The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-10-22
A VIRGINIA GUERRILLA

M. Quad has been down in Y IT.
ginia, and writes a letter about
Mosby. He says: Never did a irregular
army officer hsld his men to stIicter
discipline than did Mosby. No man
could question his authority-no
man could refuse to OBEY. The man
who hesitated to accept a dangerous
mission, or failed him In. the hour of
peril, was at once sent back to Lee
or Jackson, or Longstreet, to be- as
signed to the line.
M THE OUTFIT.
After being once fairly>organized
the outfit of each one of the gaer-
rillas consisted Of a brace of revolt
vers and a good horse. He had
neither uniform nor sabre nor car
bine. Perhaps twenty men out,of the
entire band had Spencer carbines.
captured from the federal cavalry.
This squad was used to cover fords,
fire across the rivers and act as
rear guard in case of retreat. Sabres
were not carried because the guer-
rilla chieftain did not intend to
attack large bodies or operate with
other Confederate cavalry. When
he attacked it was with a yell and a
dash. and he was out of sight before
the confusion subsidized. The very
best revOlVers made in the north
were in the hands of these men, and
their horses had the finest blood In
the south. After 1852 most of the
men had three horses apiece; IN
1868 and later on, some of them had
seven. Of course only one horse
was in use at a time. The others
were kept at different points where
they might be needed, and were
easily picked up when wanted.
Moshy's artillery consisted Of four
small cannon, each gun drawn by
single horse. In more than one In
stance these guns were dismounted
and carried along by being strapped
on the back of a horse, while the
carriages and caissonS could be
drawn anywhere by the men.
THEIR RENDEZVOUS.
While Mosby had no permanent
headquarters, he could oftenest be
found in the mountains around
Union Town, but men anxious to
Join his command sometimes rode
for days before they could find him.
Most OF the guerrillaS had nests
with the farmers in the. London,
Luray and Shenandoah valleys.
Sometimes, three and four would
stop at the same house, and again
only one, and the stopping place OF
every man in the band was known
to the chief. When ready for raid,
swift couriers were dispatched in all
directions, and half a day was, suffi-
cient to bring all the band together.
The people who harbored them were
repaid with bags OfSugar and coffee,
and other commissary stores taken
Federal wagon trains.
4 FAIR DIVIDE.
Outside of Mosby and few Of his
officers and Men. the troop was ION
the make" and the law Of the band
was a fair divide. Twelve different
members of the band have assured
me that Mosby himself never took
his share of the plumber in one
single instance, if that plumber was
money. On one occasion two federal
paymasters were captured at Sam
NIT Point. in the valley, and the
squad of guerrillaS captured $685.
900 in greenbacks. Mosby refused tC
take a dollar of the money, and
when it was divided among the mel
each one received about $4,000
Where captures of stores, horses Of
arms were made, the leader Of course
took what he needed. Some of hi:
men had at times as high as $7,00(
in gold or greenbacks, but the close
of the war found all penniless AM
glad enough to seek peaceful pur
suits.
HIS NARROW ESCAPES.
Although a guerilla, Mosby was
brave man. He would run risk
and take chances which he woul,
not order his men to take. He wa
in Washington three different time
during the war; in Baltimore fou
or five times in more than a dOzel
| instances he penetrated the Fedora
lines for information. Near Mid
dleton he was once cut off by Fed
eral cavalry, who held the pike il
both directions. When ordered t.
surrender, he drove his horse owe
the stone wall and got away througl
the fields. Three bullets pierced hi
clothing, his horse was Strucl
twice, and an overcOat strapped t
his saddle was clean cut away b
bullets. One day while he was eat
ing dinner in the Luray Valley 81
Union cavalry men walked IN o.
him. They did not know him a
Mosby, but coHjectured that he wa
a guerilla. AS they attacked hiI
he shot two and dashed through
window, and made off with enc O
their horses. He was once capture
in Washington while on a spyin
expedition, but feigned drunkenness
and made q dash for liberty Will
on the way to the provost marshal
office. At that time he had plent
of proofs on his person to have COZ
victed him as spy. Near Warren
ton he one night rode with twenty
four men full upon Federal reserv
picket of at least 100 men. Both side
stood staring at each other for
moment and then Mosby called out
aDid opu of fhana YoI1loc coma thi