Armies implementation of Scouts, Trackers, Guides

Joined
Mar 31, 2020
Hi,

I have always been somewhat interested in scouts and trackers in warfare and I have never used the American Civil War as a source for this research. The Boer Wars and The Vietnam War are good sources for this but I would like to know if either army implemented men to specifically track the enemy after they lost contact or to gain contact with the enemy. John Singleton Mosby may have employed these kind of specialists? I have no clue, can anyone help with this?
 
ilovecivilwar123, During the ACW scouts were often sent out to observe the movements of the enemy from both armies. It could be as few as 1-2 troopers and as many as a full company or squad. In the Florida panhandle, from May 1862 - April 1863, the 2nd Regiment Alabama Cavalry was assigned to the "Detachment of Observation" in the "Department of the Gulf", and their primary duty was to constantly observe the Federal`s movements at Pensacola and to engage them when they would venture out of Pensacola and go into the interior on predatory expeditions to plunder the local communities for supplies and cattle to feed their army.

The 2nd Alabama Cavalry detached 6 of its 10 companies from the main regiment at Camp Bluff Springs, FL. and set up auxiliary and advance camps throughout the panhandle to be able to cover the whole area more effectively. Individual scouts were sent out daily near each camp to keep an eye on Federal movements in their assigned sectors and report any enemy movement back at camp. A scout of 15 men was sent out weekly to various locations from each company, to cover a distance of 60 miles round trip to engage the Federals as they plundered local communities and businesses. Scouts of 15-20 men from select companies were also periodically sent out involving greater distances in excess of 200 miles round trip, to capture spies, enemy guides and deserters and then bring them back to the main headquarters at Camp Bluff Springs, FL. and Pollard, AL. One such Scout was led by 2nd Lt. Burwell B. Lewis with 20 troopers of B-Troop, 2nd Alabama Cavalry, who was sent from Camp Bluff Springs, Florida to Choctawhatchee Bay from 22-30 Aug 1862. They traveled 110 miles each way (220 miles round trip) and captured one man by the name of Mr. B. Colvin who was suspected of being a union spy and two Federal soldiers with him in Uniform and brought them back to camp, then turning them over to the higher command on the following day to be tried at Pollard, AL.

These longer excursions were known as "tramps", which involved group scouting over longer distances. In addition to that each company would have a daily camp guard mounting (24 hour periods), pickets placed out a few miles from each camp and videttes patrolling a little farther out from the pickets for security, and each trooper was given the "watch word" of the day, also known as the "Parole and Countersign" to be used to challenge anyone who approached the camp. If any person who attempted to enter into camp could not answer the "parole" correctly with the "countersign" he would be arrested by either the Corporal of the Guard, Sergeant of the Guard, Officer of the Guard or the Officer of the Day and taken to the guard tent and held captive. This duty was recorded daily by the regimental AQM in the Orderly Book, which recorded all troopers mounted on guard (1st, 2nd and 3rd reliefs), anything of consequence that occurred during the 24 hour period and which prisoners were being held in the guard tent and for what reason.

During campaigns and battle the scouts were extremely important as the field commanders were depending on them to be the eyes and the ears of the infantry and artillery in reporting any movements of the enemy, and more importantly what type of forces they were facing and what the effective strength was, giving exact locations and positions, how much cavalry, infantry or artillery there was, how they were armed and supplied and any reinforcements which may be on the way. The scouts were also used to warn the local population that the enemy was marching straight for them, regarding an army on the move, which allowed those civilians to gather up their belongings and flee, or bury their valuables in the woods as well as empty their smoke houses, pantries and cribs. They would also be used to gather "intelligence" (information) by capturing the enemy`s couriers and relieve them of any messages passed between enemy field commanders along the courier line. The scouts proved to be very valuable throughout the war, on both sides.

