Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1898-02-24

the 18th went with Col. Mosby to Mill
wood, where truce was arranged with
Gen. Chapman for two days, with ex-
tension for ten days if approved by
Gen. Hancock, which he failed TO sane
ton, so truce ended at noon on the
Goth. Gen. Grant wired Hancock on
the 18th: IF Mosby does not avail
himself of the present truce, end it and
hunt him and his men down. Guer-
rllas, after beating the armies of the
enemy, will not be entitled to quarter.
On the 2lst Mosby's men met for the
last time at Salem. Mosby made his
farewell address and dlsbanded the
command. On the 22d Lieut.-Col.
Chapman, with the greater part Of the
men, surrendered to Hancock but
Mosby, with some forty followers,
(mvself included,) started South to
ioin Johnston. On the 22d Hancock
wires Stauntou: Some Of Mosby' :
own men are in pursuit of him for a
reward Of $1,000, offered by me. ~
I DO not believe there was man in
Mosby command, possessed OF courage
sufficient for such an enterprise, who
would have been guilty of such an IN
famous and damnable deed. Mosby's
guard too, were true and tried men,
and would have shielded him 10 the
last extremity.
On the 28th Hancock's adjutant
wires Gen. Torbert The general
wishes you to hunt up MOsby. If
more money is needed it can be had, -
and on May Sd again wires him to Of
fer 5000 reward for him
Finding that these threats and re-
wards were unavailiug, that Northern
gold could neither tempt Southern
honor nor soil Southern valor, a more
pacific policy was tried. Brave men
are more easily won by kindness than
by force. Mosby and his men were
offered the same terms as Lees army,
and as Johnston had now surrendered,
the futility of further re-
sistance we gladly ayailed ourselves of
the Offer
On the 8th of May, in company with
my friends DR.. and Capt. Opie, (the
latter Of whom, Just before entering
Winchester, had offered to fight the
whole of Duvalls brigade, one at a
time,) Majors Locke and Harrison,
rode into Winchester and signed the
following parole
ARMY OF THE SHENAN-
DoAu. WINcHEsTEIs Va, May S 1865.
|, George Baylor, Capt Co. II, Mosby's
c. :. Army. do hereby give
this. my parole of honor, that will not
take up arms against the United States
until am regularly ex
changed. and that if am permitted to
remain at my home will conduct myself
ls a good and peaceable citizen, and will
respect the laws in force whore reside,
and dono,hing in dctrimcnt to or in OPP
position to the United States Govern
ment. GEORGE BAYLOR.
Since then l have never been regu-
Iarly exchanged, and shall not take up
arms again if I am So there need be
10 fear or apprehension on my account.
Ii any portion Of that parole was ever
it is the clause which says 81
will respect the laws in force where !
reside" Asis well known the laws
in force here were 50 abominable that
one could scarcely obey, much less re-
spect them.
1t must have been a trying ordeal
for the yictors to lay down their arms
and return to the peaceful pursuits Of
life, but to the vanquished it was nigh
unto death. The great conflict ended,
the warfare over, my occupation was
gone and I sank into rustic simplicity
and civic obscurity and soou became
ike Ichabod Groyer,the Lethean shade
Of "iunocuous desuetude.'
I cannot conclude this narrative Of
the closing scenes Of that eventful war
without paying a tribute to that great
and silent friend, which ever stood
with open gates ready to receive and
protect US. The careful reader has
noticed that on nearly every occasion
when danger threatened our little
band, we would flee TO the mountain
the Blue Ridge mountain. Without
its aid and protection, our career in
this section would have been short.
Moutaui Semper Liberi. In that
mountain We breathed the air Of free
dom. No foe ever dared to pursue US
beyond its threshold. That beautiful
blue mountain How often have We
looked to it as our city Of
- I'LL IL - ge-.,o,-