Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-05
RAIDING A WAGON TRAIN
A "Reminiscences of War Times Near Cat
lett,a
A Mcsby Raid With Mosby Left Out
Blank Cartridges and
Fun.

I was sitting in the office OF down town
hotel one night not long ago, when Gen.
Mosby came sauntering in, and in mo-
ment was the center of quite a crowd OF
friends, for the eX-guerrilla chieftaln las
many friends in Washington; and as he
stood there smiling, and greeting one after
another as they came up, a remark made
by an on-looker that "Mosby was charged
with a great many little Irregularities that
he knew nothing Of" carried me back in
recollection to an episode that happened in
the winter of 1904, over near Catlett Sta
ton, in which Mosby did not figure, though
the papers the next day gave pretty full
description of another raid by Mosby.''
The second brigade, second division, CT
the fifth corps, was encamped that winter
along the railroad at Catlett Station, ana
Mosby's compliments were frequently pald
to the different regiments in the shape OF
sharp, quick dash through the company
streets after midnight. and scattering re-
volver shots as reminder that the suer-
rillas were still doing business. On TO the
northwest of Catlett's was parked the
wagon train Of the fifth corps, and several
months of inactivity had made the trains
men and drivers long for a little excite
ment and diverSion-So much so that 1hey
had organized several little raids, la
Mosby; but they had been given up as i'm
practicable, because no profit could be real
lied and the fun alone was hardly worth
the risk.
RaidinE n Wagon Train.
However, one beautiful moonlight night
one of the drivers came back from the sta
ton with the information that suffers
train of four wagons was coming up to
Catlett's that night from Stafford-"Wil
reach Catlett's a little after midnight; let's
raid it." 1t was the one spark needed TO
fire the whole crowd. and all jumped at
the proposition. Under the leadership OF
1,xy f1a xr-sax-
vious to his death, which occurred four
years ago, had been for number OF years
a prominent business man on 14th street
the men got their horses out loaded their
muskets with blank cartridges, turned their
overcoats inside out, and otherwise dis
guised themselves, and started for point
on the wagon road about mile sousn OF
Catlett's, reasoning that they could go
through the train and get what they
wanted, then get out of the way of the
troops that the fusillade would be sure to
bring down from the camp. Each one OF
the raiders carried two-bushel bag for
piunder, and one of them, Charley Sigour-
ney, rode mule which was inclined to be
obstinate.
I'VE will hide ourselves in the bushes at
the edge of the road" said the wagon
master; then at the command l want
you to fire up in the air. The drivers will
jump and run and Wen go through the
wagons in short order"
For fear that there might be guard
with the train, the raiders retained their
seats in the saddles until their fire should
scare the drivers away, and for an hour
they sat in silence, waiting for signs of
the suffers wagons, which finally began
| ICmbling away TO the south. At length
the wagon train was abreast the bushes
hiding the raiders, and the drivers We're
| startled by the command to halt and sur
render" and at the same moment volley
| rang out on the still night air. Every
| thing turned out just as the wagonmaster
| had predicted. and the drivers ran like
| hares toward the station and gave the
| alarm. But the raiding party short
| or e man. When the voll0y was fired that
perverse mule turred end-fore and shot out
| of the bushes, taking Charley Sigourney
| up over the knoll toward clLmp OF trees
| where a low branch scraped him off the
mules back and left him lying on his back
| on the ground. The men soon had their
bags pretty well filled with the good things
| generally kept in a weil-regulated suffers
store, but Charley got one small cheese
| and a good-sized package that was evil
| IDENTIFY done up with considerable care
and with these in his bag he hurried off
the field. for the troops from Catlett could
| be heard coming on the double-quick,
alarmed by the drivers and hurried by the
| sound of the fusllade, but too late to cap
| ture the midnight marauders.
| The next day the Washington Chronicle
contained an extended account of Mosby's
| raid on the suffers train On taking an
| account of stock in the wagon train camp
it was found that Charley's carefully done
| up package contained complete new uni
| form, manufactured by a Washington tall
| or, for a major in the tenth United States
| infantry, whose regiment was encamped
| near the station, and if the major is still
| living this sketch may furnish him the
first nkling that his fine new uniform was
| buried deep in the ground where the fifth
corps wagon train was parked in the win
| ter of 1861.