Partisan Ranger Act

Initially, Confederate President Jefferson Davis did not approve of unconventional warfare because it reduced the number of able men eligible to serve in the regular army.

However, after conventional Confederate forces were driven out of western Virginia in the summer and early fall of 1861, pro-Confederate unconventional combatants remained active in the region.

[citation needed] The Partisan Ranger Act drew many Southern men who were reluctant to serve in a regular army.

[6] The unintended consequences of the Partisan Ranger Act were beliefs all forms of unconventional warfare were approved, including violence toward civilians.

The Partisan Ranger Act was repealed on February 17, 1864, after Robert E. Lee persuaded Confederate politicians to focus on more conventional means of warfare.

Multiple partisan rangers groups and units proved to be useful in staging independent raids and collecting information about movements of the Union Army, as well as conducting reconnaissance and skirmishes during the battles.

Altogether, the partisan rangers were able to somewhat distract and hamper the Union Army operations throughout the war until it developed somewhat successful counter-strategies late in 1864.