Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-01-17
COLONEL MOSBY Wa
His Regiment Was One of the
Most Noteworthy on Either
Side in the Late War, and Their
Deeds of Daring Made Them
Famous-The Career OF Their
Celebrated Leader.



"Mosby's command, from the name OF
their commander, Lieutenant Colonel
John s. MoSby, held a reunion here to-
day. Colonel MoSby himself, who
now lives in FauQuier county, Va,
was present with a number OF mis-
old officers, and most of the survivors OF
his famous band, 10 the number of
three or four hundred wers on hand to
honor the occasion and talk over "old
times" The reunion was a notable
gathering of the men who fought under
the famous guerrilla chief, and who
played such a daring aud picturesque
role in the Piedmont region Of Virginia
during the war, and kept the Northern
forces which operated in that section Of
the Old Dominion guessing for about
four years.
When Mos6y organized his rangers"
as they were called, numbers Of young
men, from the rich planters son 10 the
struggling store clerk, living in the
counties of Loudoun, FauQuier, Gull
pepper, Prince William and Fairfax,
focked 10 his standard. This youthful
and impetuous baud OF troopers who
had, metaphorically speaking, grown
up in the saddle, were thoroughly IA
miliar with that romantic belt of coun.
try in whose streams they had fShed,
and over the hills and through the val
leys Of which they had hunted the fox,
ana with a good horse under them and
brace OF pistols In their belts, they
BECAME PERFECT DARE DEVILS
under Mosoy's inteprid leadership, and
10 execute his DlauS would run the risk
OF being captured or shot with au aOan-
don that was as gay as II was reckless.
MoSoy aimed TO 40 on land wnat Ad-
m.ral Semes did on the high seas,
though on a much smaller scale. His
numerous raids among the enemies
supplies, the way in which he impeded
their progress by tearing up
the railroads and other schemes Of
strategy, together with the bold cap
lures he effected, sometimes surprising
a whole regiment with a mere hand
!ul of men, aided the Southern army
materially in the stages OF the late war,
and proved him 10 b. a genius in that
mode OF warfare. At the close OF the
war, MoSby .vas an idol in Virginia aud
could have Gad any honor within the
gift of her people. Neither the pres
tige of the GovernerSh p nor that OF the
United States Senate, would have been
beyond mis- reach, probably. But when
he repudiated those principles, the
supremacy of which ne fought
so bravely 20 maintain, and
swore allegiance TO General Grant,
HIS POPULARITY BEGAN TO wANE,
his friends and admirers gave him the
cold shoulder. and in a few years bis
name, that had beea on 50 many
tongues, lost its magic.
The result was he abandoned what
had oseu lucrative law practice at the
\yarrentOn bar, then the ableSt In the
State, with abundant litigation before
il 10 be settled, sacrificed his beautiful
home aud accepted q petty consulShlp
at Hong Kong at the hands OF kepuo-
licao administration.
About the same time that Mosoy
went over 10 the Republican party he
became involved in q controversy with
the late A. D. Payne, vino was Cap
tain OF the famous Black Horse Caval-
rv. In the trial Of law suit IN which
Paype and Mosby were the opposing
counsel. the former questioned the lat
ter's veracity upon some point that
arose In the case In the presence OF a
crovded courtroom. A few hours after
ward Nosby sent Payne a perem ptory
challenge, which was promptly accepted
Pavne, having the choice OF weapons,
designated the rifle. Payne was known
to be a dead shot with rlne, whlIe
Mosby was equally as expert with
nistol. and not stranger 10 any IRE
arm that was liz use during the war.
As both had growing families depen-
dent upon them. aud were men OF social
Drerinence, whose courage and i'm
netuous natures had so lately distin-
gnished them in time OF war, the news
of the trouble
SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE,
and produced intense excitement both
North and South. The opinion pre-
v,iIsd that IL the two men met, it would
be duel with sequel TO It. a Sc
cInded spot about ten miles from War
rarton wss selected as the battle
gropnd. aad daybreaK named as the
bour of mesting. Under cover OF night
fail Payne and his second, brave
vopng fellow named Littleton Helm,
who mas since died, made their way to
tbe scene of action and all night long
stood out in the open air In driz-
Ling rain, practicing, bv the light
NJ a csuricious moon, shooting paper
bausiuto the air. They hailed with de
Iight the first glimmer of dawn and
were in high spirits; but after long
vai, for Mo,by aud his party, Payne
showed signs Of impatieuce and disgust.
The hours passed, but Mosby still fail
ed 10 put in an appearance. Suddenly
the clatter OF a horses hoofs was heard,
and Nosby's second rode up and an
nounced that his principal had been
arrested the evening before. 1t seems
that Mosby, being unable to
n,ocure rifle In Warrenton,
TOOK the afternoon train for Washing
ton. intending TO purchase his weapon
mere. aud then ride across to the duel
inc ground. As be was a well known
6rure in the District aud the chief
theme OF public interest was his diff
cnlty with Payne, he was promptly ar
rested after leaving the train on Penn
svIyauia svenue. The affair blew over
or was patched uD in some way-at any
r,ts the duel never came off.
AFTER HIS TERM AS CONSUL
N China expired he resumed the prac
t,ce of law at San Francisco, and is said