Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-04-25
MOSBY'S Big RAID.

Colonel john $. Mosby, late Of
the Confederate army, known as a
partisan ranger, bat called a guer-
rilla all the same, talked thus:
SIN April, 1868, General J. E. B.
Stuart, the dashing Prince Rupert
of the Confederacy, recommended |
that be promoted TO the rank of
major, which promptly received the
endorsement of the Secretary of
War, J. A. Seldom. In order to
slgnalize my advancement L pro-
posed to go on rather a big raid
and bag a small army of Union
cavalry"
"About three hundred cavalry |
were at Dranesyille and l had !
harassed them SO much that they
did not put their picket line in a
half mile from camp. ] wrote tOl
General Stuart and ad TiSed him 70
send a small force and capture
them, bnt he was busy watching
for Hooker to cross the Rappahan-
hook aud could not spare any
troops. / resolved to scoop IN the
three hundred by surprising them.
"On the 31st of March I was met
at Rector's Cross Roads. in Lou
dOun county, by 60 men, the larg-
est force | had ever had under me
up to that time. They were a motley
crowd, though somewhat better
dressed than Falstaf7s famous reg
lment. Some of them had |
been wounded and were unable to
do infantr, duty, and others had !
aDsented themselves from their
regiment without leave. But L
never investigated mans military
record when he fought under me
any more than | would his pedi-
gree.
The men got prizes IN the way Of
booty captured, and somehow they
seemed to like to 20 on expeditions |
that were hazardous and often /
richly rewarded them.
Getting near DranesvllIe |
learned that the enemy had broken |
camp anG gone beyond Difficult /
Run, several miles below. Pass
ing through Dranesyllle we travel
ed to Nlekel's farm, which was in |
the forks OF Goose Creek and the |
Potomac river. snow was on the |
ground, although it was the last
day of March, and We were glad t. |
rest and warm ourselves.
The enemy were camped about
fifteen miles below and I did not
think it possible that they could |
hear of my presence before morn
ing. We fed and picketed our
horses inside the barnyard, which |
was surrounded by a strong fence.
SentineIs were stationed as guard
over the horses and to arouse us In
the event of alarm. Many of the
men went to bed in the hayloft,
while others, including myself, lay
down on the floor in the front room
of the dwelling house before a big
log fire,
There were Union camps across
the river, but | had no fear of them
that night. When I woke mp next
morning one Of my men came in
and said the enemy were making
signals across the river. | went
to the back yard to recoUnoitre,
when saw one Of my men, Dick
Moran, running across the field,
waving his hat and calling out that
the "Yankees are coming" Not a
third of our horses were then bri
died or saddled. [ had buckled on
my arms coming out of the house.
/ AS soon as | saw the enemy com
ing through gate about two ban
dred yards off. 1t was lafe to re-
treat, ana so | ordered my men to
get ready to fight.
"They saddIed and mounted and
reserved their fire. l did not have
time to saddle my horse and had
to lead the charge on foot. Captain
Flint was so sare of bagging us
that he ordered the gate shut after
passing through, IN order to pre-
vent rs from escaping. Another
squadron was in the open field,
moving in our rear. Itlooked blue
for ne, and the nany sabres flash
), ing in the hanis Of the cayalrymer
5 a. they dashed toward MS made me-
= thiok that at last ny Waterloo had
1. arrived. We were coOped up il
Il The aaglc Of the two streams an(
s surrounded by over fonr times oui
0 number, with balf my men unpre
pared for a fight. Captain Flint
BY dividing his command, increas
'f ed my chances Of escape at Ieas
d Gft, per cent.
:. ain previous engagements | ha'
|, learned the superiority of the pistc
}. over the sabre and ordered my mel
TO use this weapon, When Cap:ail
Frut arrived within City yards O
n c.~t, t.1rnppa1 me