The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-09-12
A DARING EXPLOIT.
HOW MOSSY CAPTURED a UNION
GENERAL AT FAIRFAX.

GENERAL AT FAIRFAX.
a Tru7 Tale o: the Conte sra,e War That
R,ads Ltke Fcsioo-S,ma Confederate
Eater the Union Camp and Capture s
Numb sr OF Ven and Horses.
RICHMOND, Va, Sept. G.-To those
who know nothing Of the hardshlps OF
war, there ever hangs over a battlefield
mist OF romance, shrouding its most
hideous details in the poetry Of fiction
And even those who have felt the
shock of charging men, and heard ths
cannon's roar that seemed TO shake the
very foundation of earth, in after year;
look back with a certain tenderness
upon those days that are no more =
even though those days we're passed II
the cramped bed of dirty prison hos
pital, or on the long, hot marches OF
midsummer. But bravery commands
our admiration, and the deeds Of the
men who fought in the Civil war often
rival the dauntless courage of Charlie
mango and are as exciting as the eX
PLOTS of Richard on the sunny plains
Of Palestine. Perhaps one of the mos;
unique adventures Of the war was the
capture of General Stoughton by Mosby
and the affair reads more like the raids
of Robin Hood than an event in the
prosaic times Of the present.
In the spring of 1863 General Slough
ton was encamped at Fairfax Court
house with a large number OF men, and
the doughty warrior had determined
to put a stop to the depredations OF
Mostly, who kept the Federal troops in
Northern Virginia in constant state
of terror by hts numerous and sudden
raids. All this psrt of Virginia was
known as "Mosby's ConfederacY.' Here
the ranger chief gave the enemy some
unpleasant surprises in the shape OF
raids ca sleeping encampments, The
capture of their wagons and the de-
structlcn of their railroads, used in sup
plying them with men and food
St0ugnson had grown weary of the
fruitless efforts of others to capture the
swift.movirg rebel. and he was decided
that he would bag Mosby or lose every
man be had in the attempt.
One night, early in March, Stoughton
had q little supper at his heedq uarters
"a neat little supper that sent the gal
liant general to bed in an excellent hu-
NOR, an1 made him quickly forget that
wars alarms were ever likely to disturb
the slumbers of votary OF the laugh
ing, vine crowned god. 1t was a cold
night, and the rain that had set in ear
ly in the day continued to come down
in a ceaseless pour that made the world
one dreary, watery waste. The Union
men never dreamed that any Que would
venture out after setting the usual SEN
tinels to plod through the mud at their
posts about town.
BY II o'clock the little village was
silent and the Federal camp wrapped
in siumbar, but down the road near the
famous field of Chintilly a party of
men on horseback were stealing
through the woods. No one spoke a
word, and the only sound in the dark
ness was the splashing of the horses
hoofs in the peltlng rain through the
tossing trees. And as they stole along
in the night, wrapped in heavy cloaks.
and with their hats pulled low over
their brows, they looked like
some band OF conspiTators creeping on
their way to assassinate some sleeping
foe.
On nearing the town one of them cut
the wire that ran to the station near by
and thus the Union troops were sew
cred from all communication with their
friends at a distance. 1t was midnight
when the cavalcade entered the village,
and as they tramped down the muddy
road no one saw them or heard a sound
from the foes thus daring to ride into
the very face of the slumberlng enemy.
There was no light in the town streets.
and only now and then faint gleam
from a halt shut window would tremble
for moment on the smoking sides OF
the rangers horses, or be reflected
back from the pistols in their belts.
Ga reaching the center of the village
Mosby halted his men, and dividing
them into two Getachments, sent one
quietly to secure the horses, while with
SIX men he took his way to the head
quarters Of the Commanding General.
The house was old-fashioned Southern
mansion, about 100 yards from the road
and set back in a pretty grove of trees.
The rangers quietly opened the gate,
and trotlng up to the house, dlsmount-
ed and ran up on the porch. With a
fierce jerk Mosby rang the bell.
A window in a room above dew up
and a sleepy voice demanded who was
below.
"a courier with dispatches for Gen
eral Stoughton," replied Mosby, as he
motioned to the men not to move.
The window fell, the officer ran down
and in a moment the door stood open:
"You are my prisoner, whispered
Mosby to the astonished Federal, VINO,
being unarmed. dared not make any
resistance. Then, leaving one man to
guard the captive, the ranger dashed
upstairs and strode into the room
where the General lay sleeping. With
a rough shake Mosby aroused him.
"What in the devil is the matter?'
inquired Stoughton as he sprang up IN
bed.
"Stuart's cavalry is in possession of
the town." Mosby quietly replied.
"Stuar.. in town. Stoughton ex-
claimed in astonishment, still mtstak-
ing the men about his bed for his own
troops. why, l thought you had cap
tured Mosby."
"Oa, no; you have not captured Mos
by" coolly remarked the Chief, "but
M0sby has captured you; you had best
get up quietly aud come with me"
Finding himself prisoner IL the
hands of the very man to whose cap
ture he was sworn, and believing that
Stuart's troops had the town the Union
General made no attempt to resist, but
dressed quietly. In few minutes he
and Mosby descended the steps, and,
mounting horses that stood outside,
they soon joined the rest of the rangers
who were awaiting Mosby's arrival at
the meeting place in the center OF the
town.
Here it was found that the nights
work had secured IS horses and 32 pris-
oDorc op1 oil this had hp3O accom-.