Did "Ranger" groups keep the War going longer?

[Kathy the history sleuth]

While Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan and his Army of the Shenandoah scouted, plodded, and drove through the Shenandoah Valley in late August and early September 1864, they were frequently harassed by Rebel partisan rangers including those under Col. John Singleton Mosby. Sheridan sought decisive battle with Confederates under Maj. Gen. Jubal Early, but the partisan rangers made that very difficult by capturing Union soldiers and disrupting lines of supply and communication.
What did Mosby seek in his rangers, irregular soldiers who were officially in the Confederate army's 43rd Battalion of Virginia Cavalry, but fought like guerrillas? Mosby favored aggressive combat tactics, always trying to employ speed and terror to gain an advantage. Thinking it was safer to be the aggressor, Mosby ordered his men to charge with a yell to stun the enemy, striking a target at unguarded points.
Perfect for this fighting style were Mosby's Rangers, most of whom were between 17-25 and sought the glory of war on horseback. One ranger wrote that most young men who joined Mosby came with romantic ideas of partisan ranger life. The young troopers also liked the fact that Mosby let them keep plunder captured on raids. Mosby thought this improved recruiting and kept the men devoted to the cause. Although Mosby did not demand uniformity in ranger dress, he did expect his men to carry pistols, favoring the 1860 Colt Army Revolver over all other weapons for its firepower in close combat.
Image: Mosby's Rangers (Mosby seated at center wearing plumed hat), Photographic History of the Civil War.
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This came from Cedar Creek and Belle Grove Historical Park Facebook page, posted 10/22/21

Do you think that groups such as these help even the odds for the mostly outnumbered Confederacy and kept the War going much longer? I love this photo.

 

[Kathy the history sleuth]

Some our members may remember the TV show from the late 1950's "The Gray Ghost" about Mosby's adventures. Vigil C Jones was used as an historical adviser.

I'll have to look it up on U tube

 

[Stone in the wall]

It did have some pretty good guest stars appear on it, Denver Pyle, Angie Dickinson, and Harry Carey Jr.

 

[Stone in the wall]

This is an interesting post and I have enjoyed reading the responses and opinions. Field's Partisan Rangers unit was started in Carter County Kentucky. We are assuming that my 6x grandfather was affiliated with that unit in some way. His nephew's name is on the official company roster. But there is virtually no history listed for this unit. Either they did absolutely nothing or they destroyed their records and rosters. We have read that they patrolled east Kentucky and East Tennessee and supported confederate sympathizers. We keep searching for information.

You may want to check out; " Eat hearty, men for this will be the last meal you will ever eat."
eakycivilwar.blogspot.com

 

[2nd Alabama Cavalry]

Didn't the CSA government abolish the Ranger units sometime in 1864?

The initial act was passed into law on 21 Apr 1862 to organize bands of Confederate partisan rangers. After less than 2 years, on 17 Feb 1864, they repealed it, as they were getting so many complaints from the local citizenry where these rangers were operating. However, some partisan rangers were permitted to operate for their original purpose, due to their successes in molesting Federal troop movements and occupied territory, the vast majority were rebranded and organized into existing light Cavalry designations. Some of the most effective were Quantrell, Morgan, Mosby, Jennison, Lane, and Champ Ferguson. There were both mounted and infantry partisan ranger groups and guerillas in the Confederate army.

After the war many fled the south for the west, wreaking havoc and bringing great lawlessness to the local populations. The wild wild west in many ways was born of former Confederate partisan rangers, irregular cavalry, Missouri-Kansas border war veterans and former Confederate guerillas who carried over their extensive experience of raiding from the war. They had the perfect resume for a life of crime and by 1869, Texas and other parts of the west, was a lawless paradise where outlaws plied their trade and did whatever they wanted with few immediate consequences for their acts of violence, lawlessness and destruction.

