By the beginning of the 19th century, each British battalion had a company of skirmishers - light infantry marksmen. Its soldiers would wage combat in open order and fire at the enemy from long range.
Such tactics were for a long time underestimated by all European armies. But the British had experienced them during their attempt to suppress the revolt in North America, where they suffered serious losses from the dispersed attacks of rebels.
After these events, the attitude toward light infantry started to change for the better, and British skirmishers soon afterwards proved their efficiency on the battlefield. Consequently, the decision to organize units of marksmen or "rifles" as they were called in England was accepted.
Having been armed with rifled guns, a carbine with astonishing accuracy, they could easily hit targets at truly long distances. The riflemen's uniforms were dark green - the usual red uniform was too bright to provide camouflage.
Their duties included the elimination of enemy officers and confusion and exhaustion of the enemy by means of sudden attacks from ambush followed by swift retreat.
The bullets of royal marksmen always hit their targets and the glory of the "rifles" grew daily. Soon enough they become the national heroes of the British army. The French came to hate snipers, considering such prosecution of the war to be unfair.