Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-02-12
Stories Of the War.

In his Report OF the Operations 0! tne
Army of the SHENANDOAH" General Sheridan
says:
During this campaign | was at times an
noyed by guerrilla bands, the most Formidable
OF which was under a partisan chief uamed
Mosby, who made his headquarters east OF the
Blue Ridge, 10 the section OF country about
Uppervllle. | had constantly refused to ope-
rate against these bands believing them to be
substantially benefit TO me, as they prevent
ed s;raggliDg, aud kept my trains well closed
UP, and discharged such other duties as would
have required provost guard of a. least two
regiments OF cavaIry.-lSec Supplement Re-
port Of the Joint Committee on the Conduct
of the War, Vol. 2, pp. 46, Al, Report above
named.
There was practical sense in The reason
ing, but thousands of Uucn soldiers who cam
paigned und.r Sheridan III the Shenandoah
must have learned with astouishmeut from
this report that the operations of the dreaded
Mosby were Enthusiastically a benefit" 10 our
arms. For he was dreaded. His audacity
went to the extent OF reuklesSness, and he ard
his followers seemed to consider no RI k TOO
great by which they coud annoy our army, cut
off trains and detachments, and capture war
material.
Ifthere had been among them some fellow
handy with the pen he might produce volume
that would vie with romance, while confled to
the details of the adventures Of the guerlas
[ bad long conversation with two of these men
who were paroled after Lees surrender, aud
they assured me that they had often douned
blue oyercoats and riden along with our column
in the night time, picking up Information aud
watching for chance TO take off prisoner.
Very often, they said one Of their men was
driving 10 disguise in our supply trains. One
of thcm said that he rode mare which he val
ued beyond price, and one night ne had her
stabbed in barn near i e>burg, while he slept
in the house-a irieud's house. lu the middle
of the night he was awakened by the rafting Of
pebbles on his window. He sprspg from his
bed and was half dressed when he heard the
heavy tramp OF feet on the stairs Surmlslng
at once that the Uaon Cavalry were Oh his
track, he raised the window, let himself cut,
and dropped story aud half without injury,
sped to the barn, led out his mare by the fore
lock, without saddle or bride, mounted her,
and rode off with shower Of bullets following
him.
Upon one occasion, an afternoon iu the last
days of Angus, when our army had halted and
got into position for the night near Charles
town, and while under the strlctest orders TO be
ready to form line and fight battle at mo-
ment's notice, one of our soldiers was wounded
by guerrilla, who deliberately rode up with
in a rod of line Of stacked arms, fired bis car
blne at knot OF men lounglDg about, and gal
loped off before a muskct could be brought to
bear upon hin. Nobody had thought Of
taking hun for any other than stray cav
al1yman from one of Clusters regiments,
or au orderly from headquarters until
a>tonished by bis shot aud escape. 1t
was about this time that General Emoly
had very narrow escape from capture
by these lnarauders. His headquarter teuts
We're being put up for the night, when dozen
horscmen rode rapidly through the enclosure,
dscharglug their carblues right and left, and
disappeared before the astonlshcd officer IN
command of the headquarters Infantry could
get his company under arms. The guerrlaS
took no prisoners aud their shots hurt no one.
| presume the whole thing was piece of devil
may.care rccklessness, without any object ex-
cept to SHOW off, y But had they kno7D that
they were passing witho few yards Of where
the Major General who commanded one-third
OF this army was lying, no doubt they would
have made desperate effort to take him. The
General was much disturbed by the Incident t.,
aud rated the Captaio souudly for his unreadi-
ness.
why, hang it, sir, he said 'is this the
way you guard my headquarters ? Here are
dozen OF Mosby's fellows riding rig ht over me;
yes, sir, aud for all that you could do they
might easily have stolen my boots.
1t was reported about the same time that
one OF the guerrillas was taken by our cavalry
aud brought to Gen. Crook, comman ding the
Eighth Corps, aud that the General saVagely
scoldcd his captops for taking him alive. 1t
was quite well tor this General peace of mind
mat he could NOT know chat in the following
February he vas to be captured at Martins
bure BY bold dash Of these auiaclous parti-
sans aud hurried away to Richmond.
University OF Virgtnis-A Correction.
10 the edttor Of the -4lecandria Gazette:
our Richmond correspondent, ''Strong-
bow. in his excellent remarks on the pending
oI for the relief IF the University of Virginia,
Yesterdays paper. is betrayed into an error
as to the religious connection of individual
m"mbcrs of the present Board Of Visitors, a
majority OF whom he supposes to be members
o. the Episcopal Church. Such, certainly is not
The case and, unless the writer (who is per-
sona,ly acquainted with nearly all of them) is
uuch at iault, t,co only belong to that COM
muulOn. l.. NJ. B.