Sounds like an a mixture of effective units and some units that were staying out of regular army duty by joining partisan rangers instead of regular army? Assuming from the text above they were paid, but likely didnt wear the normal uniforms and follow some of those standards.
The "Partisan Ranger" corps were Confederate troops, like any others, but acting more or less independently, at or near the Union lines, or even behind them. They were provided this organization to clarify that if captured by Union forces they were not guerrillas. The Confederate army did not labor to equip them, for example. They were encouraged if possible to arm and equip themselves at the expense of Union forces, etc.
Pay was irregular where the Partisan ranger units were acting independently about or behind the Union lines. Thus the allowance for them to confiscate enemy property etc. Lt. Col. Mosby's rangers were probably the most successful partisan ranger unit, operating behind Union lines on the Virginia-Maryland border etc. They were
better uniformed than Confederate army units generally, being able to purchase cloth, etc. from behind the lines in Maryland using captured "greenbacks" etc. Ranger Munson observed...
Other Partisan Ranger units conditions and situation varied. The back-country partisans would not have had the sources of supply that Mosby's command enjoyed. Adam R. Johnson's and Bob Martin's Partisan Rangers in Kentucky were out of the reach of any army paymasters, and wore no uniforms besides what captured US Army clothing they dared wear at the risk of being executed as guerrillas or spies. Others were just outfitted in common homespun, which was common throughout the Confederate army...
From what I've seen in print, the more efficient of the Partisan Ranger bands were handily reorganized into infantry/cavalry Volunteer units for service with the army, if not before then certainly after the repeal of the Partisan ranger act in 1864. The worst of such corps were, something like you mention, some combination of draft-dodgers and marauders more determined to avoid more regular active service than to actively harm the Union forces. General Lee complained...
After early 1864 any Partisan Ranger corps which did not reorganize for more regular service were classified as subject to conscription or as "deserters" etc.
Bringing the