Regarding guides, they were mostly used by the Federal forces as they were not immediately familiar with the country. So when going out on predatory excursions or scouts they would require a local guide who knew the area well, from living there all of his life. The guide would then lend his vast experience and knowledge of the country and lead the excursion and bring them back safely once the expedition was completed. The confederate army saw these local guides as nothing more than traitors to the southern cause, as they were assisting the Federal army and if any were found out and caught they would be hung or shot for their treason.
 
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Hi,

I have always been somewhat interested in scouts and trackers in warfare and I have never used the American Civil War as a source for this research. The Boer Wars and The Vietnam War are good sources for this but I would like to know if either army implemented men to specifically track the enemy after they lost contact or to gain contact with the enemy. John Singleton Mosby may have employed these kind of specialists? I have no clue, can anyone help with this?
We should have a prior thread on " Jessie's Scouts". Jesse's Scout's were formed by Union General Freemont ( also the first Republican Candidate for President in 1856) and named after his wife Jessie. The Jessie's Scouts often wore Confederate uniforms and were used extensively in the ACW.
The author Margret Storey noted that General Thomas and Dodge utlized information from Unionist guerrillas in Northern Alabama.
Escaped slaves were definitely a source of information and Harriet Tubman also spied on the Confederates in the field.
Leftyhunter
 
Has far as trackers the Union Army had Indian trackers in Missouri and Northern Arkansas in the form of the 3rd Indian Homeguard.
The Thomas Legion in Western North Carolina had Indian trackers who tracked down Confederate deserters and Unionist guerrillas. No doubt there are other examples.
Leftyhunter
 
One of the great problems with researching this topic is that the record of the most effective use of scouts during the war no longer exists. After the war, the records of scouts, informants & supporters who had been a key element of Rosecrans, Grant & Shermans' campaigns were burned. We know that Western commanders had comprehensive, accurate intel. We know that a very systematic information gathering program was implemented. We know how parts of it worked. We know that publicity hounds like Stuart, Morgan & Wheeler couldn't keep their mouths shut. We know that, in contrast, Western commanders were tight lipped. We know bits & pieces of how the Western army collected intel, but the nuts & bolts of it are lost to history by design.

A surprisingly good description of how the AoP's scouts operated & who they were is in Fortescue's book about his experiences as a Signal Corps officer. He was in a unique position to observe the scouts' activities because of the independent way signal parties operated.
AoP scouts.jpg

Special Service Scouts of the Army of the Potomac
Service With the Signal Corps, The Civil War Memoir of Captain Louis R. Fortescue pp 208
The photo is available form the Library of Congress

Note: I must say that these guys have the slouchy disheveled look that all living historians would love to achieve.
One of the most remarkable scouts of the Civil War also made a major contribution to the Union victory. His name is hiding in plain sight on something that almost every Civil War enthusiast has in his book collection: The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War .

IMG_0250.jpg

Plate XXXV Official Military Atlas of the Civil War

IMG_0252.jpg

Upper left hand corner of the map on the left above.
This unassuming little note is, in fact, the evidence of a revolutionary use of scouting & intel. Note the date of the map, July 20th. The first day of the Tullahoma Campaign was June 24th. "Printed in the field by Capt. Wm. Margedant's Quick Method for Filed Map Printing." This highly detailed, accurate map was printed & distributed at Rosecrans' HQ in the field. Notice the both the high degree of detail, "pretty good mountain road" "Hickman Ford" the names & locations of local families & the accompanying ?'s. When these maps were issued, it was expected that officers would make notes & corrections on them before returning them to Merrill's topo HQ. Here is where Sargeant Finegan came in.

sun map of Chattanooga.jpeg

An exquisitely rare example of the "Sun Maps" produced by Captain William C. Margedant's method.
Margedant had invented a "photo-printing device" The map was created using a light box, tracing paper treated with nitrate of silver & exposing it to the light. Several chemical baths developed the image. If this looks familiar, Margent invented blue printing. Officers were issued a tiny vile of a white substance & a tiny crow quill pen to mark on it with. This method of instant printing meant that the intel that Finegan, et al collected was turned into actionable intel in a matter of hours. The Army of the Cumberland's topo operation was by far & away the best in the world. Their opposite numbers in the Army of Tennessee were still laboriously turning by hand maps that look like one of my talented granddaughters draws for school.
General corses' copy of map of Northern Georgia.jpg

Library of Congress
This is General Corse's copy of the map Merrill & Nathan Fenegan produced for Sherman. Only a small number were produced for infantry commanders, a slightly different one was issued to cavalry commanders. It was mounted on linen in pieces so that it would fold easily & stay intact.

