Guerrilla warfare in the American Civil War Guerrilla warfare in the American Civil War followed the same general patterns of irregular warfare conducted in 19th century Europe . Structurally , they can be divided into three different types of operations — the so - called ' People ' s War ' , ' partisan warfare ' , and ' raiding warfare ' . Each has distinct characteristics that were common practice during the Civil War years ( 1861 – 1865 ) . Types of guerrilla warfare . The concept of a ' People ' s war , ' first described by von Clausewitz in his classic treatise " On War " , was the closest example of a mass guerrilla movement in the era . In general during the Civil War , this type of irregular warfare was conducted in the hinterland of the Border States ( Missouri , Arkansas , Tennessee , Kentucky , and northwestern Virginia / West Virginia ) . It was marked by a vicious neighbor - against - neighbor quality as other grudges got settled . It was frequent for residents of one part of a single county to take up arms against their counterparts in the rest of the vicinity . Bushwhacking , murder , assault , and terrorism were characteristics of this kind of fighting . Few participants wore uniforms or were formally mustered into the actual armies . In many cases , it was civilian against civilian , or civilian against opposing enemy troops . One such example was the opposing irregular forces operating in Missouri and northern Arkansas from 1862 to 1865 , most of which were pro - Confederate or pro - Union in name only . They preyed on civilians and isolated military forces of both sides with little regard for politics . From these semi - organized guerrillas , several groups formed and were given some measure of legitimacy by their governments . Quantrill ' s Raiders , who terrorized pro - Union civilians and fought Federal troops in large areas of Missouri and Kansas , was one such unit . Another notorious unit , with debatable ties to the Confederate military , was led by Champ Ferguson along the Kentucky - Tennessee border . Ferguson became one of the few figures of the Confederate cause to be executed after the war . Dozens of other small , localized bands terrorized the countryside throughout the border region during the war , bringing total war to the area that lasted until the end of the Civil War and , in some areas , beyond . Partisan warfare , in contrast , more closely resembled commando operations of the 20th century . Partisans were small units of conventional forces , controlled and organized by a military force for operations behind enemy lines . The 1862 Partisan Ranger Act passed by the Confederate Congress authorized the formation of these units and gave them legitimacy , which placed them in a different category than the common ' bushwhacker ' or ' guerrilla ' . John Singleton Mosby formed a partisan unit that was very effective in tying down Federal forces behind Union lines in northern Virginia in the last two years of the war . Groups such as Blazer ' s Scouts , White ' s Comanches , the Loudoun Rangers , McNeill ' s Rangers , and other similar forces at times served in the formal armies , but often were loosely organized and operated more as partisans than as cavalry , especially early in the war . Lastly , deep raids by conventional cavalry forces were often considered ' irregular ' in nature . The " Partisan Brigades " of Nathan Bedford Forrest and John Hunt Morgan operated as part of the cavalry forces of the Confederate Army of Tennessee in 1862 and 1863 . They were given specific missions to destroy logistical hubs , railroad bridges , and other strategic targets to support the greater mission of the Army of Tennessee . Morgan led raids into Kentucky as well . In his last raid , he violated orders by going across the Ohio River and raiding in Ohio and Indiana as well , as he wanted to bring the war to the northern states . This long raid diverted thousands of Union troops . He captured and paroled nearly 6 , 000 troops , destroyed bridges and fortifications , and ran off livestock . By mid - 1863 , Morgan ' s Raiders had been mostly destroyed in the late days of the Great Raid of 1863 . Some of his followers continued under their own direction , such as M . Jerome Clarke , who kept on with raids in Kentucky . The Confederacy conducted few deep cavalry raids in the latter years of the war , mostly because of the losses in experienced horsemen and the offensive operations of the Union army . Federal cavalry conducted several successful raids during the war but in general used their cavalry forces in a more conventional role . A good exception was the 1863 Grierson ' s Raid , which did much to set the stage for General Ulysses S . Grant ' s victory during the Vicksburg Campaign . Union countermeasures against the Confederate guerrillas . Federal counter - guerrilla operations were successful in reducing the impact of Confederate guerrilla warfare . In Arkansas , Federal forces used a wide variety of strategies to defeat irregulars . These included the use of Arkansas Unionist forces as anti - guerrilla troops , the use of riverine forces such as gunboat s to control the waterways , and the provost marshal ' s military law enforcement system to spy on suspected guerrillas and to imprison those captured . Against Confederate raiders , the Federal army developed an effective cavalry themselves and reinforced that system by numerous blockhouses and fortification to defend strategic targets . However , Federal attempts to defeat Mosby ' s Partisan Rangers fell short of success because of Mosby ' s use of very small units ( 10 – 15 men ) operating in areas considered friendly to the Rebel cause . Another regiment known as the " Thomas Legion " , consisting of white and anti - Union Cherokee Indians , morphed into a guerrilla force and continued fighting in the remote mountain back - country of western North Carolina for a month after Robert E . Lee ' s surrender at Appomattox Court House . That unit was never completely suppressed by Union forces , but voluntarily ceased hostilities after capturing the town of Waynesville , North Carolina , on May 10 , 1865 . Prolonging the war through guerrilla action . In the late 20th century , several historians focused on the Confederate government ' s decision to not use guerrilla warfare to prolong the war . Near the end of the war , there were those in the administration who advocated continuing the southern fight as a guerrilla conflict . These efforts were opposed by Confederate generals such as Lee who ultimately believed that surrender and reconciliation were the best options for the war - ravaged South . Notable Civil War guerrillas , partisans , jayhawkers , and rangers . Other notable bushwhackers , jahawkers , and guerrillas of the Civil War included Frank James , Jesse James , " Tinker Dave " Beaty , Archie Clement , Silas M . Gordon , Champ Ferguson , Charles R . Jennison , James Montgomery , Joseph C . Porter , and George M . Todd .