The American internal war of 1861-65 was not civil. Those fighting for the Union called it the “War of the Rebellion” while the Confederacy viewed it as the “War of Yankee Aggression” or the “Second War of Independence." Armies fought great, sweeping battles over vast distances and are well recorded – Antietam, Shiloh, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg - but in the seams of the battlefield another, much less known or publicized, war raged.

Both the Union and the Confederacy employed small forces of bold and highly motivated soldiers for special operations behind enemy lines. Skilled in infiltration – sometimes disguising themselves as rural mail carriers - these warriors deftly scouted deep into enemy territory, captured important personnel, disrupted lines of communication and logistics, and sowed confusion and fear. Often wearing the uniform of the enemy, they faced execution as spies if captured. Despite these risks, and in part because of them, these warriors fought and died as American rangers.

this entertaining book’s tales of unconventional Civil War adventure will appeal to the general reader.

"The strength of the book is the focus on operations in the area of mountainous West Virginia and the lush Shenandoah Valley, recounting many colorful, almost James Bond-like characters..."

"...reveals the wideranging use of rangers by both sides. It is exhaustively researched and well written. The author presents gripping accounts of the various exploits of these unusual soldiers."

"Black makes no value judgments concerning any of these partisan groups. Instead, each is presented clearly and without prejudice—let the readers make up their own minds about the moral implications of the actions of these groups and individuals."

"This book details an aspect of the Civil War that is often neglected. It engages the reader with numerous anecdotal accounts, some quite humorous, in addition to the large-scale narrative of Ranger activity during the Civil War."

"... readers will find literally hundreds of sources, and citations and a rich bibliography. Archival photographs of key leaders are included in the book, thereby bringing to life the personalities of characters mentioned throughout the book."