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Amick's Rangers
History of Company A
Amicks Independent Scouts |
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A Family in the Fight
Page Three |
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Spring of 1863 found the Amicks without a country or a state, western Virginia had seceded from Virginia, and became the union state, West Virginia. |
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Henry and Eli, both in Jenkin's Cavalry Brigade, found themselves separated from country, state, and home, as they left for Gettysburg in the spring of '63. |
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Captain Samuel Tyree organized a partisan ranger company. Scouting, the Rangers were in bushwhacks leading up to the battles at Princeton and Fayetteville. At Fayetteville in late May, Bryan's Artillery first used indirect artillery fire in combat against the yankees.
July 28th, the Rangers bushwhacked Federal scouts. Violence continued throughout the mountains and battles followed at White Sulphur Springs, and by fall, at Droop Mountain. General Averell's yankees, raiding towards Lewisburg in December, were bushwhacked by the Rangers at Big Sewell Mountain and again at Blue Sulphur Springs. |
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Thurmond's Ranger Battalion (Thurmonds & Tyree), independent scouts for General Echols, was to combine with the 23rd Infantry Battalion to form the 65th Mounted Infantry Regiment, but did not muster, was then recommended by Richmond as the 44th Virginia Cavalry Battalion Oct. 29, 1863, but continued independent operations as scouts with General McClausland and Colonel Vincent "Clawhammer" Witcher in the Army of Western Virginia.
Brothers Bill and Phil Thurmond scouted near their homesteads along the New River, while Company A guarded the turnpike from Mountain Cove to Sewell Mountain and all the Wilderness Road. (Raven's Eye) Gen. Echols appreciated the abilities of these men at surprising yankee patrols. |
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FAYETTEVILLE COURTHOUSE |
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Called "Deadlier than rattlesnakes" the yankees organized Blazer's Scouts to find and kill the feared Phil and Bill Thurmond, Samuel Tyree, John Halstead, and Captain John, who had a bounty placed on his head.
But, "you got to catch 'em before you hang 'em" and Lt. Blazer and his handpicked doodles couldn't stop Captain John and his parties of Independent Scouts. |
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Blazer's Scouts was soon disbanded, but Company A was recognized by Richmond as Amick's Partisan Rangers in the spring of 1864.
Later promoted, Captain Richard Blazer was sent north to Winchester to find the famous Mosby's Rangers...
Con't on pg 4. |
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| CONFEDERATE GUERRILLAS HUNTING UNION MEN |
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Continued on Page 4
click here |
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| Blazers Yankees |
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