The Missouri in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Mounts of the Partisans
In Response To: Re: Mounts of the Partisans ()

Larry, Len, and Rose Mary,

I would like to make some parting comments on some topics you mentioned, remembering that I am no horse expert.

I cannot comment on jayhawker raiding before the war, because I have not studied that in detail. However, the wartime jayhawker (guys more or less from Kansas) raids into western MO covered a limited area along the border. Most of it was restricted to the MO counties that lined the border, although a few reached the second tier of counties to the east. Kansans liberating slaves are an exception to this generalization, because they ranged deep into Missouri. There were lots of others committing depredations in Missouri, but the jayhawkers raids were limited in territory.

Remember that General Order Number 11 directly affected only three and one half counties. The refugees (many of them in pitiful condition) spread throughout the state. The emotion and feelings that resulted affected the whole country.

Bear in mind that some neighborhoods were predominantly southern in sympathy and guerrillas found refuge there, but guerrillas learned to avoid neighborhoods mostly northern in sympathy unless to cross them or raid in them. The greatest danger to the northern cause from the jayhawking raids was that they tended to change northern sympathy violently into southern sympathy, as with the Younger family. Wise guerrillas tended to assist fellow southerners protect their prop0erty. In return, bushwhackers were better able to obtain food, clothing, shelter, mounts, medical care, and intelligence.

As much as I respect the infantry, the war in Missouri after 1861 became almost entirely a mounted war--a cavalry war. When the Union high command in 1862 demanded troops be taken from Missouri to feed the great needs of the rest of the western theater, the Union MO commander sent off the infantry first. This was because infantry was what was needed most in TN, MS, and other places and cavalry was what was most needed in MO. Even MO southerners answering the call to join the Confederate army RODE away from home to join--even if they were joining the infantry. The great distances and crossing the large stretches of prairie necessitated troops who were entirely mounted. In Union counter-guerrilla operations even the infantry generally were transported to the objective in wagons. Yankee commanders who kept the infantry on their feet were dismayed when those footsore troops arrived after the cavalry had finished. This actually took place in April 1862 in Polk and Hickory Counties. Simply put, Union infantry just couldn't keep up with mounted southern guerrillas.

Just some thoughts.

Bruce

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