Civil war quiz.

[model70hunter]

Twice during the Civil war a cavalry unit defeated infantry units.
Only twice and both times the same unit did it.

The Mo/Ks border wars where 20-25 Missouri riders defeated companies of Union infantry troops doesn't count.

This is the back east big time war.

If you guess Custer or JEB Stuart or Nathan Forrest start over, wasn't them.

 

[Wise_A]

John Singleton Mosby?

 

[Texas Star]

John Singleton Mosby?

Read his Memoirs. Terrific book! But Mosby operated in VA. Didn't look anything like Todd Andrews, who played him on TV in, The Gray Ghost ca. 1958 - 1960.


My best guess is that it was Wm. Quantrill. ??

 

[bruce5781]

My G-G-Grandfather was with the PA Cavalry unit known as the "Sabre Brigade". First mounted cavalry to ever overrun entrenched artillery.

Regards,
Bruce

 

[Plain Old Dave]

Hampton's Legion?

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[Leslie Sapp]

John Buford

 

[Texas Star]

Hampton's Legion?

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Wade Hampton was a general. This unit had only about 25 men!


Quantrill (sp?) had more, too, but it could have been one of his detachments.


I think the key is in the location. Wait: I misread the OP. This isn't about the MO-KS border. So, Mosby and Hampton, etc. are plausible.

 

[petemacmahon]

General Wade Hampton

His tactics towards the end of the war, when the south was fighting predominantly a defensive operation, stand him apart of the others. He was more like the US army air Cavalry of the the day. Getting to spots on the battle field quicker than infantry, but then dismounting to fight from behind cover like infantry. His biggest victory was at the battle of Trevilian Station in Louisa County, Virginia in June of 1864.

 

[Iggy]

Buford's Cavalry held off Lee's Army the first day of Gettysburg.

 

[SteveA]

Here's a link to an interesting paper on the cavalry of both sides during the war. Cavalry Tactics in the Civil War

 

[zzzippper]

To this day there is a hatred between Misourians and them Kansikans. When MU moved to the SEC the KU (which is in Lawrence which was burned during a raid) fans howled like red-assed monkeys.

 

[Wise_A]

It might have been Buford--for some reason I thought that he was included on the "not" list.

What I'm currently wondering is whether dismounted cavalry counts, and what constitutes a victory--i.e., do you have to hold the field, or does engaging and holding a superior force count as a win?

 

[Leslie Sapp]

Buford gave Henry Heath a bloody nose on the approaches to Gettysburg and, IIRC, held off Longstreet for a pretty good while at Thoroughfare Gap.

 

[model70hunter]

To this day there is a hatred between Misourians and them Kansikans. When MU moved to the SEC the KU (which is in Lawrence which was burned during a raid) fans howled like red-assed monkeys.

I was born in Iowa and escaped when 3.
I was raised in Missouri.
I recall some noise west of us about us leaving them.....

I am living in Lawrence until our house is built 15 miles south of here. Notice how easy south of here rolled off my tongue?

I wear my MU hat and am not bothered. One KU guy asked if anyone bothers me. I said nope, I think you'all are afraid I might go full Quantril on you.

 

[model70hunter]

I know Quantrill and Bloody Bill Anderson with smaller forces often routed larger union infantry units. But if one can outrun mounted blood thirsty Missouri boys it didn't count as a defeat, just fast feet.

I did exclude the border war and focused on the war back east.

It was Col Benjamin Franklin Terry's unit known as Terry's Rangers.
They were in 275 engagements. Due to their ability to ride and shoot they were also used as shock troops.

This is a good read. A little of Josey Wales here, sounds like they made one big attack instead of surrendering with the rest.
EIGHTH TEXAS CAVALRY [TERRY'S TEXAS RANGERS] | The Handbook of Texas Online| Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)

This is a quick read of Terry's Rangers.
Terry's Texas Rangers - Wikipedia

Lots of reading here. This is the one that gives the answer to the question I posed. It is very interesting, discusses arms, history organization and how pre war friendships determined rank. Many of the names of the Texican's who were in the forefront had names that are still used, Lubbock is one. This is a longer but excellent read.
Terry's Texas Rangers