Map with finegen's credit.jpeg

Lower left hand corner of map.​

Finegan collected information from every source imaginable. Deserters, refugees, local peddlers & scouts were grilled to obtain accurate, up to date data for Merrill's maps. It was Finegen's intel that gave Sherman the certainty that he needed to launch the Atlanta Campaign. Some of the routes he used were not even on Joe Johnston's map of the same area. Sherman stated that he would not have attempted his move on Atlanta without the accurate map that Merrill produced. Only a few copies were made to be distributed only to top commanders.

As the pressure was on from Sherman for everyone to be prepared to march south from Chattanooga in the spring of 1864, Merrill sent Sherman a curious communication. The map that Sherman had declared as essential for launching the campaign would not be ready on the agreed deadline date. There was going to be a five day delay before beginning the printing process. This would allow, "Finegan & his motley crew" to finish their information gathering. The notoriously impatient Sherman's reply was make it so. The information plate on Corse's map contains the line "...from information compiled by N. Finegen Draughstman". It says a great deal that a lowly sergeant is given billing on such an important document.

It was this credit line that alerted me to Nathan Fenegan's existence. His name appears on many of Merrill's Georgia maps. My search was facilitated by the fact that he is the only Finegan (with one n) listed in the NPS Soldiers & Sailors index. He enlisted in the 1st Ohio Cavalry. Exactly how he came to Merrill's attention is unknown. However, Finegan was a painter & an architect, a career he continued after the war. It is not surprising that a man with those rare skills was detailed to the topographic unit. His papers are in the Ohio Historical Archive. As far as I know, no scholar has ever published a paper on what's in there.

So, to directly answer the question, Sergeant Nathan Finegan was a scout of extraordinary importance whose intel is documented in the most unusual way imaginable.

 
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In post #3 above, I was primarily speaking of scouting as performed by rank and file cavalry troopers sporadically assigned for that purpose. But there were companies of scouts, who were specifically organized as scouts, such as Jessie Scouts (U.S.A.), Harvey`s Scouts (C.S.A.) and Coleman`s Scouts (C.S.A.), to mention but a few. Several books have been written about all three, which profoundly detailed what their duties were as they served their respective armies during the ACW.

In the book, "A Sketch of Harvey`s Scouts, Formerly of Jackson`s Cavalry Division, Army of Tennessee," circa 1885, by J. F. H. Claiborne, he details the duties of Addison Harvey`s Scouting Company, contributed directly from the men who made up the company during the war. Among numerous things he wrote (paraphrased):

The Scouts main duty falls into 5 distinct categories as follows:

First duty: Secret service scouting for information. Generally two went together sometimes only one. The second man was sent to give assistance in case of one being wounded, and likewise, on occasions, to halt in charge of the horses, while the other made his reconnaissance on foot. These men were not expected to fight. The order was to get the information speedily and quietly as possible, and report to Captain Harvey, avoiding all collisions.

Second duty: Then there was an important and hazardous service in the seizure of the enemies couriers, and courier lines for information, and to interrupt their communications. This was effected by slipping in between commands and capturing or killing the couriers en-route for other posts of commands. Regarding the capture of couriers and courier-lines, the officer had to be wide awake. He had to worm in between commands, break up posts, kill sentinels, and seize couriers. To do this was difficult and dangerous. Several points had first to be mastered. 1st. The position of the enemy had to be exactly located. 2d. Whether they kept up communications by couriers. 3d. The different routes these couriers pursued, and whether they traveled by night or day; how often these couriers were sent; whether they were attended by a guard; and if so, what was its usual strength.

