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What if the CSA had aggressivley pursued a Guerrilla Campaign against the Union?
On 21 April 1862 the Confederate Congress passed the Partisan Ranger Act:
The law was intended as a stimulus for recruitment of irregulars for service into the Confederate Army. The Act reads as follows:
Quote:
Sec.1. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That the President be, and he is hereby authorized to commission such officers as he may deem proper with authority to form bands of partisan rangers, in companies, battalions or regiments, to be composed of such members as the President may approve.
Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That such partisan rangers, after being regularly received in the service, shall be entitled to the same pay, rations, and quarters during their term of service, and be subject to the same regulations as other soldiers.
Sec.3. Be it further enacted, That for any arms and munitions of war captured from the enemy by any body of partisan rangers and delivered to any quartermaster at such place or places as may be designated by a commanding general, the rangers shall be paid their full value in such manner as the Secretary of War may prescribe.
Irregular warfare was nothing new. In fact, this country was founded upon such tactics.
What if the CSA had aggressivley pursued a Guerrilla Campaign against the Union?
I reckon we'd all be speaking a might differently today.
Shenandoah and Georgia, writ large all accross the south.
Lee did not think much of partisans, except for Moseby and him for his intelligence gathering rather than active military actions.
IMO The history of Ireland, is instructive (the south 'may' have gained its independence in 8 or 9 centuries).
Forrest's original KKK is essentially an insurgent group. The problem with trying to wage a guerilla war post Civil War is that the Federals gives the white South terms that they could at least live with.
It seems that many participants are looking forward to moving on with their lives. When you read about the many participants in the Civil War on the other side, its interesting to see what they do after. Many of course go on to serve the US (ie. Wheeler)
The Confederacy is a little bit different from Ireland inasmuch as Ireland was an ancient nation. The Confederacy had only existed for 5 years and clearly its predecessor was the US; so its difficult to imagine a long guerilla campaign.
What if the CSAhad pursued guerilla campaign..... ?
I agree that the similarity with Ireland is not exact, but predicated on the original poster's assumption that the south did value their independence to such an extent, that it was prepared to pay the price for an extended period of guerrilla/partisan efforts to keep the war alive with cross roads ambushes and knife to the throat assassinations (the greatest fear of Gen. Lee, by the way).
History has proven time and time again that guerrilla insurgencies may be successful. Especially if waged against large scale conventional forces trying to hold vast amounts of terrain.
I am not suggesting that Jeff Davis should've led the remnants of the Army of Northern Virginia into the mountains and holed up plotting revenge. On the contrary, I reckon that's how it ought to've been fought from the get go.
Column formations and frontal assualts were out dated and obsolete but they fought 'em anyway. Can you imagine McDowell trying to march 50,000 men to Richmond in the spring of 1861 with Beauregard and 18,000 bushwackers nippin' at his heels?
I reckon it would've been like the Redcoats retreating after Concord all the way to the Potomac. It was almost like that anyway.
Last edited by Ozark Iron John; 09-12-2007 at 03:45 PM.
As Americans, we tend to focus on the 'American' in the American Revolution, but we tend to forget that the war triggers a European conflict, so really the Colonies become a kind've side show for the British Empire (they have much larger fish to fry).
Maybe a guerilla campaign would've ben more successful. Can you imagine Wade Hampton supporting a guerilla war knowing Federal soldiers are going to be on his plantation? Ultimately that is your problem, the movers and shakers of the Confederacy have hard assets that require protection.
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What if the CSA had aggressivley pursued a Guerrilla Campaign against the Union? 
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