Subterfuge or Under False Colors

major bill

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Joined
Aug 25, 2012
Subterfuge pre dates the original Trojan Horse ploy. As wars moved in to the 19th Century, the allowable use of subterfuge was becoming an issue.

The wearing of enemy uniforms to deceive the enemy or gain advantage was cansidered illegal. So too was wearing civilian clothing in an attempt to spy or gain advantage could get get one hung. Still both side occasionally did so.

Using a false white flag to gain advantage was another ploy that was considered illegal. One of the problems is that what was considered acceptable deception was not well defined at the time of the Civil War.
 
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The side one supports probably influences what forum members see as a decptful, but legal ploy or unacceptful and illegal subterfuge.
 
Subterfuge pre dates the original Trojan Horse ploy. As wars moved in to the 19th Century, the allowable use of subterfuge was becoming an issue.

The wearing of enemy uniforms to deceive the enemy or gain advantage was cansidered illegal. So too was wearing civilian clothing in an attempt to spy or gain advantage could get get one hung. Still both side occasionally did so.

Using a false white flag to gain advantage was another ploy that was considered illegal. One of the problems is that what was considered acceptable deception was not well defined at the time of the Civil War.
Actually subterfuge was rather common in Missouri among Confederate insurgents who wore Union uniforms. Some Union counterinsurgency units such has the 2nd Colorado Union Cavalry would disguise themselves as guerrillas. If memory serves "Jessie's Scouts" a Union unit in Virginia wore Confederate uniforms. There may be more examples of subterfuge.
Subterfuge is very common in guerrilla warfare and plenty of that in the ACW.
Leftyhunter
 
Actually subterfuge was rather common in Missouri among Confederate insurgents who wore Union uniforms. Some Union counterinsurgency units such has the 2nd Colorado Union Cavalry would disguise themselves as guerrillas. If memory serves "Jessie's Scouts" a Union unit in Virginia wore Confederate uniforms. There may be more examples of subterfuge.
Subterfuge is very common in guerrilla warfare and plenty of that in the ACW.
Leftyhunter

True, but doing so might get one hung or shot.
 
I will post a few possible examples and see what forum members think.

1. Hidding a revolver when you surrender and later shooting your guard and attempt to excape.
 
True, but doing so might get one hung or shot.
Insurgency/counterinsurgency is a dangerous game. There maybe examples of conventional troops using subterfuge against other conventional troops in the ACW but can't think of any examples.
Harriet Tubman and others pretended to be ordinary people to closely observe the movements of the enemy and quickly report them .
Leftyhunter
 
2. After surrendering you guard is not attentive and the prisoner grabs the guard musket and shoots the guard attempting to escape.
 
4. A blockade runner flys a US flag, only to pull it down at the last minute and fires on the Union ship.
 
5. As above, but the Captain of the the blockade runner does not bother to pull down the US flag before firing on the Union ship.
 
There was a gentleman who used to have a shop in Gettysburg . His last name was Tarbox.He told me he had an ancestor killed by a surrendered Confederate on the first day who pulled out a revolver and shot him .
 
That's just another example of a guard being lazy when it comes to conducting a weapons search.
Leftyhunter

When one plays down their arms and surrenders, are the required to lay down all their arms? This is an interesting thought. One of the classes I gave as a sergeant was how to properly search prisoners. My MP missed around 5% of the pistols and about 10% of the knives. I was not sure that was good or bad.
 
When one plays down their arms and surrenders, are the required to lay down all their arms? This is an interesting thought. One of the classes I gave as a sergeant was how to properly search prisoners. My MP missed around 5% of the pistols and about 10% of the knives. I was not sure that was good or bad.
Even modern police officers sometimes miss weapons with disastrous results. Missing just one knife can result in death. It doesn't matter what soldiers are supposed to do regarding searches. It's a zero sum game.
Leftyhunter
 
I believe the soldier I was discussing was Sgt. Albert Tarbox of Co. K , 6th Wisconsin . According to Mr. Tarbox he was shot in the back while escorting prisoners from the railroad cut .
 
2. After surrendering you guard is not attentive and the prisoner grabs the guard musket and shoots the guard attempting to escape.
according to the current Code of Conduct, it is your duty to escape and return to your side and continue to fight, nothing is said that you have to be nice on how you do it, why hold them to a different standard?
 
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