The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-01-28
HOW MosBY,s MEN FoUGHT.
A Highly Interesting Description Of Their
Mode Of Warfare by One Of Them.

At a banquet In honor of General X.
T.. Lees birthday, given by Clinton
Hatcher Camp. of Confederate Veterans,
In Leesburg, Va. on the 10Th instant.
among the excellent speeches made was
one by John III. Alexander. Esq, In which
he graphically described how the men
of his old command. the Forty-third Bat
TALON of Virginia Cavalary Colonel Mos
by commanding, used 10 fight. Nobody
knows better how II was done than
Johnny Alexander" for he was one OF
the best OF them.
After giving picture OF the Ranger"
with his braid and buttons and plumed
hat. ne said of i'm:
"A various and versatile soldier he was
in one sense, at least, undisciplined.
During the twelve months that l served
with him / learned but four commands
from his tactics. fall in line and count
or by tours, march, close up, charged
There was another movement with which
we were not altogether unfamiliar, and
il was technically known as the "Ske-
dadle": but l never heard the command
given. The Guerrilla seemed to know. in
stnctiyely when that movement was ap-
propriate and never waited for the word
of command.
Now 1 want to tell you that was a
highly stragetic movement, the master
fitness of which is not appreciated by
the military critics. You see when the
Yankees broke they would always run I'm
a bunch and all we had to do was 20
follow and pick them up. For instance
out OF the California Battalion OF three
hundred, which we broke mp at Mount
Zion. only five or six escaped. When We
routed Blazers $50 at Myerstown only
two got away. But when we found IL me-
cessary TO leave the scene of action, each
man sought 20 work ont his own saliva
ton. and struck for his home and fire.
side by his own particular path; and we
dissolved Ike the mist before their very
eyes wisibiy' so to speak. and they had
nothing to follow.
Then there was peculiar individual
ity about the Guerrilla. When not under
the immediate command of the officers
each man was his own commander quar-
termaster. commissary and everything
else. He was dependent upon his own
resources for supplies and on his own
wits for safety. This made him watchful,
alert. and self-reliant. IL made them. as
| said. individuals IN action feeling per-
sonal responsibility for results and not
mere automatic 20 be mdnOeuyred by
commands Of their officers. II charge
was TO be made they didn't go into it
SERTED column and with orderly app
proach as if to impress the enemy with
their awful dignity. But each man real
lied that the shorter the time from the
start to the finish. the less the danger
was. and he would clap spurs 10 MS
horse. often throw the reins on his neck
and revolver in hand. bend every energy
10 getting there and making himself as
numerous and influential as possible on
the way. And Colonel White has told
Won nothing ever resisted such onsets.
Not even infantry behind a fence. An
infantry man captured in such charge
near Rectortown was asked. why IN the
world they broke? why he said you
fellows came to so quick we didn't nave
time 10 think And. besides if we had
shot the men of. the crazy horses would
have run over us
'You see il was against all tactics ana
the enemy had nothing down In their
books appropriate 10 such an occasion.
The very insanity OF the thing-apparent
or real. ] have never determined winch
insured its success, and believe that
was true Of heap Of things which the
Guerrillas dld."-Leesburs washing
tOnian.