Confederates and Union paroled soldiers team up to fight the Apache

major bill

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Aug 25, 2012
The action at Dragon Springs Arizona was not a huge battle but it was there that a group of paroled Union soldiers and Confederates fought side by side against Apache raiders. On May 5th 1862 a group of Confederate soldiers was joined by some paroled Union soldiers on a mission to drive cattle to Tucson when the local Apaches could not resist the temptation to obtain some horses, mules and cattle. The Confederate had four killed and lost 30 mules and 25 horses.

On May 9th 1862 there was another clash when the Confederate and Apaches bumped into each other trying to round up the horses and cattle. The Apaches came out the worse in this action.
 
Holy cow! ( sorry, not intended- did not say Holy cattle ) So, how did the - rats, have no clue what term to use- program (?) work, please? Prisoners would be granted parole if they agreed to go out there? Why were Confederate soldiers there, instead of east, where it always sounded as if troops were badly needed? To bring cattle east?

Sorry to get so side tracked. It's just fascinating, this whole, different war someone has on their muster sheet. I wish you people who know this stuff would stop sending we Not Knows off on the track of yet another, intriguing story. It's a work day!
 
I believe these Union Soldiers had been captured in Arizona and paroled but not able to return to California yet.
 
Holy cow! ( sorry, not intended- did not say Holy cattle ) So, how did the - rats, have no clue what term to use- program (?) work, please? Prisoners would be granted parole if they agreed to go out there? Why were Confederate soldiers there, instead of east, where it always sounded as if troops were badly needed? To bring cattle east?

Sorry to get so side tracked. It's just fascinating, this whole, different war someone has on their muster sheet. I wish you people who know this stuff would stop sending we Not Knows off on the track of yet another, intriguing story. It's a work day!

Both sides needed to maintain order - as they would put it - on their respective frontiers even while the big war was ongoing. We might recall the US government had a fight with the Dakotas in Minnesota in 1862, and the Union also made use of prisoners - "galvanized Yankees" - who would fight Indians but naturally not their Confederate brethren.

On the other hand, the numbers needed were small compared to the armies fighting back east. I would guess most of the Confederate soldiers referenced here were locally raised.
 
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When the Confederate withdrew from what would become Arizona they had to deal with Cochise when he raised a large group of Apaches to fight them as well. Moving a large wagon train of Union supplies through Apache controlled areas could draw unwelcome "guests".
 
Both sides needed to maintain order - as they would put it - on their respective frontiers even while the big war was ongoing. We might recall the US government had a fight with the Dakotas in Minnesota in 1862, and the Union also made use of prisoners - "galvanized Yankees" - who would fight Indians but naturally not their Confederate brethren.

On the other hand, the numbers needed were small compared to the armies fighting back east. I would guess most of the Confederate soldiers referenced here were locally raised.
Actually Colonel Kirk commander of the 3rd North Carolina Mounted Infantry Union recruited Confederate Pows to fight their former Confederate comrades.
Dyers Compendium has a list of U.S. Volunteers recruited from Union POW Camps. There are several books on Galvanized Yankees.
Leftyhunter
 
@major bill had a thread a few years back "Why no galvanized Confederates ". I quoted from a book that the Confederacy did recruit Yankees from Camp Salisbury. Many of these galvanized Confederates quickly deserted to the Union Army .
The Civil War was far from the last time the U.S. and other armies would recruit Pows.
Leftyhunter
yes, thought I just agreed it wasn't all that unusual in that both sides did it.....Not all that surprising that the Union who had over 200,000 deserters, would also desert the other side.........desertion was hardly unusual either in the CW
 
yes, thought I just agreed it wasn't all that unusual in that both sides did it.....Not all that surprising that the Union who had over 200,000 deserters, would also desert the other side.........desertion was hardly unusual either in the CW
It would be interesting to have a thread on both sides use of recruitment of Pows.
Leftyhunter
 
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Major Dundee is one of the great Sam Peckinpah's lesser movies but holds up pretty well for a mid 60s western. First half is quite good but the ending drags and is anticlimactic
 
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