Third duty: There was a service known as "squad scouting", when 10 or 15 men, according to circumstances, were sent out under a lieutenant or some non-commissioned officer who could be relied upon to accomplish the object in view, if possible. With each scout of this kind, there was likewise usually an old, well-tried special scout, perfectly familiar with the ground, and who knew how to extricate the squad if entangled by unexpected outposts or other impediments. The "boys" on these occasions would say that the "officer in command went along to get them in a tight place, and the other went along to get them out of it." And it sometimes happened that when their leader had carried them into a dangerous position to gain important information, he would call on his trusty old scout to extricate them, and then for the emergency pass over to him the command. On such duty as this it was expected that every scouting party they fell in with should be promptly attacked, and our parties had frequent conflicts.

Fourth duty: These expeditions however, were merely incidental and collateral, so to speak, to the main service which Capt. Harvey personally engaged. This demanded generally the entire strength of the command (all 25-40 scouts), which he kept well in hand, and always in perfect fighting trim. His program was to reconnoitre every position and every force moving or operating within range, and never to halt till he struck it. He moved very rapidly, and would often strike a large command front, flank and rear in less than 24 hours, and be able to report to their nearest brigade or division commander the strength of the enemy's cavalry, and infantry, supply wagons, ambulance's, artillery, the name of the enemy`s commanding officer, objective point, etc...

Fifth duty: A less significant duty but important none-the-less to the citizens who found themselves drawn into the War because of their general location. This duty was to warn the citizens of local towns and communities of pending danger if they were in the direct path of an approaching army on the march. In addition to them going back through affected towns and communities after Sherman`s army had gone through to assess the damage done and then report that to the general officers and the regiment commanders.

Capt. Addison Harvey`s Scouts consisted originally of twenty-five men but was increased to forty men and in some cases 100 men when "scouting in party". Typically, outside of cavalry patrols, a part of any command was constantly on the scout for information. It was common practice for the captain (company commander) to make it a rule to keep always on hand, some thirty men, to move together as emergencies occurred. With these, he was generally able by an unexpected onslaught to "tear down everything before him'' unless where, sometimes, as the boys would say, ''he cut off too large a slice," and then he always made good his retreat, fighting so desperately that they never followed him far. Some of the hardest fighting in the war, some of the most brilliant passages of arms, transpired when this intrepid officers and his handful of hero's were falling back before overwhelming numbers.

Harvey`s Scouts were armed with captured Spencer rifles (short guns that repeat seven times) and two pistols each that carried six charges. As opposed to the standard Enfield Percussion lock rifled-musket or the 1861 Springfield muskets which were more common to the Infantry or the cavalry. Thus each man had twenty shots, and the Spencer rifles could be reloaded on the run. Specifically regarding the Scouts his sabre was generally discarded, because they were in the way when a soldier dismounted. Whereas the cavalry kept their sabers in the event that they were not allowed time to reload on the run during a skirmish and therefore forced to draw their sabers and perform a charge with them, which did happen from time to time.

The Federal army was the first in 1863 to acquire the lever action 7 shot Spencer repeating rifles with the Confederates getting them only as a consequence of claiming them off of dead federal soldiers after battles being fought. Since it was very difficult to obtain ammunition for them only a select few Confederate cavalry outfits were armed with them, Harvey`s Scouts was one of those outfits.

For those interested in learning more about Capt. Addison Harvey and his company of scouts, follow the link below for the book: "A Sketch of Harvey`s Scouts, Formerly of Jackson`s Cavalry Division, Army of Tennessee," You can read the original 1885 book in its entirety or download a free copy (PDF) to your hard drive to keep for your own.

