PSYOP food for thought from the US Civil War

If we were as tough against the Islamist extremists today as we were against, say, the Confederacy during the American Civil War, we'd have a heck of a PSYOP campaign going on.

Take a look at this Union Army PSYOP leaflet from the Headquarters of the Second Infantry Division for West Virginia, from April 1865. The enemy was making its last gasp, running guerrilla attacks on trains, killing local pro-government civilians, and murdering Union soldiers.

Brig. Gen. Samuel Sprigg Carroll, the Second Infantry Division commander (pictured) knew that pro-Confederacy locals made the attacks possible, and he held the locals responsible. His General Orders No. 18, issued in Cumberland, Maryland, on April 3, 1865, recognizes civilian involvement in the guerrilla attacks and declares a PSYOP plan to hold local civilians accountable.

Perhaps this has lessons for Coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan concerning how to  deal with locals who help the insurgents to attack military convoys and harm the local population, but some how I doubt we could do it legally or even morally. Nevertheless, here's the text of General Orders No. 18. I just bought an original copy from a historical documents dealer (click on image below to enlarge). Some food for thoughtful consideration and discussion from Brig. Gen. Carroll's declaration:

"I. The frequent raids upon the line of the B.& O.R.R. [Baltimore & Ohio Railroad] and attacks upon trains of the same, by gangs of rebel guerrillas, having demonstrated the fact that the movements of those parties are known to (if they themselves are not guided and encouraged by) the disloyal citizens residing in the vicinity of these raids and attacks, and it being held that timely information could be given by these citizens to our forces, by which such raids and attacks could be prevented; it is ordered that, hereafter, whenever such raids or attacks shall take place within the limits of this command, the property of all disloyal citizens, residing within an area of five miles (or such other distance as may be designated) south of the places of such raids and attacks shall be immediately burned.

"II. In case the property of any Union citizens residing within the limits of this command is destroyed or appropriated by the guerrillas, a levy for twice the amount in value will at once be made on the property of known disloyal citizens in the vicinity of such outrage, for the purpose of restitution to the Union sufferers.

"III. Whenever a Union citizen or soldier shall be murdered within the limits of this command, a rebel sympathizer, nearest resident to the place of murder, will be immediately hung, in retaliation for the murder of such Union citizen or soldier."

Hope this generates some ideas for our folks in the field. We need to balance our nice-guy work with some serious action against those who aid the enemy. This order isn't a model solution for today's problems with insurgents, but it should get us thinking about how to deal with civilians who are technically not combatants yet are still part of the insurgency and terrorism campaigns.

Below: A copy of Brig. Gen. Carroll's original orders. Click on image to enlarge.

Comments

[Thomas Jackson]

This order was used as early as 1862. The results were predictable. Resistance stiffened as innocents were presecuted. Southerners saw the reckless disregard of the rule of law as a harbringer of future Yankee "law."

The partisan rangers grew, in Missouri a Yankee Army of occupation in excess of 50,000 was tied down for the war.

Bad nalysis.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

And Maryland stayed in the Union!
West Virginia seceded from Virginia and joined the Union.

These were citizens of the United States Brig. Gen'l Carroll was counterterrorizing.

How did he know who the local Confederate sympathizers were? Little Unionist birds with axes to grind told him.