The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-12-22
MOSBY'S RANGERS.
Daring Guerrilla Company Which Greatly
Harrassed the Army.
From the PAsladespAso Times.

more, recalls mOSt FlVAuAy tuo quilting
times OF war, when these same men
were not the peaceful citizens of to-
day, but the much-feared bold spirits
that spent their days and nights IN
harYassing the boys that Uncle Sam
sent out to capture them. 1t is a
long time since the lads in gray had
been in fight; many Of those who
had been boon companions are now
sleeping undisturbed by the sound OF
strife, and over the heads Of all Faith
er Time had cast frost that, while
it silvered the hair, touched not the
heart of those who met around the
festal board to talk Of the adventures
Of the days Of old.
The band known as the Mosby Ran
gers Has in fact the Forty-third Vir-
ginia Battalion, regularly organized
troop, in which the officers were COM
miss;oned anl under the personal SUI
peryision Of Mosby, who was subordi-
nate to General Lee, just as were the
other officers of the Confederate army.
These rangers, however, were gather
ed for species of warfare which,
being exercised in an independent
way, was the means Of harrassing the
enemy and of keeping the large armies
Of the Union constantly on the alert.
As line is only as strong as it weak
est point it sometimes took several
thousand Federal troops to guard a
road or communications, when they
were in truth nenaced by only a few
hundred. The Rangers, who were
composed Of the young men Of the
State, received no compensation from
the Confederate government for their
services, other than the spoils OF war
taken by their own efforts from the
enemy. Many Of the soldiers were
but boys, some scarcely out of school.
bust the flower of the South could be
found in their ranks, while for daring
aHd absolute fearlessness they had no
equal.
That part Of Virginia which is in
Guided in Fauqmer and Fairfax Coun-
ties became known as Mosby's Con-
federacy, and in a short time was
pra5tically under the control Of his
men. Ceaseless were the skirmishes
wAieh took place, the thrilling adven-
tures and breadth escapes they
encountered, but none perhaps are as
remarkable as the affair in which they
went boldly into the center of Union
camp and took out from its midst a
sau1nbering general. escaping with
their prey under the very frown Of the
guns in the Federal forts.
This adventure occurred in March,
1853, just after the battle Of Chan
cellorsyille, and about the time that
Zee had begun to marshal his forces
for an intended invasion Of the North.
Drigadier General Stoughton and a
large force were encamped at the lit
tie village Of Fairfax, which is the
County seat of the vicinity, and num-
bers a few hundred inhabitants. The
men of the force, were qua-tered about
the place, while the General had his
headquarters, with his staff, at the
brick house which is now used as the
reetory for the Episcopal clergyman Of
the town. This residence is a large
enc, standing in the midst of lot OF
seodly size, just about 100 yards from
the main road, and the front room in
the second story was occupied by the
commanding General.
The night selected by the rangers
was cold, drizzling one, and they set
sat on their journey from their start
eng point, which was several miles
outside the enemy's lines about the
tswn, at near night. The lines OF the
wederals extended in every direction
about the country, some Of the Union
forces being at Centerville, tiny
hamlet six miles from Fairfax. In
order to escape the pickets the rangers
made detour, and striking off from
the main road on which they were
travelling managed to approach the
town in such way that the Federals
could not but suppose the troop was
part of their own force. The road was
anything but pleasant one to ride
for the mud was deep as only Virginia
mud can be, but the men plodded on,
muf1ed up in their cloaks, till they
saw in the misty distance few lights
family cleaning through the trees.
The soldiers belonging to Slough
tons force we're soundly sleeping,
artillery, cavalry and infantry being
uuartered about in the citizens hous-