 
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In post #3 above, I was primarily speaking of scouting as performed by rank and file cavalry troopers sporadically assigned for that purpose. But there were companies of scouts, who were specifically organized as scouts, such as Jessie Scouts (U.S.A.), Harvey`s Scouts (C.S.A.) and Coleman`s Scouts (C.S.A.), to mention but a few. Several books have been written about all three, which profoundly detailed what their duties were as they served their respective armies during the ACW.

In the book, "A Sketch of Harvey`s Scouts, Formerly of Jackson`s Cavalry Division, Army of Tennessee," circa 1885, by J. F. H. Claiborne, he details the duties of Addison Harvey`s Scouting Company, contributed directly from the men who made up the company during the war. Among numerous things he wrote (paraphrased):

The Scouts main duty falls into 5 distinct categories as follows:

First duty: Secret service scouting for information. Generally two went together sometimes only one. The second man was sent to give assistance in case of one being wounded, and likewise, on occasions, to halt in charge of the horses, while the other made his reconnaissance on foot. These men were not expected to fight. The order was to get the information speedily and quietly as possible, and report to Captain Harvey, avoiding all collisions.

Second duty: Then there was an important and hazardous service in the seizure of the enemies couriers, and courier lines for information, and to interrupt their communications. This was effected by slipping in between commands and capturing or killing the couriers en-route for other posts of commands. Regarding the capture of couriers and courier-lines, the officer had to be wide awake. He had to worm in between commands, break up posts, kill sentinels, and seize couriers. To do this was difficult and dangerous. Several points had first to be mastered. 1st. The position of the enemy had to be exactly located. 2d. Whether they kept up communications by couriers. 3d. The different routes these couriers pursued, and whether they traveled by night or day; how often these couriers were sent; whether they were attended by a guard; and if so, what was its usual strength.

Third duty: There was a service known as "squad scouting", when 10 or 15 men, according to circumstances, were sent out under a lieutenant or some non-commissioned officer who could be relied upon to accomplish the object in view, if possible. With each scout of this kind, there was likewise usually an old, well-tried special scout, perfectly familiar with the ground, and who knew how to extricate the squad if entangled by unexpected outposts or other impediments. The "boys" on these occasions would say that the "officer in command went along to get them in a tight place, and the other went along to get them out of it." And it sometimes happened that when their leader had carried them into a dangerous position to gain important information, he would call on his trusty old scout to extricate them, and then for the emergency pass over to him the command. On such duty as this it was expected that every scouting party they fell in with should be promptly attacked, and our parties had frequent conflicts.

Fourth duty: These expeditions however, were merely incidental and collateral, so to speak, to the main service which Capt. Harvey personally engaged. This demanded generally the entire strength of the command (all 25-40 scouts), which he kept well in hand, and always in perfect fighting trim. His program was to reconnoitre every position and every force moving or operating within range, and never to halt till he struck it. He moved very rapidly, and would often strike a large command front, flank and rear in less than 24 hours, and be able to report to their nearest brigade or division commander the strength of the enemy's cavalry, and infantry, supply wagons, ambulance's, artillery, the name of the enemy`s commanding officer, objective point, etc...

Fifth duty: A less significant duty but important none-the-less to the citizens who found themselves drawn into the War because of their general location. This duty was to warn the citizens of local towns and communities of pending danger if they were in the direct path of an approaching army on the march. In addition to them going back through affected towns and communities after Sherman`s army had gone through to assess the damage done and then report that to the general officers and the regiment commanders.

Capt. Addison Harvey`s Scouts consisted originally of twenty-five men but was increased to forty men and in some cases 100 men when "scouting in party". Typically, outside of cavalry patrols, a part of any command was constantly on the scout for information. It was common practice for the captain (company commander) to make it a rule to keep always on hand, some thirty men, to move together as emergencies occurred. With these, he was generally able by an unexpected onslaught to "tear down everything before him'' unless where, sometimes, as the boys would say, ''he cut off too large a slice," and then he always made good his retreat, fighting so desperately that they never followed him far. Some of the hardest fighting in the war, some of the most brilliant passages of arms, transpired when this intrepid officers and his handful of hero's were falling back before overwhelming numbers.

