The daily clarion. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1863-1866, 1866-01-16
MOsby and His Aen-Thc Last Meeting
eff Ills FnmOua RnIirIiOm.

About n week after the surrender of Cen
eral Lees army, Colonel Mosby received a
! dispatch, via flag of truce, from General
! Hancock, who was then commanding in the
! Valley, with his headquarters at Winchester
requeStinga surrender of his command. Col
| onel Mosby replied by saying that he would
meet him at'MillwoOd, little town half way
between Winchester and his Confederacy
the counties of LOudon and Fauquier, with a
view to understand the terms, etc
Another message from Hancock was re-
ceived, stating that General Chapman of his
army would meet Colonel Mosby at tho an
pointed place. Accordingly, Mosby and
about twenty of his officers and privates
SWAN the Shenandoah river, galloped up the
turnpike to Wildwood, and were received by
General Chapman with every mark of couT
tcsy; Another General and staff heavy
body guard, besides many other soldiers
attracted, no doubt. by curiosity 'Ialso met
Mosbv and his party
After some preliminares, Mosby informed
the General that he would not surrender his
command so long as General Joe Johnston
held the field; but, in the meantime, he
would remain on the defensive only and
await the disclosure of the future.
This was accepted by the Federal officer,
and the conference being at an end, Mosby
repaired with his party to the house of a
friend to partake of their dinners.
They had proceeded but few hundred
yards in the distance of the house where they
intended to dine, when, to their surprise. =
full brigade of cavalry lay half concealed
behind hill
Without apparently noticing them, the
party rode quietly up to their friends house,
and dined within full sight of the brigade
What General Chapman meant by this
concealed force, and flag of truce floating
at his door, the writer has neveriyet learned,
but he cannot help thinking that the Gene
raj had weak nerves
off arta Iii, Of
dinner, rode down with several of his men
to inspect the Generals modest body guard,
but before Mosby could reach them they
cQuntennarched in the direction of their
camp, as if ashamed of their position at a
flag of truce meeting.
Nightfall found Mosby again in the Con
federacy, and he gave orders to his command
to remain quietly at their rendezvous until
further orders. Soon news came of John
ston's probable surrender and, at the same
time, orders from Winchester for Mosby to
surrender himself Immediately, or every
house in the two counties above mentioned
would be committed to the flames
Mosby sent word back that he would not
surrender his command, but he would dis
band it.
Notice wa then sent to mis- men to meet
him in Salem, on the 21st of April for that
purpose There had been many meetings of
the battalion at that place. but this last for
he purpose of disbanding the organization,
Was more reluctantly carried into effect than
any previous, no matter how numerous the
enemy or Indictment the weather
Twelve o'clock, midday of the DIST found
., '~t of the battalion assembled in the old
dIlapidateh village. Various groups gather
ed in the rough, stony street, and were com
posed all classes, from the man whose heart
was stone, to the one whose mind teemed
with tender concern for human happiness;
all classes, all ages, all ranks. Mosby walked
quietly mp and down the street his eyes bent
upon the ground, scarcely uttering a word to
any one. The battalion, the creation of his
own genius, the best body of men and the
finest equipped in either service, was to be
disbanded forever, and the cause in which Ire
used them so heroically lost; well might the
groat partisan chief feel the solennity of the
hour in his sorrov-stricken bosom. and pom
der long in this hopeless situation At length
the command was ordered to mount aud fall
in. Seven full companies obeyed the order,
and each commander read the following or
den
FAQU1ER CoUNTY, April 81, 1865
SOLDIERS: ] have Summoned YOU tooeth
er for the last tiJHc. The vision we have
cherished of a free and independent coun-
try has vanished and that country is now
the spoil Of c0nqueror.
disband your organization in preference
to surrendering to our enemies. l am noe
longer your commander.
eventful years, ! part from you with IA just
pride in the fame of your achievements, and
grateful recollections of your generous kind
ness to myself And now, at tins moment of
bidding you a final adieu, accept the assn
rance OF my unchanging confidence and re
gard. Farewell.
JOHN S MosBY
While this article was being read, Mosby
gazed iDtently on the line of heroes which
had so often rallied to his call, and then
rode slowly down the line Break ranks
march was given, and the greatest war the
world ever saw was without a command.
The men crowded around their SORROW
stricken chief to bid him a final adieu and
with fearful eyes and quivering lips extend
ed his hand to each. The officers now ap-
preached him and he fell ON his horses neck
and wept aloud. Finally the crowd dis
persed TO their homes. the pistol their only
weapon, laid aside, and the members of the
Add virginia battalion, p. R., became citi-
zens of the United States of America
MOsby is now praetieing law in the beau
tifnl county seat town of War,enton, Va.
and his round and Imprinted table in his
office holds the most valuable part of his
property, namely, his law books.
A short time since he was riding on the
cars between Warrenton aud Richmond,
when he had received an invitation from
General Fitzpatrick to visit him ON the next
car. Tell the General said he, ssif the
war had ended differently, and we should
have been the victorious, instead of the
vanyuished, should have taken pleasure
In calling upon him. but as it is, courtesy
requires that the general shall visit me-
The General did 50. and they held long
conversation together.
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