The articles attached below are from the 21 Jul 1864 issue of the Chattanooga Daily Gazette - Chattanoga, TN. and the 1 Feb 1869 issue of The Daily Evening Express - Lancaster, PA:

 

[2nd Alabama Cavalry]

In addition to what I wrote above, the title of "Partisan Ranger" was given as a more tolerant name for what amounted to being guerillas who primarily partook in irregular warfare. Many of the advertisements in 1862-1863 was targeted towards the certain adventurous person of courage and daring who wanted to stand above the fray and be sent on daring missions behind enemy lines where they would be rewarded by keeping what they took as the spoils of war. Many in the north of the United States, and in other countries, considered this type of warfare to be a form of privateering, and Confederate partisan rangers as being nothing more than privateers who operated on land as opposed to operating at sea. Below I give an example of this.

The following was written in the 4 Oct 1867 issue of, "The Pall Mall Gazette" (London, England), regarding Confederate partisan rangers and how they were perceived abroad:

"It is significant that, while modern civilization in Europe has long been crying out against guerilla warfare, and against the kindred system of privateering, guerilla warfare was regularly and formally established in the late civil war in America. At a comparatively early stage of the conflict a law was passed by the Confederate Congress authorizing the establishment of a body of troops which should act against the Federals on the principle of the distribution among its officers and men of the spoil captured from the enemy, the discipline and action of such troops being practically, or to a large extent, independent of the control of the commanders of the regular army. Their professed aim was, of course, to cripple the action of the armies of the North by harassing their outposts, and striking smart and sudden blows, effective both from their unexpected nature and from the instant dispersion of the assailants as soon as their purpose was achieved. The necessary result of the operations of such a body of auxiliaries, when handled by an officer of courage and resource, was the hampering of the movements of even a large army, to an extent of apparently out of all proportion to the number of its assailants. But whether successful or unsuccessful as a part of the apparatus for baffling an invading army, it is obvious that the horrors of war must be intensified by the adoption of such a system as this. There are circumstances of course, under which it is perfectly justifiable; but it is easy to imagine the class of men who are attracted to the standard of a chief who professes to pay his men with the spoils taken from his enemy."

What the Confederate partisan rangers, guerillas and irregular cavalry did during the war was quite effective, and their actions did keep the Federal columns somewhat hampered up and kept in close, with their flanks out, while on the march, with stragglers and foraging parties suffering greatly. The Meridian Campaign was a great example of this. Had partisan rangers and irregular cavalry not been a part of the confederate response, the campaign would have been much more successful and destructive as a whole, while on the march to and from Meridian. However, numerous stragglers and foraging parties were intercepted and captured with some being shot dead and left along the roads to send a clear message to Sherman, with others being hanged until dead for the same purpose. This kept Sherman narrowing his influence of destruction, mainly along the road on which they marched, with the few exceptions being raids which he would order out along the Southern Railroad to meet his military objectives. Forrest soundly defeated Sooy Smith at Okolona, MS. and kept him from meeting up with Sherman at Meridian with irregular cavalry tactics.

My third great grandfather enlisted on 16 Mar 1862 as a partisan ranger, in the Mary B. Powell Rangers from Shelby, Alabama, and was soon mustered into service with the 2nd Alabama Cavalry Regiment as Company "B". His first assignment of the war was to perform partisan ranger service in the Florida Panhandle. They were initially ordered to Pensacola to assist in the evacuation of that town, as Bragg was pulling out of the area for Corinth, MS. After the Federals occupied the area, the 2nd Alabama Cavalry was left behind and tasked to harass the Federal forces daily, in an effort to keep them from getting outside of Pensacola and into the countryside where they could perform frequent predatory raids and plunder from the local citizenry. The 2nd Alabama Cavalry was quite effective for the year in which they operated in the Florida Panhandle and set numerous successful ambushes for the Federals, as well as frequently attacking the approaches of the town. They harassed the Federals daily and limited their activities outside of Pensacola.

