The stroke that killed Lee strikes just before Appomatox.
Alexander proposal to scatter the army is accepted. Most of the soldiers simply go home but a certain amount of hardliners intreprets this order as a go ahead for a guerrilla warfare. Other confederate commanders follow the example, with similar results.
There is no formal surrender of the confederate armies (they simply melt away) and, since the Federal Government did not recognize the Confederation, even the words of the political brass have no relevance so the war is not officially ended.
What could (let's say 10,000 fighters) do with the support of a friendly population? We have the example of the James-Younger band: a dozen of determined man kept in turmoil a whole state for a decade. Multiply by 1000 and you have assinations, kidnapping, hostages, summary executions, lynchings, arson etc. etc. all over the South, for at least a decade. Sometimes in the late 1870's the rebellion does eventual peter out but the legacy of hate and revenge poisons US life up to present day.
Alexander proposal to scatter the army is accepted. Most of the soldiers simply go home but a certain amount of hardliners intreprets this order as a go ahead for a guerrilla warfare. Other confederate commanders follow the example, with similar results.
There is no formal surrender of the confederate armies (they simply melt away) and, since the Federal Government did not recognize the Confederation, even the words of the political brass have no relevance so the war is not officially ended.
What could (let's say 10,000 fighters) do with the support of a friendly population? We have the example of the James-Younger band: a dozen of determined man kept in turmoil a whole state for a decade. Multiply by 1000 and you have assinations, kidnapping, hostages, summary executions, lynchings, arson etc. etc. all over the South, for at least a decade. Sometimes in the late 1870's the rebellion does eventual peter out but the legacy of hate and revenge poisons US life up to present day.