Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1869-11-27
letter from Colonel Mosby.

der. com meHWn. OF the rou1uc, II Colo
mel John ;. N0shy in the Valley ot Viz.
Elnia during the Isue var. that gentlemen
hiss IepiIrd through lbe same inurusl to
the following effect:
Sir: am ~ .l'v amused q, tlc piece IN
your valuable paper from "A Union Sol
der fer il shows row hard pressed my
enemies IRE for something 20 s-y against
me. when Ibev can fnh nothing worse
lhaR he smIT he Ias published. | wall
notice them in their order. rusl-The
capture Of lhe train IN October, 1864. on
the roai between IlarpeTs Ferry snd
Martin, 1org, Va. This WIS on a militia
~ road, and used hv The Fedora army
which a. then IN he Shenandoah Valley
for Transporting troops and supplies.
was in comuaDd OF shout thrSo hundred
men. and was chasged with che July OF
impeding The advance OF he Federal army
by inte'ccpling their communications.
Ii opposed Sheridan IN 'front.' nv
small lUrce wouH count Tor nothing bu
by lhrowing II in ms rear and on his con-
nGa,ca,ian % t'cine a tremendous pow
er. because rrce hundred men under
.Eililul commander, opcrat,0c m the rear
OF on afmv.sre equivalent II ten thousand
in front. II We Just as lrCiumate for
me- to stack sheridan in h!s rear 80 for
E,Ly 90 attack him IN lrouG and ShrrI-
dan. in no. report 10 the committee on tho
conduc OF rhr war, has testified 10 the
efficiency OF my command. l.r he says
II. L., ,..,ll
have coac IN to Richmond, bu, that he
had to detlrl iwo-thirts OF his loIeo 10
guard his communication against my at
tack
The train captured was on The way to
suprly Sherjian's army. llhnd on it,he.
sides a large number OF officers and col
dlers, . considerable number q possen-
gers. Among he officers were two pay
masters with Sl75.000, gong To paying
oil SacTldsn's troops Ol coUEse II was
lust "a legitimate var 10 capture und de-
s,roy this rain as 20 Kill or c'pturc SheIl-
dan and his men. | penetrated iat IN
rear OF he Federal army, and csptured
tbs ,'5in vibJn mile OF large camp,
and burned it, The object OF my com
mand was not so much TO capture trains
rs ID c0mpCl Sheridan to dolach heavily
from lls front 10 gu6Id his rear. II Mrs.
TollCs snd the ut'cr passengers on this
train 'wcrc turned oul drs.Iiutc and un-
protected, as tbs Union Soldier AYERS, 1t
was Sherdan's 5 laUIl, and not mine, for
he ought to have bad 1t properly guarded.
Agoo. These female passengers only
suffered llle inconvenience. mo vlo.
Ienrc was offered them, )and il they chose
10 suit iecl themselves 20 Ito hazard Ot
riding on 4 military railroad, they hsd
nobody to blame but themselves; other
wise. SHERIDAN might havo guarded ell
his trains by putung few females on
board. lie might ss well havo put wo.
men in front Of his line Of bstlle. tD keep
us from shooting at tho men. ! Ues my
self present Wien this tain was captured,
and lhcreis no incident Of my military
lie TO which refer with more prido and
pleasure. liitwas right for Sheridan To
capture railroad trains. why shouldn't |
DO. Sherman justified the burning Of tho
city Of Atlanta, and, IN reply to Hoods
Is there more wrong in burning train of
cars, and sgbjecWug few passengers TO a
temporary ircouvcn.cnrc, than IN the de.
srrnclioo ofa whole cly and torning
whole population out Of doors
Sesoad CLmgc-IIe says: AT tho
same TIME Colonel T,Iics. General Sher-
lloa's Coarlcrms.lrr, was shot by this
same ourl7w at Cedar Creek. &c. Now,
. small dot,chmenr of my command met
Colonel Toies. with a small detachment
OF cayslry. near Ne~iown, on the Valley
turnpike Iolle' and his parry reifeaied,
aad we're pursued by my men; Tollea
while running was shot in the back. All
right: be look the chances of escapc III
preference TO sUrcnder ! suppose f
Col. I'Oi.Cs could have bad tie opporia-
niy he would have shot me. That i,
~hai men 90 20 var for, and can't see
how there ~ any grcstor crime in killing
Colonel Ioiies ~ the resr OF Sheridan
than m bis front
Ihird CdWgC-"This ou law hanged
five .tfsgie'' al BeryViIie." In Srplem.
ber, 1861. Gen. Custer captured and
hanged seven Of nv men in The streets OF
FROM Royal. Va. Immediately on hear.
ing Of Ihis, having a lot q dirty prisoners
on hand, made lhcm draw loH for seven
10 be h1ngcd o. a measure of retaliation TO
protect NY men. These men were hang
el on rhe valley pike, along which SherI-
dams uoors 'raveled every day, as a
waning Of What they mishi expect II any
more Of MY men were hanged. A. the
sane tine wrote leler to General
Sbcntan. (Which was published IN The
newspapers of tie umP, and ran be found
10 the memoir Of nv command by Scou,)
aTow!ng my responsibility for he sci,sbJ
stating my reasons for it. Sheridan ac'
knowleJged The Justice Of the JceS.by or
dering my mcn 10 be uesied ~iih The hu-
manliles or wsr. have never been call
ed in question for hi. act, although as
sumed all the responsibility for 1t.
The Union Soldier pretends ibsl these
"explois Of the chivaldc Mo'by have
never been gwen to the world" # he
will only consol, re memoir Of ny com
msnJ. by Scott. he vii gee & at The death
OF Col. TOi!es, the capture of the train.
and incidents connsrted With II. and The
hanging Of lie prisoners sre Ill spoken Of.
Thry we're al legitimate acts Of var. ]