Civil War Special Ops

Hey, guys. As some of you already know, I'm working on a novel that features a Victorian-era special operations force (completely speculative of course) that takes place during the Civil War. I'd like to know y'all's opinion on a matter.

If you were on the side of the south, and had access to a special ops team, which of the enemy's high value targets would you neutralize? Sky's the limit here.

I appreciate it!

The cannon foundry across from West Point and the Academy as well.

Mount Clare Shops in Baltimore would be nice.

I have just started reading Philip Van Doren Stern's book " Secret Missions of the Civil War, first-hand accounts by men and women who risked their lives in underground activities for the North and the South".
You may enjoy it.

idealy capture Lincon, his cabinet, and his military advisers

I'd conduct a terrorist strike against New York City. Maybe some firebombs to cause material, moral and terror damage to the population.

Oh wait. They already did that. Nov.25,1864.

Regards,

Cajun Navy

Capturing his military advisers might've actually helped the Union cause hehe

depends on the time/place

A brief conversation that may have occurred if the President's cabinet and advisers were captured.
Lincoln- How much do you demand for their return?
Confederate Special Ops leader- 1 million in gold.
Lincoln- I'll give you 2 million to keep them!

A brief conversation that may have occurred if the President's cabinet and advisers were captured.
Lincoln- How much do you demand for their return?
Confederate Special Ops leader- 1 million in gold.
Lincoln- I'll give you 2 million to keep them!

That is absolutely hilarious, Colt. I may have to use that somewhere!

Kinda a take on The Ransom of Red Chief.

Cool. I need to add that one to the list. Thanks, Dam Yankee.

Any other ideas out there? I had thought the Springfield Armory, but some folks on another thread thought it would make little to no impact.

Lincoln's Cabinet of Rivals. If he could have gotten rid of them and blamed it on the Confederacy I think he would have tried it.

In advantage of hindsight - Grant.

Capture Grant when he's in Washington to accept the new Lt.General rank. They could bust in his room at the Willard and capture Grant and his son.

Sounds like a good idea. I'm assuming capturing Lincoln would be a good idea. He seemed to be the will behind the North's efforts to win at all costs. Any strategic places that would be good to blow sky high?

Given the premise that one would want to change the course of the war with this solitary special ops team. The best case scenario for the CSA to survive the war is to have Northern support for the war dry up. I believe the most effective thing that could be done towards that end when limited to such a finite resource of one team would be as follows:

**This is not something I would condone or advocate. I am simply providing the answer to a theoretical exercise regarding how to win the war.**

• Use the special ops team behind union lines thru out the South, wiping out civilian population centers (Whatever size centers the team can handle most likely small villages and towns).
• Commit the worst possible atrocities with the bodies (the more gruesome and terrifying the better).
• Leave an orgy of evidence suggesting that the killing was done by roving bands of former slaves.
• Make sure these actions come to the attention of northern newspapers.
• Once the story is being printed thru out the North, add border state population centers to the targets.

How enthusiastically would the war be prosecuted by the North if it's populace believed that there actions were unleashing a terror that seems to be creeping ever farther north.

**Again. This is a theoretical exorcise only. I would abhor the above.**

That is not true! Grant did not take New Orleans, Mobile, Nashville, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Savannah.

Many apologies, dy, but I'm currently unable to respond in the conventional manner. It is true that Grant did not take New Orleans, but the rest were taken by people working for him. Ole (Well, maybe Nashville is stretching it, but Nashville was kept by Thomas who was working for Grant.)

My original post was too broad of a brush - I stand corrected - and correction has been made. And thanks Ole for pointing us in the right direction

I seem to recall Nashville being originally seized by Grant. Halleck was still Grant's superior, and there was a communications glitch (i.e., a rebel telegraph operater was withholding messages between the two). At one point Halleck repeatedly ordered Grant to not take Nashville, but Grant had already done so. Halleck almost cashiered him, but Grant was able to convince him that he hand't received his communications.

Rosecrans then held Nashville until Stones River, at which point he moved further south to keep pace with Bragg's retreat. Nashille thereafter remained occupied, entrenched, and garrisoned throughout the war by Union troops, and it served as a major logistics hub for Union activity in the central South. Thomas defended Nashville from Hood's attempt to beseige it from one side, and crushed Hood in the process.