The guerrilla war that wasn't.

[Freddy]

Dear Freddy,

Thank you for all the hard work it took to locate the article and to share the link with the members.

Much appreciated!

Respectfully submitted,

M. E. Wolf

You are welcome. However, in all honesty all I did was copy and paste the quote and Googled it and there it was.

 

[M E Wolf]

Dear Freddy,

Still hard work.

Some don't even do that much

I maintain my stand, of appreciation for your hard work.

Respectfully submitted,
M. E. Wolf

 

[ole]

In getting back to "The Guerilla War that Wasn't," we had a thread (or maybe it was on another board) discussing what that might have been like.

Lee was likely prescient in not wishing to see anything like that carried on.

We need think only of the depredations in the conflicted areas of the border states. Here was brother against brother and neigbor against neighbor and families against families.

And this sort of thing doesn't easily stop. (Remember Champ Ferguson? Or the Hatfields and McCoys?)

Think reconstruction was bad? Consider roving bands of Confederates requiring food, forage and animals from everyone who was in their path du jour; let alone the Union troops charged with hunting them down.

Western Missouri and Eastern Kentucky and Northern Alabama were bad enough. Multiply that by all over.

Wherever guerilla activity occurred, there would be a few hundred Union troops committing the same kind of atrocities to find and destroy.

An altogether fruitless endeavor. Lee saw that and wanted none of it. (He couldn't have been unaware of the bitter disruptions visited on all families of whatever allegience everyware.)

A guerilla war could only prolong the agony until every family in proximity to guerilla action would be killed or fled. There would be no one to rebuild. So far as Lee was concerned, it was over. Further resistance could only cause more damage.

Just a thought.

ole

Just a thought.

ole

 

[5fish]

Repressing

I just want to point out that there was a Guerilla war or Insurgent war following the Civil war. It was not focus at the federal occupation but at the Freedmen of the south. The hold purpose was to repress the Freedmen from voting and to keep them in their place....

It looks as if the X-confederates had no interest in fighting the federals or fighting for the "the cause" only ensuing their candidates won the vote...

.....

 

[Battalion]

There was a guerilla war after Appomattox. The Ku Klux Klan conducted a terror campaign against the Reconstruction governments, white Republicans and any African American who was politically active. This terror campaign was successful, with the end of black participation in government after the Compromise of 1877.

The aim of the Radical politicians was to disfranchise all 'rebels' and confiscate their land...and they had their own terror organizations known as 'Loyal (or Union) Leagues.'
They were not as effective as their opposition.

 

[unionblue]

The aim of the Radical politicians was to disfranchise all 'rebels' and confiscate their land...and they had their own terror organizations known as 'Loyal (or Union) Leagues.'
They were not as effective as their opposition.

Dunning School of history.

Unionblue

 

[5fish]

What..

Unionblue hit on the head...

Union League in the south only register Freedmen to vote. I did not find any action of violence by this group in the southern states.

Battalion is drinking form the Dunning School well water...

 

[whitworth]

Early in the war, . . .

General Lee concluded that the partisan raiders operating in northern and western Virginia did much more harm to the Confederacy and the army, than good and that Mosby's men were the only group that offered much positive assistance.

Of course, General U.S. Grant did not think highly of Mosby

CITY POINT, August 16, 1864-1.30 p.m [Received 6.30 a.m.17th.]

Major-General SHERIDAN,

Commanding, &c., Winchester, Va.:

Fitz Lee's division is not in the Valley. We took quite a number of prisoners from it yesterday north of the James. Kershaw's division has gone to the Valley, and probably two brigades of Wilcox's division. Some cavalry has gone, but I do not know whose. I would not advise an attack on Early in an intrenched position, but would watch him closely with the cavalry, and if he attempts to move north follow him. The 100-days' men will have to be discharged at the expiration of their time unless there is a pressing necessity for detaining them for a few days on account of immediate active hostilities. The families of most of Mosby's men are known, and can be collected. I think they should be taken and kept at Fort McHenry, or some secure place, as hostages for the good conduct of Mosby and his men. Where any of Mosby's men are caught hang them without trial.

U. S. GRANT,

Lieutenant-General.