Some people used the chaos of the Civil War to settle personal scores or seek personal gain. These individuals were known as bushwhackers, often ambushing their enemies. While some claimed to fight for the South, many were independent and operated outside formal military commands. Robert E. Lee once called these groups "a band of thieves" due to their looting and crimes.

For example, the Moccasin Rangers terrorized Calhoun County, and in Jackson and Roane counties, opposing groups caused violence, leading to long-lasting feuds. In some parts of southern West Virginia, there were more respectable partisan groups, like Capt. W.D. Thurmond's company in Monroe County, which fought in larger Confederate units. However, Anderson Hatfield's "Wildcats" in Logan County engaged in actions that some say fueled the Hatfield-McCoy feud.