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

[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]

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

[yoyo8346]

Mosby's Raiders

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

[Jack Clock]

Confederates that attacked both CSA and USA?

[MadWolf]

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