Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-12-28
PICTURES OF MOSBY':S RAID IN
BERRYVILLE
San Francisco, Dec. 16, 1899

San Francisco, Dec. l6, 1899.
Mr.. John s. Russell, l'erryville, Va:
Dear John Il have mailed you a
set of photographs of the Berryvi!le
raid that made Sheridan retreat fifty
miles down the valley to the place
where he started from. Iu 1867 Captain
McAleer, of Baltimore, visited the
sceaa, made sketches, and procured
photographs of many Of our mer. FL
then went TO Paris and bad the picture
pain ed by two distinguished artists
Tue paintings were also photographed
in Paris those 1 send you ere copies
made here. Ben Palmer, of richmond,
owns the original paintings.
No. represe MS the battalion just rs
we reached the east bank of the Sher :
andoah-"the daughter of the STARS"
You ere near me, listening inteDtly 10
an order I am giving you-to cross
OVER the river aud fiGd out what was in
front. You returned af er dark, when
1 was asleep erjoying soldiers dream,
'aud the sentinel stars bad set their
watch in the eky," and told me that y
long train heavily guarded was passing
on the pike. In few minutes all
were mounted and moving to the a.
tack.
No. represents the Berryville fight
and stampede OF the train guard. l am
with Sam Chapmsn's company that
was kept in reserve with the howitzer
that is firing while Richards squadron
charged at one point on the line, and
William Chapman and Glasscock with
their companies charged at another.
stockton Terry, of Lynchhurg, is near
me with the battalion colors. A
body of the/enemy formed behind
stone fence, and made some resistance
Here Lewis Ade, of Glasscock's COM
pauy, was killed. | remember very vel!
when GUY Broadwater rode up aud re-
ported it TO me in the midst of the fight.
All l said was, II can't help IT," He
was fac boy. Some of his family now
live in California. Do you remember
5ow the yellow jackets routed US, and
were near spoiling all my plaus that day?
The howiizsr came up at gallop aud
was unimoered on knoll that COM
uanded the pike. The gun was put in
position right over Dest OF yellow
Jackets. They were home rulers, like
the Beers, aud instantly swarm flew
out TO repel the invasion of their terri
tory. My men had stood volley from
4 body of infantry on the pike, but the
sting of the yellow-jackets was too
much for their courage. The horses
reared and plunged, the men ran away
from the gun. Whether the scene was
sublime or ridiculous depends upoo
ones point of view at the time. MY
horse was frantic, and felt a good deal
like Hercules did when be put on his
shirt of the Centaur and couldn't pull
it of We were on the verge Of pan.
ic-a few minutes delay would give the
enemy time to recover from their SUI
prise. A shot from the howitzer was 10
be the signal for the squsdrons to
charge. They were waiting. But just
then one of the men-Babcock, l think
it was-rushed forward, recaptured the
howitzer, and dragged it OH. Tne
yellow-jackets returned In triumph TO
their hole in the ground. ln minute
a shell burst among the wagons; ii
knocked off the head OF a mule; the
,uard stampeded, while the brsying oil
Lhe mules could be heard above the roar
Of the gun. The mules We captured
sunplied General Lse's army With
transportation, and the drove OF nne
,aeves was sent as present and fur
ni,hed beeisteaks for his soldiers. You
will observe in the picture representing
our return figure on horseback
like troubadour playing on
Violin. 1t is Bob Ridley (Eastham)
ge got it from headquarters wagon.
Bob is pl yiug ,une to which he bad
ssnced-" Malbrook has gone to the
vars.n Our object was to lmpeo'
Sneridan's marce.
was sorry could not be with you
At the wiling of the monument 70
onr men a, Frcnt Royal and dissent
rom some historical statements In
Mavor Richards address. L do not
rec with him that our men were
nung in compliance with Generai
Grants orders to Sheridan. They were
not huug III OUSuiooSo ~
a superior, but from revenge. a hnaa .nau
VINO acts from revenge SIMPLY ooeys
mis- own impulses. Major Ricnaros
saws the orders were "a dead letter. al
ar I retalia,ed which implies tnao
,hev had not bsen before. l see no
evidence to support such CONCLUSION.
In his letter in The Richmond i,mss
N Ws;or m Richards says that Sherldan's
5isnstches about hanging our men were
"visionary," j. e., be never nung any. y.
r. az the order had always been q .
dead letter." No one ever nearo oea ol
'h his hansiogs until his dispatches 11aa were
published q few years ago. sae[laan a',a
was then dead, but his posInumOo'
memoirs say nothing about hanging,
although two pages are devoted " "
an t account of the killing of Meigs, ana
Cnster's burning dwelling houses ln III
Rockipgham county in revenge. Meiss
was not killed by MY meo; we never
vent that far up the Vaiiey.
Sne-idan. dispatches in the war
racords about the men he nung
,esrs ,esu not even a revelation to me,
tor m thew revealed nothing. They were
~. o,,nlv % soecters of Imagination, like the
dapper d,%peS in the air that Macbeth saw. Il