit video on YouTube. This video covers all aspects of skirmishing and life at Fort Shenandoah: N-SSA Recruiting Video
