Bushwhackers
Bushwhackers, named because they frequently hid behind the southern foliage, form the largest guerrilla warfare group during the American Civil War. The dense southern forests and swamps provided ideal coverage for the bans of fighters. Although bushwhackers were sympathetic with the Confederacy, they held no actual ties with the Confederate Army. Many guerrilla fighters were either deserters or avoiding conscription. By joining guerrilla gangs, bushwhackers could remain close to home. Opinions on these bushwhackers varied: Some southerners disliked bushwhackers because it offered army deserters "a way out", while other southerners thought of these fighters as heroes of the Confederacy. Because of this, they posed a serious problem to the Union. All bushwhackers wore civilian clothing which made it impossible for Union fighters to tell these guerrilla fighters from non-combative Confederate civilians. Union soldiers also remained unsure of what to do with any bushwhacker prisoners they managed to catch. Eventually, Union General Henry Halleck dispatched the "Lieber Code" to all Union commanders to settle the issue on what to do with captured bushwhackers. The code stated that because bushwhackers were not true soldiers, they could be immediately shot following capture.
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Partisan Rangers
Unlike bushwhackers, partisan rangers held official ties with the Confederate Army. Partisan rangers wore uniforms, made reports back to commanding officers, and were much more unified and organized than bushwhackers. Due to being a legitimate part of the Confederate Army, partisan rangers could not be shot after being captured by Union forces. Instead, the Lieber Code stated that all partisans must be treated like normal prisoners of war. However, if any guerrilla fighter, partisan, bushwhacker, or otherwise, disguised themselves in the opposing side's uniform and attempted to infiltrate enemy lines could be treated as spies. The penalty for spying during this time period was death. In addition, any "Armed prowlers, by whatever names they may be called, or persons of the enemy's territory, who steal within the lines of the hostile army, for the purpose of robbing, killing, or of the purpose of destroying bridges, roads or canals, or of robbing or destroying the mail, or of cutting the telegraphy wires, are not entitled to the privileges of the prisoner of war" (Lieber Code, Art. 84).
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Jayhawkers
Union guerrilla fighters, known as Jayhawkers in the Midwest, served as the northern counterpart to bushwhackers and partisan rangers. Overall, their impact on the Civil War was minimal, however, Jayhawkers held a presence in all southern confederate states. Largely, these groups were composed of Union sympathizers. Particularly in northern areas of the Confederate states, civilians angered by the Conscription Act began stealing livestock and burning property. Many Jayhawkers resided in the state of Kansas where they focused on fighting with Missouri bushwhackers.
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