Special surgeries require special people. Especially in modern warfare, where elite units often turn the tide of battle, these battles often require seemingly superhuman courage and daring from the soldiers involved.
That audacity was on full display 161 years ago this week, when the Union Army had a golden opportunity to capture and destroy the Mosby Rangers, a group of Confederate guerilla fighters who at the time were carrying out terrorist activities with a relatively small number of elite troops. It was demonstrated in Federal troops in Northern Virginia.
In late March 1863, after a cold day on horseback, a group of men, “almost as many as Falstaff’s Regiment”, had not previously known each other but were united by “a love of adventure and faith in their leaders”. A motley crowd of about 60 members of Mosby’s Rangers gathered. Spent the night at the Miskell Farm (near Broad Run, Loudoun County) on the way to the next raid. Owned by a sympathetic Southern farmer, the mansion provided shelter from the snow and food for his horses, but its location near the Potomac River between the Broad Run and Difficult Run rivers meant that it was difficult to get in and out of. was only allowed in one direction and had to go through the main gate of the mansion. , lanes leading to the turnpike.
After a night of snacking, the Rangers were woken up just after dawn the next day by riders coming up the lane at great speed. Waving his hat, the Confederates shouted, “Get on your horses!” The Yankees are coming! Union residents had warned the 1st Vermont Calvary of Mosby’s presence in the area. Six companies, about 150 men, led by Captain Henry Flint, galloped down the path leading to the entrance to the farm. Flint ordered his soldiers to barricade the gates near the turnpike, then divided his men and had 50 soldiers circle behind the farm, while the bulk of his force moved to Mosby’s camp. He ordered them to attack head-on.
Great confusion ensued. “It looked as if the light and life of the guerrillas had to be wiped from the face of the earth. Never before or since had there been a better opportunity for Federal forces to secure Mosby and annihilate his men.” One ranger recalled. The Confederates reined, saddled, and attempted to mount their horses in the midst of the onslaught.
Following their philosophy of gaining the upper hand by “pushing” or preemptively attacking an opponent, Mosby ordered his vastly outnumbered men to attack. Charge and break through! ” The rebel leader, who was not yet on his horse, signaled with his hand to emphasize the order.The Rangers responded with a “diabolical cry… once heard… [one would] Never forget. . . May the reapers descend upon the harvest of death. ” Mosby himself fired at the oncoming men as pistols rang out, including two smoking Colts. One of the rangers gave Mosby the reins of his horse, allowing the partisan leader to join the melee, and he jumped onto the captured horse and joined the fight.
The details of this amazing gunfight are told in my upcoming book. Unvanquished: The untold story of Lincoln’s special forces, the search for Mosby’s Rangers, and the shadow war that shaped American special operations. The book tells the story of Lincoln’s Special Forces, who donned Confederate gray to hunt Mosby and his Confederate Rangers, from 1863 to the end of the war at Appomattox, and tells the story of the forces that changed the course of the Civil War. It reveals the drama of regular guerrilla warfare. This inspired the creation of modern special operations in the United States in World War II. The book also tells the story of the Confederate Secret Intelligence Service.
The Yankees were embarrassed by the counterattack. Some fought back with sabers, but most used Remington pistols, which in some cases misfired. In one such instance, both adversaries’ weapons were one foot apart at the time of firing. “Yankee’s pistol broke, but [Ranger] Chapman did a deadly job. He fired six shots and emptied five saddles. ”
Mosby’s men each used several colts in battle. Their accuracy and the Rangers’ proficiency proved deadly at 30 feet. “It was a hot place,” one Union Army official recalled.
Five shots from the Rangers knocked down Yankees manager Flint. Leaderless Vermonters “panicked and fled in haste.” The Rangers then attacked the flank and rear of the Union cavalry as it charged toward the closed gate, creating a deadly choke point. Here the men “banded together, and terrible confusion ensued.”
The weight of the soldiers’ horses finally gave way to the gate, and the Vermonters, along with Mosby’s men, were able to escape down the Leesburg-Alexandria Turnpike, with Mosby’s men in hot pursuit. One of the Yankees’ second lieutenants tried to rally the routed soldiers, but a Ranger bullet hit him in the brain. After pursuing for several miles, the Confederates retreated to the farm.
In all, several Rangers were injured in the battle, and one later died. However, although they were outnumbered 2 to 1, they succeeded in killing or wounding 25 Union soldiers and capturing the remaining 82 soldiers and approximately 100 horses, and further equipped themselves with weapons and equipment. This was enough equipment to equip Mosby’s many new recruits. rank.
After Mosby’s impressive victory at Miskell Farm, the North became more determined to destroy the Rangers and formed a special force to fight the South’s most dangerous men. These irregular force special forces and Confederate Secret Intelligence Services strengthened, expanded, and pioneered this unique new form of warfare, which continues to influence modern special operations and irregular warfare today.
Patrick K. O’Donnell is a bestselling and critically acclaimed military historian and expert on elite forces. He is the author of 13 of his books, including a forthcoming book on the Civil War. Unvanquished: The untold story of Lincoln’s SpeciaI The military, the search for the Mosby Rangers, and the shadow war that shaped American special operations., It will be published on May 7th and will be in Barnes and Noble stores in the coming weeks. essential things, beyond courage, first shieldsand unknown. Mr. O’Donnell served as a combat historian for a Marine rifle platoon during the Battle of Fallujah and is a frequent lecturer on espionage, special operations and counterinsurgency. He has provided historical consulting for the award-winning DreamWorks miniseries Band of Brothers, as well as documentaries produced by the BBC, History Channel, and Discovery. PatrickKODonnell.com @Combatant
