The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-12-06
A CAVALRY MANS PICKET DUTY.
A Trying Situation When Mosby Was
About

ABDUL,
Cavalry picket duty in the late war
was usually the extreme outpost, near
est the enemy's line, theory being that
a horseman could give an alarm of the
approach Of the foe quicker than a
dismounted soldier. A trooper on picket
duty was not only exposed because Of
his position on horseback, but neces-
sarily, to be able to maintain a good
outlook, he must occupy an exposed
position, or at least much more so than
an infantryman. This made cavalry
duty on picket hazardous in the ex-
IRENE, and to be detailed for this duty
was regarded as one Of the greatest
hardships of cavalry service.
Our picket posts usually consisted of
corporal and three privates, with
two hours on duty and four Off This
was regular routine for a days SER
vice on picket. When far away from
camp, we generally had reserve force
of 20 or 80 men to support the out
posts.
Our regiment, during 1863. was en-
gagged in doing picket in Fairfax, Lon
don, and Farquier counties, and adj
jacent territory in Virginia This
section was infested with Mosbys
guerrillas, who were a constant terror
and source of great damage to u.s.
These bushwhackers were almost in
variably residents of the country, and
knew all the roads and saddle-paths
through the woods. We lost more men
who were killed or captured on picket
than in any other way These bush
whackers would locate our picket posts
during the day, and night would steal in
behind us, between the post and the
reserve; then, with a dash and a yell,
sweep down on the post, and shoot or
capture it before the reserve could come
to it's rescue.
Mosby's men were brave, daring, and
often reckless; and the very dare devil
nature of their deed often proved the
cause of their success; and, however
humiliating 1t is to Union cavalry
man to admit it, truth compels us to
say that these guerrillas were, as a
rule more than equal to the average
cavalryman in the Union service, until
later on, when experience and hard
| service had shown the methods neces-
sary to match them. The muster rolls
| of the 10Th and 18th New York and I'd
Massachusetts cavalryman will show
that large proportion Of those killed
or captured met their fate at the hands
| of Mosby's men while doing picket
duty.
These guerrillas, however, were not
always the winners; and upon one
memorable occasion at least they had
| the tables turned in manner that
some of them always remembered. A
party from our regiment was doing
picket duty out on Little River turn
| pike, at a place called Germantown, in
Fairfax county. Some of our regiment
| had been captured at this point few
days previous, and Mosby's men were
| known to be in the neighborhood. The
outpost had been increased to IS men,
with lieutenant in charge. Just be-
| fore dark the lieutenant had the men
| gather a quantity of old telegraph wire
| that had fallen from the poles and lay
| along the road; and then, measuring
| so that it would reach a mounted man
| about the neck, he stretched the wire
| from tree to tree, entirely around the
| post. OF course, this wire was invisible
! in the night, and it was strong enough
to unhorse any one riding against it
| About midnight the well-known rebe
| yell was heard, as party came dash
| ing toward the post. But their yclls
| quickly turned to bowls as striking
| the wire, many of them were endorsed
| and for once the usual results were re-
versed, for our men captured many Of
| them, and forever abolished the dashe:
| of Mosby's men on our picket lines.
| The tension to which the mind wa:
strung while doing picket duty at eX'
posed points, and subject to all the
risks of such service was so intense asst
sometimes actually cause insanity.
sergeant named Moffatt of our com
| pany, a man of a gentle and refined
| nature, unfit because of early training
for a soldiers life lost his reason anc
| died in an insane asylum because o.
| the terrible strain and anxiety of nigh
| picket duty. He had command of al