Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-10-04
CONFEDERATE CAVALRY LIFE.
Col. Mosby Gives d. Bat of His Experience
The Old Gray Horse.

Inc oiu ~ray "pfso.
While the cavalry did not have an op-
portunity TO do much fighting during the
frst year of the war, they learned to per-
form the duties and endure the priva-
tions Of soldiers life. My experience
in this school was of great advantage to
me in the after years when / became a
commander. There was a thirst for ad-
venture among the men in the cavalry,
and a positive pleasure TO get an oc-
casiOnal shot "frOm a rifieman in a
thicket" There were often false alarms,
and sometimes real ones, from scouting
parties Of infantry who would come up at
night to surprise our pickets. A vivid i'm
agination united with nervous temper
ament can see in the dark shapes of many
things that have no real existence. A
rabbit making its nocturnal rounds, q
COW grazing, a hog roofing for acrons, an
owl hooting or the screech of night
hawk could often arouse and sometimes
stampede an outpost, or draw the fire OF
whole line of pickets. At the first shot
the reserve would mount and soon the
videttes would come running in at full
speed.
There was an old gray horse roaming
about the fields at Fairfax Court House
during the first winter of the war that
must have been fred at 100 times at night
by our videtteS and yet was never touched.
| have never heard whether congress has
voted him a pension The last time that
/ was ever on picket was in February,
1852 The snow was deep and hard frozen,
My post was on the outskirts OF Fairfax
Court House, at the junction of the Wash
ingtOn road and turnpike. wore q
woolen hood to keep my ears from freez-
ing and r blanket thrown around me as a
protection against the cold wind The
night was clear and all that's best Of dark
and bright. sat on my horse under the
shadow of a tree, both as protection
from the piercing blast aud as a screen
from the sight of an enemy. | had gone
on duty at midnight to remain until day
break. The deep silence was occasionally
broken by the cry of Halt" from some
distant sentinel rs he challenged the
patrol or relief. The swaying branches
of the trees in the moonlight cast all sorts
of fantastic shapes on the frozen snow.
In this deep solitude | was watching for
danger and communing with the spirit
the past. AT this very spot, few nights
before, the yidette had been fired on by q
scouting party of infantry that had come
up from McClellan's camps below Blu
the old gray horse had several times got
up picnic there which raised Laugh OIL
the soldiers.
Now confess that was about as much
afraid OF ridicule as of being shot, and So
unless | got killed or tptured, | resolved
TO spend the night there. HoratiO Coolies
was not more determined TO hold his po
sition on the bridge Of the Tiber than |
was TO stay at my post, but perhaps his
motives were less mixed than mine. /
had been long pondering and remember
ing, and in my reverie had visited the
fields that | had traversed in life's
morning march when my bosom was
young" was suddenly aroused by the
crash of footsteps breaking the cru-t OF
the harl snow. The sound appeared to
proceed from something approaching mt
with the measured tread of file OF sol
diers. 1t WAS screened from my view by
some houses near the roadside. | WAS
sure that it was an enemy creeping up To
get a shot at me, for | thouht that even
the old horse would not have ventured
out on such a night, unless under orders.
My heart began to sicken within me
pretty much as Hector's did when he had
to face the wrath of Achilles. My horse
shivering with cold, with the instinct Of
danger, pricked up his ears and listened
as eagerly as did to the footsteps as they
got near. drew my pistol, cooked it, and
took aim at the corner around which this
object must come. | wanted to get the
advantage of the first shot. just then
the hero of hundred panics appe ared-
the old gray horse. / returned my pistol
to my belt and relapsed into reverie.
was happy, my credit as n soldier had
been saved.-COL John 5. Mosby in New
York Mercury