The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-08-05
M0sby, the Partisan Leader-Hfs Fer
aonaI Advcntares-UOw He Badg-
ereG burnside.

Mosby, the Partisan Leader-Hfs Per.
souaI Aavenfares-HOw He Badg.
ered Burnside.
Richmond Correspondence Phil a Inquirer. u
The famous guerrilla chief was visible
on the streets Of Richmond yesterday
Somebody has described Mosby as a
handsome man in personal appearance
but he is nothing of the sort. OF ordina
ry height, his build is good enough, but
his face is very commonplace, and his
light brown hair, worn unkept, adds
nothing to its attractiveness. Mosby's
features and expression would impress
you as those of a man reselute and cuE-
ming, not captiuously honest nor vicious
ly cruel, and | suspect that in the stories
of his cruelty he has been somewhat be-
lied.
His business in Richmond is to regain
possession of some tobacco he claims, and
i was sorry to hear him remark that II
is all he has in the world, for know he
will not get it, and owes the Inquirer Tor
a horse and divers other articles, taken
from me by some of his band last sum-
mer. and imagine our chance for restl-
tution TO be small. In another sense 1t
was pleasant to hear him admit OF his
poyerty. for if he told the truth, it shows
that he was previously swindled at the
final division of the spoils on the break
ing I'D of his command, and further, 1t
coptroverts the uncomfortable axiom
concerning honor among thieves.
When the life of John Singleton Mosby
oomac IN he written, il will show sue
cession of startling personal adventures
unsurpassed by those of any partisan
chief on record. That Mosby was always
hanging on the outskirts of our armies,
cutting off our trains, capturing our
stragglers, and harrassing tus IN every
possible way, the peopleIgenerally know
but they do not know that he went In
and out of our camps at his own pleas
ure. and was never once detected. 1t Is
said (and undoubtedly truly that while
Burnside lay opposite fredericksburg, IN
the winter of 1862, Mosby dined with him,
in the character of Union farmer from
across the river, and gathered with his
shrewd cunning, from the general table
talk. much valuable information, with
which he regained the lines without mo-
lestation.
One of the best things told of him oc-
curreaithat same winter and in that same
neighborhood Burnside that winter,
was literrallya badgered by Mosby. he
seemed ubiouitous, and at last it became
dangerous to go from camp at all, as the
least ramble was sure to result III capture
by Mosby. At last Burnside became
wearied out, and determined to capture
the partisan, and to this end sent de-
tachments of cavalry to scour the coun-
try thoroughly, and bring him in dead
or alive. One day, one of these detach-
ments, led by a lieutenant-colonel, was
going up the Dumfris road, when from
house in sight of the federal lines, man
emerged dressed in the uniform of Fed
eral captain, and attended by one order
ly dressed in our cavalry blue. At the
gate were two horses marked U. S, and
furnished with our regulation saddle
and bride, and mounting, the captain
rode up and accosted the colonel, who
was still marching up the road. The
colonel informed his new companion that
he was in search of this - Mosby, and
asked if he had heard anything of him
The captain had heard and knew to a
certainty that an ho1r before Mosby had
been at Jones, four miles mp the road
Visions of promotion and newspaper par
agraphs dancing before him, the colonel
ordered "trot march," while the captain
with his orderly dashed across field to
a farm house to get some milk, he said,
before returning to camp. Arrived at
Jones', the colonel found that Mosby
had indeed been there, but also found
that he had departed in the direction Of
Rurnside's camps. Back the colonel
beat in haste, making inquiries every.
where but finding no trace Arrived
again at the house from which the COM
municative captain had appeared, the
woman accosted him, and this colloquy
ensued:
Woman: Kurnel, who was that ere
Yank Capting met ye hear as We was
gwiue tother way3
Colonel: l don't know his name, but
he belonged to a Massachusetts regi-
ment.
Woman: Yeas, we'll kneow Amt you
sold that air was John Mosby.
Colonel: H.
And he rode back to camp and said
nothing whatever about his morning =
work, except to report that he had not
captured him Some Of his men did,
however, and that story ioated about
he army during the rest of the war; .
Many such things as this are told OF
Mazby. aud his power for mischief was so
-.ns,hlv felt IN the Valley last Summer
and Autumn. hat Phil. Sheridan used 20
s,r,aI at him m his most hearty style.
Nnsbv now Is a citizen of the United
state. no better aud no worse than the
tl, IS o. o,ner Virginians who have
laid down their arms.