Harvey`s Scouts were armed with captured Spencer rifles (short guns that repeat seven times) and two pistols each that carried six charges. As opposed to the standard Enfield Percussion lock rifled-musket or the 1861 Springfield muskets which were more common to the Infantry or the cavalry. Thus each man had twenty shots, and the Spencer rifles could be reloaded on the run. Specifically regarding the Scouts his sabre was generally discarded, because they were in the way when a soldier dismounted. Whereas the cavalry kept their sabers in the event that they were not allowed time to reload on the run during a skirmish and therefore forced to draw their sabers and perform a charge with them, which did happen from time to time.

The Federal army was the first in 1863 to acquire the lever action 7 shot Spencer repeating Rifles with the Confederates getting them only as a consequence of claiming them off of dead federal Soldiers after battles being fought. Since it was very difficult to obtain ammunition for them only a select few Confederate cavalry outfits were armed with them, Harvey`s Scouts was one of those outfits.
Wilder's men were very aware of how valuable their Spencers would be to the enemy. During their first engagement using their new Spencers, one of their men was wounded severely & left in an exposed position. His dying act was to disassemble his Spencer & throw the pieces in all directions to keep it from being captured. The Confederates did not have the copper or machinery necessary to make Spencer rounds, so only captured ammunition could be issued.
 
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One of the great problems with researching this topic is that the record of the most effective use of scouts during the war no longer exists. After the war, the records of scouts, informants & supporters who had been a key element of Rosecrans, Grant & Shermans' campaigns were burned. We know that Western commanders had comprehensive, accurate intel. We know that a very systematic information gathering program was implemented. We know how parts of it worked. We know that publicity hounds like Stuart, Morgan & Wheeler couldn't keep their mouths shut. We know that, in contrast, Western commanders were tight lipped. We know bits & pieces of how the Western army collected intel, but the nuts & bolts of it are lost to history by design.

A surprisingly good description of how the AoP's scouts operated & who they were is in Fortescue's book about his experiences as a Signal Corps officer. He was in a unique position to observe the scouts' activities because of the independent way signal parties operated.
View attachment 353427
Special Service Scouts of the Army of the Potomac
Service With the Signal Corps, The Civil War Memoir of Captain Louis R. Fortescue pp 208
The photo is available form the Library of Congress

Note: I must say that these guys have the slouchy disheveled look that all living historians would love to achieve.
One of the most remarkable scouts of the Civil War also made a major contribution to the Union victory. His name is hiding in plain sight on something that almost every Civil War enthusiast has in his book collection: The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War .

View attachment 353430
Plate XXXV Official Military Atlas of the Civil War

View attachment 353431
Upper left hand corner of the map on the left above.
This unassuming little note is, in fact, the evidence of a revolutionary use of scouting & intel. Note the date of the map, July 20th. The first day of the Tullahoma Campaign was June 24th. "Printed in the field by Capt. Wm. Margedant's Quick Method for Filed Map Printing." This highly detailed, accurate map was printed & distributed at Rosecrans' HQ in the field. Notice the both the high degree of detail, "pretty good mountain road" "Hickman Ford" the names & locations of local families & the accompanying ?'s. When these maps were issued, it was expected that officers would make notes & corrections on them before returning them to Merrill's topo HQ. Here is where Sargeant Finegan came in.

View attachment 353439
An exquisitely rare example of the "Sun Maps" produced by Captain William C. Margedant's method.
Margedant had invented a "photo-printing device" The map was created using a light box, tracing paper treated with nitrate of silver & exposing it to the light. Several chemical baths developed the image. If this looks familiar, Margent invented blue printing. Officers were issued a tiny vile of a white substance & a tiny crow quill pen to mark on it with. This method of instant printing meant that the intel that Finegan, et al collected was turned into actionable intel in a matter of hours. The Army of the Cumberland's topo operation was by far & away the best in the world. Their opposite numbers in the Army of Tennessee were still laboriously turning by hand maps that look like one of my talented granddaughters draws for school.
View attachment 353441
Library of Congress
This is General Corse's copy of the map Merrill & Nathan Fenegan produced for Sherman. Only a small number were produced for infantry commanders, a slightly different one was issued to cavalry commanders. It was mounted on linen in pieces so that it would fold easily & stay intact.

