Should we consider The Mississippi Marine Brigade as "marines"? One could argue they were neither marines nor from Mississippi. The Mississippi Marine Brigade were a mixed force of infantry mounted soldiers, and artillery operating from transports cruising the Mississippi River to counter Confederate guerrillas. View on how successful they were is an open question. The concept of using mounted troops being transported by boat sounds good but I am not sure the Confederate guerrillas cooperated. One would think that the infantry and artillery would slow down the Mississippi Marine Brigade to the point that they would have a hard time catching guerrillas. The Mississippi Marine Brigade has discipline and some viewed them as little more than looters. So was The Mississippi Marine Brigade a great sounding idea that did not work that well?
From what I read year's ago they were in practice more or a riverine pirate force rather then a sucessful counterinsurgency unit. Of course they were not Marines as they were not part of the USMC.
Yes a good idea poorly executed by incompetent officer's. Obviously it's important to use boats in counterinsurgency when practicable as was done in latter counterinsurgency campaigns.
Leftyhunter
I am not familiar with them, but I am aware that gunboats operated along the Mississippi convoying transports. The shores along the Mississippi were heavily foliaged, and there may have been no clear line of sight to ambushes and masked batteries. I am sure they still would have the capability to land and run small raids for burning cotton and general 'looting' as you put it. Maybe that is what they were noted for. But coming under Army control could they have been given the title of 'Marine Brigade' just for distinction?
Lubliner.
The Mississippi Marine Brigade was actually supposed to fight Confedrate guerrllas but it was just easier to loot.
Leftyhunter
Should we consider The Mississippi Marine Brigade as "marines"? One could argue they were neither marines nor from Mississippi. The Mississippi Marine Brigade were a mixed force of infantry mounted soldiers, and artillery operating from transports cruising the Mississippi River to counter Confederate guerrillas. View on how successful they were is an open question. The concept of using mounted troops being transported by boat sounds good but I am not sure the Confederate guerrillas cooperated. One would think that the infantry and artillery would slow down the Mississippi Marine Brigade to the point that they would have a hard time catching guerrillas. The Mississippi Marine Brigade has discipline and some viewed them as little more than looters. So was The Mississippi Marine Brigade a great sounding idea that did not work that well?
https://ehistory.osu.edu/articles/fighting-ellets-ingenuity-courage-nepotism-and-corruption-0
This article also goes into great detail about naval rams which was actually first proposed by Charles Ellet who invented the ACW Rams to the Russian Navy during the Crimean War.
Leftyhunter
Guerrillas are not the type to stand and fight. Perhaps destroying the guerrillis" supply base and support base is one way to fight them. Has the study of them been done a fair and unbiased way?
The USN used Riverine craft to fight guerrllas in South Vietnam along with the the South Vietnamese Navy so there's lots of documentation. The South African Army used boats in the Caprivi Strip.
Leftyhunter
Guerrillas are not the type to stand and fight. Perhaps destroying the guerrillis" supply base and support base is one way to fight them. Has the study of them been done a fair and unbiased way?
Not sure what you mean by study. Counterinsurgency has been written about quite extensively since 1940 at least by the US military starting with the USMC Small Wars Manual. There was no concept of counterinsurgency in the ACW in terms of hearts and minds . There were certain counterinsurgency techniques that are still used today but no concept of convincing the general population to support the counterinsurgency forces just " hard counterinsurgency" or severe retailation if they did so which is what both the Union and Confedrate forces did.
Should we consider The Mississippi Marine Brigade as "marines"? One could argue they were neither marines nor from Mississippi. The Mississippi Marine Brigade were a mixed force of infantry mounted soldiers, and artillery operating from transports cruising the Mississippi River to counter Confederate guerrillas. View on how successful they were is an open question. The concept of using mounted troops being transported by boat sounds good but I am not sure the Confederate guerrillas cooperated. One would think that the infantry and artillery would slow down the Mississippi Marine Brigade to the point that they would have a hard time catching guerrillas. The Mississippi Marine Brigade has discipline and some viewed them as little more than looters. So was The Mississippi Marine Brigade a great sounding idea that did not work that well?
http://millikensbend.com/mississippi-marine-brigade-makes-grisly-discoveries/
In this article the MMB makes a startling discovery the may of been exaterated.
Leftyhunter
Should we consider The Mississippi Marine Brigade as "marines"? One could argue they were neither marines nor from Mississippi. The Mississippi Marine Brigade were a mixed force of infantry mounted soldiers, and artillery operating from transports cruising the Mississippi River to counter Confederate guerrillas. View on how successful they were is an open question. The concept of using mounted troops being transported by boat sounds good but I am not sure the Confederate guerrillas cooperated. One would think that the infantry and artillery would slow down the Mississippi Marine Brigade to the point that they would have a hard time catching guerrillas. The Mississippi Marine Brigade has discipline and some viewed them as little more than looters. So was The Mississippi Marine Brigade a great sounding idea that did not work that well?
https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/17/the-mississippi-marine-brigade/
Also
@Borderruffian might find this article interesting because the MMB fought Missouri guerrllas in Louisiana or so the author states. The author also states the MMB was similar to the US Special Forces but I would argue not at all the closest ACW comparison is the Third Indian Homeguards and more closely the French Group Mixed Army Commando's.
The MMB did not utlize indigenous personnel as did the US and French in Vietnam.
Counterinsurgency works best when local indigenous people are fighting guerrllas which was not the case of the MMB.
The MMB was a god example of how not to do counterinsurgency and General Grant did not want to command the MMB.
The MMB wasn't a bad idea but it was badly led.
Leftyhunter