"were flanking brigades of skirmishers formed?" Topic

Is there any record of "flanking" or light brigades being formed by army/corps commanders in the ACW, as was practiced in the Napoleonic wars?

I never ran into such, but I am extremely reluctant to say something "never" occurred in the ACW, or even that "there is no record of" something. Too big, too various and so well documented that no one knows everything, or even has read everything.

I would say that as a general rule, with the advent of the Minie Ball and the percussion cap, specialist light infantry units became quite rare. There are the US Sharpshooters, of course, and I understand some specialist skirmisher/sharpshooter elements within ANV brigades. But on the post-ACW transcontinental lines, construction crews were sometimes handed weapons when Indians threatened and told to form a skirmish line. In contrast to the Napoleonic Wars, all the ACW vets had skirmished one time or another.

Wilder's "Lightning" Brigade might fit the bill.

Maybe Jackson in The Valley Campaign, but that was a division.

All infantry in the Civil War are trained as light infantry and could be used in any function as needed. Skirmishers could be formed from individual companies or even an entire regiment.

Large engagements of formed troops were pretty much fought in the Napoleonic tradition as far as infantry was concerned. Artillery was much more effective on the defense and far less effective on the offense. Frontal attacks by massed cavalry vs infantry and artillery were rare.

Kim

As I recall, 'Hardee's Light Infantry Tactics' was the standard manual for both sides.

+1KimRYoung

As for the tactics manuals, there were a number of them used during the war, but they were all very similar and all based on translations of French manuals. Winfield Scott's Tactics, Hardee's Rifle and Light Infantry Tactics (plus a Union reprint without Hardees name on it since he was now a Confederate general) Casey's Tactics, and Gilham's Manual were all in common usage. Hardee's and Casey's were the most used.

The best (and only?) examination of "light troops" in the ACW is Fred Ray, Shock Troops of the Confederacy: The Sharpshooter Battalions of the Army of Northern Virginia (2006) which details the creation and deployment of these battalions in late 1863 into 1864. A sharpshooter battalion was created for each brigade, detailing 1 in 6 men for such duty. These battalions were extensively trained in skirmish tactics and, most importantly, trained in range estimation to enable them to effectively use the longer range of their rifles. This training gave the battalions a significant advantage in combat when compared to the usual limited range of rifle armed troops.

For a good overview of Ray's work check out his various entries at: link

As well as Ray's study, I would also recommend Paddy Griffith, Rally Once Again, Battle Tactics of the American Civil War (1987), Earl Hess, The Rifle Musket in Civil War Combat: Reality and Myth (2008), and Brett Gibbons, The Destroying Angel; The Rifle-Musket as the First Modern Infantry Weapon (2019) for a solid overview of the tactical use of the rifle-musket in the ACW.

In the ACW everyone was a flanker or skirmisher. Some better than others. There were no light brigades just specialized regiments such as the United States Sharpshooters. AP Hill's Division were referred to as the "light division." In reality the entire ANV were light infantry. It was common during the ACW and FPW for line battalions to be used as skirmishers. The begining of the "universal soldier" concept.

By the 1870s, most European armies had largely discontinued the practice of keeping flanker companies within line battalions. Instead, specialized skirmishing functions were absorbed by light infantry, rifle regiments, and independent units. By the FPW, elite flanker units were overtaken by dedicated light regiments such as the Chasseurs, Zouaves and Jagers.

Notable examples of this include the British Army's establishment of the Light Division and the creation of separate rifle regiments, such as the Royal Rifle Corps in 1800, which eventually rendered the flanker company obsolete within the traditional battalion structure.

I guess if you had both US Sharpshooter Regiments acting together you could call it a brigade with Berdan as the brigade commander. Did that ever happen?

Just an example, my Great grandfather's regiment, 6th OVI, skirmished for Hazen's brigade during the assault on Missionary ridge. I would assume the other brigades in the division would have done the same. H

I guess if you had both US Sharpshooter Regiments acting together you could call it a brigade with Berdan as the brigade commander. Did that ever happen?

At Gettysburg, both regiments did work in close proximity to each other on the second day screening the union lines against Longstreet's Attack. Both regiments were attached to Ward's brigade of Birney's division, III Corps.

link

Kim

I believe A.P. Hill's "Light Division" was called that due to it's very fast rate of march rather than it's tactical usage as light infantry.

Probably right.

Thanks everyone, your answers seem to have nailed it; that there were no combined skirmisher company formations drawn from different regiments that acted independently.