So yes, I believe that partisan and guerilla warfare, as well as irregular cavalry did extend the war to some degree. From letters written home by some of the Federal soldiers at Pensacola at this time and some of their daily journal entries, it is clear that Confederate partisan efforts had an impact on their ability to operate in the Florida Panhandle and other areas of the war. Lest we forget, it was irregular warfare, guerilla and Indian fighting tactics that allowed us to win our independence from Great Britain in the Revolutionary War. This when such tactics were not accepted around the world and severely frowned upon. But these tactics were very effective when a smaller force met a much larger force. The element of surprise cannot be emphasized enough in war.

Below I attach the 7 May 1862 issue of, "The Weekly Standard" - Raleigh, N.C. It is a great example of how partisan rangers were targeted for advertisement and recruited, after the Confederate Partisan Ranger Act was passed into law on 21 Apr 1862.

 

[Lonnie]

You may want to check out; " Eat hearty, men for this will be the last meal you will ever eat."
eakycivilwar.blogspot.com

Thank you Stone in the Wall. I think I read that story. I need to read it again. I've been thinking about starting a Facebook page or a website for the Fields Partisan Rangers. But more information and history is needed etc...

 

[Lonnie]

Remember that scene from 'The Outlaw Josey Wales'.

Execution or War Crime?

The memorable last words spoken by the politician here were, ..."They were decently treated, they were decently fed, and they were decently shot."...

This act of reprisal was likely due to the trouble and disruption they caused to Union operations in the area.

Good information to know. Thank you for posting.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Good information to know. Thank you for posting.

You are welcome.

 

[2nd Alabama Cavalry]

What did Mosby seek in his rangers, irregular soldiers who were officially in the Confederate army's 43rd Battalion of Virginia Cavalry, but fought like guerrillas? Mosby favored aggressive combat tactics, always trying to employ speed and terror to gain an advantage. Thinking it was safer to be the aggressor, Mosby ordered his men to charge with a yell to stun the enemy, striking a target at unguarded points. Perfect for this fighting style were Mosby's Rangers, most of whom were between 17-25 and sought the glory of war on horseback. One ranger wrote that most young men who joined Mosby came with romantic ideas of partisan ranger life. The young troopers also liked the fact that Mosby let them keep plunder captured on raids. Mosby thought this improved recruiting and kept the men devoted to the cause. Although Mosby did not demand uniformity in ranger dress, he did expect his men to carry pistols, favoring the 1860 Colt Army Revolver over all other weapons for its firepower in close combat.

Since you mentioned Colonel John Singleton Mosby, as an example in this thread, I thought that you might find the following 1878 comparison interesting, regarding who was the more effective Partisan Ranger / Guerilla, between Mosby and Quantrell. After the war Mosby switched political parties from Democrat to Republican and served in prominent positions in President`s U.S. Grant`s and Rutherford B. Hayes` administrations.

Below is attached the following article from the 27 Dec 1878 issue of "The Journal-Democrat" (Warrensburg, MO):

 

[Kathy the history sleuth]

Since you mentioned Colonel John Singleton Mosby, as an example in this thread, I thought that you might find the following 1878 comparison interesting, regarding who was the more effective Partisan Ranger / Guerilla, between Mosby and Quantrell. After the war Mosby switched political parties from Democrat to Republican and served in prominent positions in President`s U.S. Grant`s and Rutherford B. Hayes` administrations.

Below is attached the following article from the 27 Dec 1878 issue of "The Journal-Democrat" (Warrensburg, MO):

View attachment 436513

Thank you for this. I didn't know about Mosby's career after the war. Quantrell has been looked upon as a criminal by history. What he did was mass murder. Mosby was part of the army, at least to start. He had a decidedly better ending. Here is an article I found.

Quantrill & Mosby - Kindred Spirits

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Partisan Rangers - what were they? | Civil War Potpourri

I have seen Partisan Rangers described here in numerous ways. Some favourable, others less so. I am trying to understand their role in the conflict. Also whether they operated on both sides. For this reason, I have created a poll for people to give their opinions and share their knowledge...

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