View attachment 353443
Lower left hand corner of map.​

Finegan collected information from every source imaginable. Deserters, refugees, local peddlers & scouts were grilled to obtain accurate, up to date data for Merrill's maps. It was Finegen's intel that gave Sherman the certainty that he needed to launch the Atlanta Campaign. Some of the routes he used were not even on Joe Johnston's map of the same area. Sherman stated that he would not have attempted his move on Atlanta without the accurate map that Merrill produced. Only a few copies were made to be distributed only to top commanders.

As the pressure was on from Sherman for everyone to be prepared to march south from Chattanooga in the spring of 1864, Merrill sent Sherman a curious communication. The map that Sherman had declared as essential for launching the campaign would not be ready on the agreed deadline date. There was going to be a five day delay before beginning the printing process. This would allow, "Finegan & his motley crew" to finish their information gathering. The notoriously impatient Sherman's reply was make it so. The information plate on Corse's map contains the line "...from information compiled by N. Finegen Draughstman". It says a great deal that a lowly sergeant is given billing on such an important document.

It was this credit line that alerted me to Nathan Fenegan's existence. His name appears on many of Merrill's Georgia maps. My search was facilitated by the fact that he is the only Finegan (with one n) listed in the NPS Soldiers & Sailors index. He enlisted in the 1st Ohio Cavalry. Exactly how he came to Merrill's attention is unknown. However, Finegan was a painter & an architect, a career he continued after the war. It is not surprising that a man with those rare skills was detailed to the topographic unit. His papers are in the Ohio Historical Archive. As far as I know, no scholar has ever published a paper on what's in there.

So, to directly answer the question, Sergeant Nathan Finegan was a scout of extraordinary importance whose intel is documented in the most unusual way imaginable.

Thank you much, I hope the other people who have responded may see this since I do not have any where near the time to respond to all of the people who’ve responded, I just wonder how many hours it took u to write this all haha, thank you so much for all the info.
 
Has far as trackers the Union Army had Indian trackers in Missouri and Northern Arkansas in the form of the 3rd Indian Homeguard.
The Thomas Legion in Western North Carolina had Indian trackers who tracked down Confederate deserters and Unionist guerrillas. No doubt there are other examples.
Leftyhunter
Thank you very much for the info, I have tried to find info on Thomas’s Legion and his Cherokee Junaluska Zouaves, but I could not. Do you know of any sources of info?
 
Hi,

I have always been somewhat interested in scouts and trackers in warfare and I have never used the American Civil War as a source for this research. The Boer Wars and The Vietnam War are good sources for this but I would like to know if either army implemented men to specifically track the enemy after they lost contact or to gain contact with the enemy. John Singleton Mosby may have employed these kind of specialists? I have no clue, can anyone help with this?
As we know the idea of scouts or spies is nothing new. The Old Testament says Moses sent spies into the land of Canaan while the Jews were stuck in the Sinai Penninula.
It certainly appears both sides knew the value of scouting during the ACW early on.
Which side or which general utlized scouts the best is open for debate.
No one mentioned at least the opening scene in the movie "Gettysburg" where a spy ( John Wilkes Booth?) reports to General Lee. How historically accurate the scene is I can't say certainly possible.
Leftyhunter
 
Thank you much, I hope the other people who have responded may see this since I do not have any where near the time to respond to all of the people who’ve responded, I just wonder how many hours it took u to write this all haha, thank you so much for all the info.
Thanks. I used to do things like this for a living. I really enjoy doing the visual research. I have no idea how long one of these things takes.
 
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