Skirmishers would have negated the Union's numerical and industrial advantages very effectively, even if only inflicting 1 Union loss per 100 Confederate men each and every day. Do the math. 100,000 Confederates inflicting 1000 Union casualties each and every day = 365,000 Union casualties each and every year. Of course they could have inflicted many more casualties than that with greatly reduced losses to their own numbers compared to the historical figures. Skirmishers would have negated the Union artillery advantage and converted the attrition component, which the South could not sustain in traditional warfare, into a crushing political advantage. Skirmishers and only skirmishers (and raiders and saboteurs) would have worked for the entire war in every circumstance. Only the West Point glory hounds wouldn't abide a war with no personal glory for their starred generals so hundreds of thousands of young men died and the cause of liberty born out of 1776 was lost. Yes skirmishers would have worked applying pressure every hour of every day and equally well trained and equipped camp and supply line raiders and saboteurs applying relentless pressure every hour of every night upon all the Union trespassers. Didn't need any officers higher than captains running the field engagements and that is why the war was lost. It had to be a West Point show win or lose. ..
thank you for the show. interesting!
Skirmishers would have negated the Union's numerical and industrial advantages very effectively, even if only inflicting 1 Union loss per 100 Confederate men each and every day. Do the math. 100,000 Confederates inflicting 1000 Union casualties each and every day = 365,000 Union casualties each and every year. Of course they could have inflicted many more casualties than that with greatly reduced losses to their own numbers compared to the historical figures.
Skirmishers would have negated the Union artillery advantage and converted the attrition component, which the South could not sustain in traditional warfare, into a crushing political advantage. Skirmishers and only skirmishers (and raiders and saboteurs) would have worked for the entire war in every circumstance. Only the West Point glory hounds wouldn't abide a war with no personal glory for their starred generals so hundreds of thousands of young men died and the cause of liberty born out of 1776 was lost.
Yes skirmishers would have worked applying pressure every hour of every day and equally well trained and equipped camp and supply line raiders and saboteurs applying relentless pressure every hour of every night upon all the Union trespassers. Didn't need any officers higher than captains running the field engagements and that is why the war was lost.
It had to be a West Point show win or lose.
..
Like Union forces wouldn't have been able to change their tactics and line infantry is more powerful than skirmishers.
You still lost. Like the old sports adage, statistics are for losers. Only thing that matters is the final score