Moonshiner
Corporal
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2015
- Location
- Midwest
The list is not bad per se but I take issue with how the list defines a militia. A militia means a group of local people who can be quickly mobilized to fight a conventional or guerrilla foe. In many states militia members had to spend months doing basic counter-insurgency duties due to a shortage of regular troops. Guerrillas in contrast fight on the offense. By definition they don't get tied down defending fixed points s does a militia. In Al Unionist guerrillas did take time out from guerrilla warfare to pinpoint CSA guerrillas on behalf of conventional Union forces.
Home guards are simply very poorly trained militias. Some milita men received training and worked with conventional forces has did some Union militia units in Mo. Home guards just had to wing it the best they could. Both sides had to use them since their was so many guerrillas and bandits in rural areas. Their where Unionist militias that defended Unionists even though their states where under CSA control. I have a thread militias the good the bad the ugly.
Home guards are simply very poorly trained militias. Some milita men received training and worked with conventional forces has did some Union militia units in Mo. Home guards just had to wing it the best they could. Both sides had to use them since their was so many guerrillas and bandits in rural areas. Their where Unionist militias that defended Unionists even though their states where under CSA control. I have a thread militias the good the bad the ugly.
Leftyhunter
You would have to pick your battle Drew. Union German troops that had trained as "Wide-Awakes" were well trained by the time they fought under Sigel at Carthage. But they were out-numbered and despite an orderly day long retreat....they lost to Missouri and Arkansas and even Louisiana militia and cavalry under Jo Shelby and General Parsons and maybe Clairborne Jackson at Carthage.Would you explain to the Forum the Home Guard situation in Missouri? It seems to me that well-trained, drilled, supplied and professionally-led Union Loyalist Guard troops were deployed against a bunch of Southern monkeys in 1861 Southwest Missouri. How did that work out for them?
This is NOT an accurate rendering of the term militia. Nor a good article.
You would have to pick your battle Drew
oooops. Sorry.I understand - I've just made time for and am about two thirds the way through the David Hinze/Karen Farnham work on the Battle of Carthage. It's fascinating. So far, the barefoot raggamuffins are doing well against Sigel's "shock troops." Give me the rest of the week we can talk about it.
This is NOT an accurate rendering of the term militia. Nor a good article.
It may be fun. And it may describe irregular warfare in general but many on the list were not militias at all.
Fun, but inaccurate.
oooops. Sorry.
I said some militia units where trained I did not say all. I didn't say they fought southern monkeys. You are creating a strong man argument.Would you explain to the Forum the Home Guard situation in Missouri? It seems to me that well-trained, drilled, supplied and professionally-led Union Loyalist Guard troops were deployed against a bunch of Southern monkeys in 1861 Southwest Missouri. How did that work out for them?
In 1861 the CW had barely begun. Both armies where hardly trained let alone militia. Its a very silly question.Would you explain to the Forum the Home Guard situation in Missouri? It seems to me that well-trained, drilled, supplied and professionally-led Union Loyalist Guard troops were deployed against a bunch of Southern monkeys in 1861 Southwest Missouri. How did that work out for them?
Has I recall Andersons sisters where being held at the Garriot Street prison in St.Louis and the building collapsed. it was well known in St.Louis that the prison was very poorly maintained and conditions where bad although that also describes any CW prison on either side. T.J.Stiles in "Jesse James the Last Rebel" covers this plus"the Devil Knows how to ride" by Leslie.I thought the legend of a fire killing the relatives of Anderson and Quantrill has been debunked . I thought TJ Stiles wrote about it, but I can't find it. The list includes the story in its whole cloth version.
Don't forget 'little Archie Clements' fun guy.New to me that"Bloody Bill" Anderson performed all of that mutilation- made me angry just to read it. And although an incomplete, inaccurate piece, I echo--fun to read.