The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-01-26
MOSBY'S RAIDERS
Their Reunion Revives Memories of Their
Thrilling Career.

Apropos of the late reunion in Alexan-
dria, Va, of the survivors of Mosby's par
tisan rangers, letter to the Philadelphia
Press from that city says:
When Mosby organized his rangers" as
they were called. numbers of young men,
from the rich planters son to the struggling
store clerk. living in the counties of. Lou
doun, Fauquier. Culppeer, Prince William.
and Fairfax aocked to his standard. This
youthful and impetuous band of troopers,
who had, meta phorically speaking, grown
I'D in the saddle were thoroughly familiar
with that rom ,rtic belt of country in
whose streams they had tished, and over the
hills and through the valleys of which they
had hunted the fox, and with good horse
under them, and brace of pistols IA their
belt, they became perfect dare-dev1ls under
Mosby's intrepid leadership, and to execute
his plans would run the risk of being cap
tured OF shot with an abandon that was as
gay as it was reckless.
Mosby aimed to do only and what Admiral
Semmes did on the high seas. though on a
much smaller scale. His numerous raids
among the enemies supplies, the way III
which he impeded their progress by tearing
up tie railroads and other schemes of
strategy. together with the bold captures
he effected sometimes surprising a whole
regimen with mere handful of men. aided
the Southern army materially in the early
stages of the late war, and proved him to
be genius in that mode of warfare. At
the close of the war Mosby was idol in
Virginia and could have had any honor
within the gift of her people. Neither the
prestige of the Governorship nor that of the
United States Senate would have been be-
yond his probable reach. But whel he Ie-
pudiated the principles of the Confederacy
and swore allegiance to General Grant. his
popularity begun to wane, his friends and
admir- ers gave him the cold shoulder, and in
few years his name, that. had been on so
many tongues. lost its magic.
The result was he abandoned what had
been a lucrative law practice at the War
renton bar, then the ablest in the State.
with abundant litigation before it to be set
tied, sacri feed his bsa utiful home and &C.
cepted petty consulship at Hong Kong.
About the same time that Mosby went
over to the Republican party he became
involved in a controversy with the late A.
D. Payne, who was captain OF the famous
Black Horse Cavalry A few hours after
warn MOsUy Sou pC1 OAhpUSAS SAol-
lenge, which was promptly accepted. Payne
having the choice of weapons, desig grated
the rifle. Payne was known to be a dead
shot with rife, while Mosby was equally
as expert with pistol, and not stranger
to any firearms that was in use during the
war.
AS both had growing families dependent
upon them and were men of social promi-
hence, whose courage and impetuous ma
lures had so lately distinguished them in
time of war. the news of the trouble spr ead
like wIl1fire and produced intense excite
ment both North and South. secluded
spot about ten miles fom Warrenton was Sc
lected as the battle ground and daybreak
named as the hour of meeting. Under cover
of nightfaI1 Payne and his second, a brave
young fellow named Ltttleton Helm, who
bias since died. made their way TO the scene
of action, and all night long stood out in
the open in DRILLING rain, racticing, by
the light of a capricious moon, shooting
paper balls into the air.
They hailed with delight the first glimmer
of dawn and were in high spirits. but after
a long wait for Mosby and his party Payne
showed signs of impatience and disgust.
Two hours passed, but Mosby still failed to-
put III an appearance. suddenly Inc clat-
ter of d hoI SEES hoofs was heard, and
Mosby's second rode up and announced
that his principle had been arrested in
washingt on the evening before. The affair
blew over was patched up in some way;
at any rate the duel never came off.
Mosby has an interesting family of child
rem, consisting of two sous and three
daughters. One Of his sons, John Mosby,
| is a lawyer in Denver. Mosby's personality
to- sfr HiS cIaa ha nf
well-cut features and eagle eye wonld at
tract attention anywhere. He has preoc-
cupied air and is disposed to be cold and
lie is an affable and entertaining compa n
| ion. whose conversation reveals scholarly
| taste and close observance of men and
affair.