Were there any third parties of the ACW?

[Jack Clock]

I remember long ago, when I was lurking on the forums, there was a guy who made a joke thread about adding a third faction of soldiers called "The Elites", which was basically a bunch of LARPers with Star Wars gear. However, this got me thinking. Were there any third-parties in the ACW?

Like, I know of the Union and the Confederacy, as well as some Native American resistance, but was there a third organized party of soldiers? And if so, what were their political motivations and history?

[TrustyJam]

The closest you'll come to third parties would be those of the bushwhackers/guerrillas operating in the borderstates I'd say.

- Trusty

[Jack Clock]

Hmm... any ones of slight importance?

[Saris]

Hmm... any ones of slight importance?

Mosby's Raiders would be the closest to the Maryland Campagin

[Jack Clock]

Mosby's Raiders would be the closest to the Maryland Campagin

Ah. What did they do?

[Saris]

Ah. What did they do?

Confederate Cavalrymen that raided north of the mason-dixie line

[Jack Clock]

Confederates that attacked both CSA and USA?

[yoyo8346]

Mosby's Raiders

They were part of Confederate forces. They weren't third party.

[MadWolf]

Didn't die English support the confederacy or does that not count as a third party.

[Lyman Trumbull]

Would 'Knight's Company' count here as they were not Confederates or part of the Union officially?

[A. P. Hill]

The closest you'll come to third parties would be those of the bushwhackers/guerrillas operating in the borderstates I'd say.

- Trusty

Actually, I wish to respectfully disagree with this statement. Bushwhackers/Guerrillas usually operated for either side. They were usually the radical edges of either side, not wholly military, and not wholly untrained militarily.

When someone says, "Third Party" to me, I get the impression of the Hessians used by Britain during the American Revolutionary War. Paid mercenaries actively engaged in the conflict.

For all my reading and research, I have never found where any other country was actively employed by either side, or provided troops as a paid service to either aggressor.

The closest I've come to this would be the use of blockade runners to transport goods into and out of the Southern states. The reasons behind it would be instant wealth, and the need for certain goods required. In this case, the operators of the blockade runners were mostly British.

[Jack Clock]

Not really a country I was looking for, but more like a military group that opposed both the Union and Confederacy that had their own political agenda.

[FrancisM]

How are Hessians a third party in the American Revolution? Because they were Germans? They were still in service of, uniformed, equipped and paid by Great Britain.

To some extend, the native American tribes were third parties with semi-souvereign, though you can also simply consider them territories of whatever side they choose to allign themselves with.

[Jack Clock]

I am thinking of countries like Switzerland in WW1. A neutral party that fights both sides in the war.

[BloodBeag]

I would see third party as a third side who belonged to neither of the other two sides and maybe even fought both sides

[Jack Clock]

I would see third party as a third side who belonged to neither of the other two sides and maybe even fought both sides

That's what I was thinking of.

[Legion]

That's what I was thinking of.

If thats the case then no, there were no third parties involved in the Civil War.

[A. P. Hill]

I would see third party as a third side who belonged to neither of the other two sides and maybe even fought both sides


That's what I was thinking of.

Nope.

If that's whatyou're thinking then it's just purely wrong.

[BloodBeag]

what about some native americans? or were they all firmly on one side or the other?

[Legion]

what about some native americans? or were they all firmly on one side or the other?

Not really a third party though. They usually just chose one side or the other.

[Rithal]

The closest that I know of to what you were looking for is the Free State of Jones which formed in 1863 by a group of Confederate deserters in Jones County, Mississippi. Here's the Wikipedia article on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jones_County,_Mississippi#Free_State_of_Jones

Matthew McConaughey starred in a movie about it last year. Although if you are looking for a good Civil War movie, don't bother. Its the usual Hollywood make believe. ;)

[A. P. Hill]

Actually, I disagree with this also.
Knight's story is a long convoluted one, and sadly not told well by wiki. (Personally, I dislike that site.)

This ( http://mshistorynow.mdah.state.ms.us/articles/309/newton-knight-and-the-legend-of-the-free-state-of-jones) article I found to be more in depth.

No point in summarizing the article.

Just because Knight fought against both, it's important to understand how and why he did. But a single individual and a handful of others doesn't make a "third party" I feel, in the sense that is being pursued here.

Note that Knight claimed secession from the Confederacy, but he also claimed loyalty to the Union. Not truly a "neutral" third party fighting against both sides.

[Legion]

Imo a third party would have to be a recognized and established country, (Britain, France, etc.)

Native Americans or any other group wouldn't really be a third party.

Either way, no third parties were really involved in the war.

[Sgt.Kar98]

What do you mean by third party? A third faction that is engaging against two other or an ally of either the Union or the Conferacy?

The first I really don't know. The second,AFAIK,the French Empire almost fought on the confederates side,as Napoleon III had plans to do it had they managed to win the mexicans at the Franco-Mexican War. Britain's help was asked by the confederates as well (with the argument that "their"precious cotton was at the Southern states),but the US threatened them,so they decided to get cotton from somewhere else (don't remember where,probably the caribbean islands).

[FrancisM]

Britain's help was asked by the confederates as well (with the argument that "their"precious cotton was at the Southern states),but the US threatened them,so they decided to get cotton from somewhere else (don't remember where,probably the caribbean islands).

India.

[Lance Rawlings]

India.

Yeah, it was India. Google "King Cotton." It's quite an interesting story.