Chasing the Gray Ghost: Blazer's Independent Union Scouts and the Shenandoah Valley Guerilla War of 1864
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to deconstruct and analyze Blazer's Independent Union Scouts' 1864 counter-guerrilla campaign to draw out successful techniques and best practices that are still relevant today. One of the least examined facets of the Civil War is Confederate use of irregular or guerilla-type warfare. Of the many Confederate guerilla bands, none wreaked more havoc on Union forces as did Mosby's Rangers, led by Colonel John Singleton Mosby, also known as the "Gray Ghost." The Union mounted numerous efforts to thwart Mosby's Rangers, but only one proved effective: the effort led by Captain Richard Blazer and his elite Independent Union Scouts. Captain Blazer and his Scouts proved to be ahead of their time and stand out as the only effective counter-guerrilla campaign of the entire Civil War. The Shenandoah guerrilla war of 1864 is significant to today's student of warfare and deserves further study and consideration. Employing many of the same methods and concepts practiced today, Captain Blazer and his Scouts developed an effective counter-guerrilla campaign against the most fearsome of Confederate guerrilla groups: Mosby's Rangers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA490905
Entities
People
- Jordan D. Walzer
Organizations
- Marine Corps University