User blog:LB&SCR/Those Proud Few: Mosby's Rangers vs. Sepoys



There have always been those regiments. Those whose colors flap high and regal in wind, and whose stoic faces are cold and uncaring, rifling down the masses that continue to bust their noses against their wall. Today, we have two historically famous groups of men who stood stoic in the face of the odds. In this corner, we have the British East India Company's Sepoys, the proud men who bore the brunt of the fighting in India, and overshadowed by the British, launched their own failed Rebellion in 1857, ending with the wasted blood, sweat, and tears. In the other corner, we have Mosby's Rangers, the elite raiders who harrassed and hassled the Union Supply Trains and infantry regiments, but their involvement couldn't stay the Blue Tide. When these groups meet, who will come out on top!?

Mosby's Rangers
The 43rd Battalion, Virginia Cavalry, better known as Mosby's Rangers, was a controversial group of men who harrassed Union Supply Trains and couriers. The controversy comes from what they were: many called them guerrillas or partisans, while others called them heroes and soldiers. Operating for two years during the war, the Ranger's didn't take part in any of the direct major battles in Virginia or the area around it, but they took part in fourty-three noteworthy raids against the Union Lines: against railroads, supply trains, and even towns. Their greatest achievements took place in October 1864, when they captured 1,600 horses and mules, 230 Cattle, 85 Wagons, and caused 1,200 casualties (KIA/MIA/WIA/POW), including Brigadier General Edwin Stoughton, who was so caught by surprise he was still asleep in bed when the Rangers got him.

Many historians have studied the effect Mosby had on the war and the Southern War Effort. John Munson, one of the last surviving members wrote "Our objective was to annoy the enemy, and in that we succeeded." He went further, stating that General Grant had admitted that "Mosby's Band of three-hundred men kept 17,000 men away from the front lines," guarding everything to railroad juctions to mail trains.

However, the Confederate High Command held a darker view, with Generals Rosser, Early, and Fitz Lee (Robert E. Lee's Nephew) stating in a letter asking for Mosby's Rangers to be disbanded, that "[Mosby's Men] are a nuisance and an evil to the service. Without discipline, order or organization, they roam over the country, a band of theives, stealing, pillaging, plundering and doing every manner of mischief. They are a terror to the citizens and an injury to the cause."

Weapons

 * -| Long =

Burnside Carbine




 * Weigh: 7 lbs
 * Muzzle Velocity: 950 ft/s
 * Range: 200 yards (effective)
 * Single Shot
 * Note: The Rangers had a large distaste for Carbines for being clunky on horseback, and they were often used as clubs just as much as guns.
 * -| Short =

Colt Model 1860




 * Weight: 2 lbs 11 oz
 * Cartridge: .44
 * Muzzle Velocity: 550 ft/s
 * Range: 50 yards (effective)
 * Six Shots
 * Note: Rangers were known to carry at least two of these, while some carried up to 4-6.
 * -| Personal =

Arkansas Toothpick




 * Length: 20 inches
 * Steel Dagger
 * Note: A Ranger never wanted to get dismounted, so this was a last resort use weapon. Also.. people apparently cleaned their teeth with these.... *shiver*
 * -| Special X-Factor =

Surprise

The Ranger's often get the jump on their enemies, as they mostly performed hit-and-run attacks upon enemy supply trains. Even enemies that were well-informed often still found themselves overwhelmed by the sudden appearance and ferocity of a Ranger Attack, and then at the mercy of the Ranger leader.

Sepoys
The Sepoys were a group of Indian conscripts employed by the East India Trading Company that acted as soldiers for the British Empire. The Sepoys were first employed when the Empire conquered the Mughal territories in India. The Sepoys had been employed for several years under the British, but due to the fears of both lower pay and loss of land, they rebelled against the British. The actual fighting was sparked by rumors that the paper cartridges in which the Sepoys' gunpowder washeld were coated in pig lard - which offended the Hindu and Muslim majorities as they needed to bite down and tear away to open the cartidges. On May 10, 1857, the Sepoys of Meerut rebelled against their leaders. As the conflict escalated in the town, surrounding areas in central India and the upper Gangetic also erupted into rebellion against the British. The power of the East Company was in considerable threat, as the Sepoys were professionally trained and being funded by several noble families in the Mughal empire.

Delhi, Cawnpore, and more were all covered in war because of this conflict. However, despite the combined resources of the noble families, the Sepoy rebellion was quelled after an entire year of prolonged combat. The British Empire sent troops to India, who worked alongside civilian volunteers, the kingdom of Nepal, and local irregular troops. After the fall of Gwalior, the Sepoys stopped being employed by the British and the Company lost its hold in India for good. The remaining Sepoys were later incorporated into the Indian army, and remain so to this day.

Weapons

 * -| Long =

Pattern 1853 Enfield




 * Weight: 9.5 lbs
 * Muzzle Velocity: 900 ft/s
 * Range: 1,250 yards (MAX)
 * Single Shot
 * Note: Can be turned into a short pike thanks to the melee, and a good club too.^^
 * -| Short =

Adams Revolver




 * Weight: 2.4 lbs
 * Cartridge: .436
 * Muzzle Velocity: 620 ft/s
 * Range: 40 yards (effective)
 * Five Shots
 * Note: This is the immediate precursor the the Beaumont-Adams Revolver.
 * -| Personal =

Bayonet




 * Length: 18 in
 * Steel Stabby Thing
 * Note: Can be fixed on the end of the Enfield to create a pike... or wielded in the hand in an emergency.
 * -| Special X-factor =

Discipline

Before and during the Rebellion, the Sepoys were some of the most disciplined soldiers the British could bring forth, and during the conquests in India stood up and took punishment equal or even worse than what the small number of white people British Infantry sustained, and unlike their other Indian opponents, the Sepoys didn't easily crack under pressure.

Scenario (Plausible)
After the failed mutiny, several sepoys have traveled to the states, and expecting slightly better treatment, they soon volunteer themselves as guards for supply trains. Knowing that these men are hardened and experienced, the Union command snaps them up and places them in the supply train, where several supplymen warn them of the raiders in the hills, and describe the lack of uniforms and ferocity of the attacks. Vowing to keep their eyes peeled, the Sepoys set out on their journey...

A Scout reports to Colonel Mosby that foreigners have been guarding the last few supply trains, and Mosby, after having been briefed on status of the guards, expects that the foreigners are no more ferocious than the normal Union Infantry, so he hand-picks a small party of elite raiders to lead out in an attempt to snatch or destroy the next train...

I imagine that the Rangers would be outnumbered, as they normally were, but that can be discussed for fairness and such.