Civil War Special Forces: The Elite and Distinct Fighting Units of the Union and Confederate Armies: The Elite and Distinct Fighting Units of the Union and Confederate Armies

by Robert P. Broadwater

Overview

The Civil War, of course, pitted North against South. It also pitted ancient ways of war against new, technology-inspired weaponry and tactics. In surveying the war's elite fighting units, this work covers both. The book showcases novel weapons and unorthodox strategies, including machine gunners, rocket battalions, chemical corps, the Union balloon corps, and the Confederate submarine service, all of which harnessed new technologies and were forerunners of the modern military. Chapters also cover archaic special forces, such as lancers and pikers, that had their last hurrah during this transformational conflict.

Readers will also meet the fighting youth of the North Carolina Junior Reserves, the "Graybeards" of North Carolina, and the female combatants of the Nancy Harts Militia of Georgia. Going where few other studies have gone, the book fills a gap in existing Civil War literature and brings to life the stories of many of the most extraordinary units that ever served in an American army. The tales it tells will prove fascinating to Civil War and weapons buffs and to general readers alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440830587
Publisher:	ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date:	08/26/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	285
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Robert P. Broadwater is an independent scholar and historian.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

1 The Zouaves 1

2 The Lancers 10

3 The Pikemen 17

4 The Horse Artillery 23

5 The Machine Gunners 33

6 The Rocket Battalion 41

7 The Chemical Corps 48

8 Light Divisions 56

9 The Balloon Corps 64

10 The Signal Corps 77

11 Snipers and Sharpshooters 87

12 The Ambulance Corps 103

13 Partisan Rangers 115

14 Scouts and Spies 125

15 The Marines 133

16 Sappers and Miners 145

17 Junior Reserves 157

18 Senior Reserves 167

19 The Submariners 178

20 The Ironclads 190

21 The Women 202

22 The U.S. Colored Troops 213

23 The Native Americans 225

24 Summation of Combat Efficiency 237

Conclusion 243

Notes 245

Bibliography 261

Index 271

Editorial Reviews

"Summing Up: Recommended. General and academic collections." - Choice

From the Publisher