Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-06-20
THE CAMP FIRE.
FAMOUS GUERRILLA TELLS OF A
THRILLING RIDE.
Pensi consolidation OF rniforms-Inci-
dents of the War-Items for
ola Soldiers, Etc, Etc.
Mosby's GuerriIias.

Colonel John S. Mosby, late of the
Confederate army, known as partisan
ranger, but called a guerrilla all the
same, talked thus:
"In April, 1868, General j. Z. b.
Stewart, the dashing Prince Rupert of
the Confederacy, recommended that l
be promoted to the rank of major, which
promptly received the Endorsement of
the Secretary of War, j. A. Seldom.
In order to signalize my advancement
proposed TO go on rather big raid
and bag small army OF Union cavalry.
THE army were camped about tif-
teen miles below, and | did not think
it possible that they could hear of my
presence before morning. We fed and
picketed our horses inside the barn
yard, which was surrounded by n strong
fence. Sentinels were stationed as Il
guard over the horses and to arouse us
in the event of alarm. Many of the
men went to bed in the hay-loft, while
others, including myself, lay down on
the floor in the front room of the dwell
ing house before big log fire.
There were Union camps across
the river but had no fear OF them
that night. When | woke up next
morning one of my men came in and
said the enemy were making signals
across the river. l went TO the back
yard TO reconnoitre, when | saw one
of my men, Dick Morgan, running
across the field waving his hat and
calling out that the Yankees are
Nnk ;,l Of
were then bridled and saddled. had
buckled on my arms coming out OF the
house. As soon as got to the enclos-
ure where our horses were | saw the
enemy coming through n gate about
200 yards off. 1t was too late to re-
treat, and so / ordered my men TO get
ready to fight.
They saddled and mounted and re-
served their fire. / did not have time
to saddle my horse and had to lead the
charge on foot. Captain Flint was so
sure of bagging us that he ordered the
gate shut after passing through, in
order to prevent us from escaping.
Another squadron was in the open
field, moving in our rear. 1t looked
blue for me, and the many shining
sabres flashing in the hands of the
cavalrymen as they dashed toward us
made me think that at last my Water
loo had arrived. We were cooped up
in the angle of two streams and sur
rounded by over four times our num-
Der, with half of my men unprepared
for fight. Captain Flint, by dividing
his command, increased my chances of
escape at least fifty per cent.
lin previous engagements l had
learned the superiority of the pistol
over the sabre, and ordered my men
to use these weapons. When Captain
Flint arrived within fifty yards of the
barnyard gate l advanced, pistol in
hand, opened the gate and ordered
my men that had mounted to charge.
With wild yells they dashed into the
ranks of the Union cavalrymen, and
tell you it was conflict that meant
life or death to us all. When l got
through the gate Harry Hatcher,
brave and valiant soldier, dismounted
and gave me his horse, which /
mounted quickly and rode into the
fray.
"Our tactics completely surprised
Captain Flint, who evidently thought
we would remain on the defensive. In
few seconds the captain was shot
dead, and before his men hardly knew
it we were among them with the death
dealing revolver. Their swords were
no more effective than wooden weapons
and in few minutes they began to re-
treat pell-mell. When they reached
the closed gate they could not open it
and many persisted before it was
pushed down.
"All my men performed wonders,
but | wish to speak of a young artillery
officer, Samuel +. Chapman, who quit
the study Of divinity. and, like the
Roundheads ol old, went into battle
singing psalms. He was with me to
go on that special raid and when saw
the Union soldiers closing in upon us
that bright April morning l thought
that young Sam would never sing
again, except in n heavenly choir.
Armed with two revolvers and n sabre
he dashed into the ranks OF the enemy
like a wrathtul Achilles, pistol in
each hand, and every time he fired,
either to the right or left, a saddle was
emptied.
Before the enemy had got back to
the gate, retreating, Sam had cmptied
both of his revolvers and was using his
sabre. He got right in front OF me
indeed in front of us all-and rising
in his stirrups, swung his sabre from
left TO right, Strengthening in whole
sale manner. The reverend Sam was
not satisfied with the effective work he
did at the gate, but he continued the
chase some three miles. He got sepa-
rated in the woods from the rest of us
and dashed alone into squad of Ver-
mont men, where he received a cut
/ from a sabre. How he escaped being
| killed was miracle. The Vermonters
were busy escaping, | presume, and
did not take time to kill Sam carefully
and effectually.
Zone of my men. Hunter saw him
doing battle alone, like a hunted tiger
in his lair, and went TO his rescue.
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