Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-11-24
lFrom the Philadelphia Po,t.l
M0cpV
The Noted CavaIry I.eader InterrIewed.

From the Philadelphia Poft.
M0SBY.
The Noted Cavalry Leader Interviewed.
Ascertaining that so noted person
nge as Colonel John S. Mosby, the
dashing Confederate cavalry chieftain
was in town and stopping at the Con
tincLial Hotel, one OF the reporters of
The Post, called upon him for the
purpose of learning bis views on some
points Of general public interest. we
found the ex-rebel leader reclining
upon a lounge, and upon our intro
ducing oursef he greeted us warmly
and pleasantly.
HIS PERSONAL APPEARANCE.
The Colonel is a man of about five
feet eleven inches in stature, slim
built, but of an apparently iron like
frame, has clear, gray, searching eye,
q broad forehead, smooth-shaved face
and iron gray hair lie dressed in a
neat fitting suit of black, and alto
gether bore a gentlemanlike appear
ance. His voice carries with il somo
little of the twang peculiar to Virgin
ians, but at the same time is full and
round, and in tone pleasing to the ear
His style of conversation is easy, but
attractive, and when addressed us he
looked us square in the eye, thus show
ing that what he said he meant, and
expressed thinkingly and firmly
From what VIC have seen of him we
judge him to be a man Of superior edn-
cation and more than ordinary intel.
lect. His carriage is that of true
gentleman, embodying just enough of
the Southern hauteur to make him
imposing On the whole, we were
somewhat disappointed in our man,
for we had expected to meet buster
ing, brow beating Southerner, of the
school OF Yancey, Toombs and Floyd.
The Colonel is but thrty-fve years of
age, and is the picture Of health. No
insurance agent, we think, would run
any immediate risk in issuing policy
upon his earthly life
ORGANIZATION OF HIS TROOPS.
Having the precedent of Marion be-
fore him he felt that if body of bold.
fearless cavalrymeh could be gathered
together, an immense amount of an
noyance could be given the Union
force at comparatively little risk. For
this purpose his troop was organized,
and from the commencement acted in
consert with the immediate command
OF General Robert L. Lee. The prin-
ripal object in view was the neutrali.
zing of the Federal posts,
WHAT lie ACHIEVED.
al calculate" said the Colonel,
shat with my average force of about
lhree hundred men-and il never ex-
eeeded that-I neutralized the opera.
tions of about fifty thousand men on
the Federal side, and the reason of this
is plain The Federal generals were
compelled to guard the whole line of
the Potomac and the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad. | therefore had before
me an nnbroken line of some hundred
Greeley ItsyI,-a.,,,, l,'., and could set my
finger upon any particular point, dash
down upon it before my intentions
were ever dreamed of, accomplish my
purpose and ride away"
WHEN HE GAVE UP THE CAUSE.
"Coloncl, when did you individually
give up the cause as lost z" we asked
"Not until General Lee surrendered
Ny command as have said, was orga-
nized TO cooperate with General Lee,
and when he surrendered there was
no further use for men. could have
held out, in the region in which was,
for years. l was in no more danger
of capture when the surrender was
made than / was at any time during
the war, but my services ceased TO be
Of any utility, and there was there.
fore no reason for my holding out
longer"
A WORD ABOUT GENERAL LEE.
"General Lee, said the Colonel, as,
believe, acknowledged by all men
TO have been a Christian soldier.
Well, i was under his simmcdiate com
mand and / reported all my actions to
him, and during the whole war ]
never received but one reproof, and
that was once, when badly wounded.
hobbled up to his tent on crutches,
when hc greeted me with Colonel, i
have but one fault to find with you,
and that is, you will get wounded. ,"
HIS OPINION OF GEN MCCLELLAN.
"Who do you consider TO have been
the abest general on the Federal
side p
General Mcclellan by all odds.
think he is the only man on the Fed
eral side that could have organized
the army as il was further think
he is the only military man Of any
brains"
OF GENERAL GRANT.
"Grant had of course more successes
in the field IN the latter part of the
war but Grant only came in to reap
the benefits of McClelan's previous
efforts. At the same time ! do not
wish 10 disparage General Grant, for
he has many abilities, but if Grant
had commanded during the first year
Of the war, we would have gained our
independence. Grants policy of
attacking would have been blessing
20 US, for we lost more by inaction
than VIC would have lost in battle.
Amer the first Manassas tho army
took a sort of "dry rot" and we lost
more men by camp diseases than we
would have by fighting"
JEFF DAVIS.
What is your individual opinion Of
u think history will record him as