John Coffee Hays: American Pioneer of Maneuver Warfare
Abstract
Colonel John Coffee Hays was a leader in the Texas Rangers during the early Texas republic, the commander of the Texas Mounted Rifle Volunteers Regiment during the Mexican War and the commander of the Washoe Regiment during The Paiute Indian War of 1860. Hays fought against many enemies in many theaters both conventional and unconventional, yet every engagement and campaign Hays participated in was highlighted by his preference for maneuver warfare over static, fixed, and conventional attrition warfare. Thus the central research question is whether the maneuver warfare methods introduced by Hays on the early frontier resulted in uniquely influencing the American militarys subsequent combat doctrine. The research approach taken explored the contributions of other American pioneers of maneuver warfare prior to Hays, many of whom were also rangers. This is followed by four key battles Hays fought in highlighting specific principles of maneuver warfare most visibly applied in each of the four battles. Finally, the paper takes into consideration what tenets Hays developed, if any, which continue to be followed today. The conclusion is that Hays was a pioneer in some aspects of maneuver warfare, yet has a mixed outcome when it came to counterinsurgency operations in Mexico, the upshot being Hays was a great counter-guerilla fighter but had some shortcomings applying some of the more sensitive elements of a successful counterinsurgency program.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1109523
Entities
People
- David G. Yuers
Organizations
- Air Command and Staff College