Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1900-03-13


TUESDAY MORNING. MARCH IS, 1900.
Gro. ". HA1Srs, Editor aud Proprietor.
sr.5O in Advance; 50 if not Paid in Advance.
1osby's Men-chsrIes B. Wiltshire.
LFrom the Con 'cderate Veteran for February. ]
DR.. ]. G. Wiltshire, who was lieutenant
of the Forty-Third Virginia Battalion,
writes of Charles B. Wiltshire and other
rangers under Col. John s. Mosby. He
tells particularly of his brother:
After serving one year in Co. G, end
Virginia Infantry, "Stonewall Brigade, y
and two in Company A, Twelfth Virginia
(Ashby's) Cavalry, afterwards Rosser's
Brigade and receiving as many wounds.
Charles B. Wilthire, of jefferson County,
Va. was retired from the service of the
c. S. A. because of disability from a
wound received while storming the
enemy's stronghold at Greenland Gap,
w. Va. Though disabled, inactivity in
the face of the enemy to soldier accus-
toned to the clash of arms and to victory
is unbearable. Although still on his
crutches, Wiltshire rode from Luray to
" Mosby's Confederacy" and offered his
services to the chieftain of that depart
ment, who at that period of the war had
attained the zenith of his glory. The
enemy, in moving on Richmond, had so
disposed his forces so as to form a
semicircle to Mosby's Confedcracy, with
convexity looking southwark, thus seem
ingly to contract the latter's field of
operations, but in reality the converse
obtained. Wiltshire exhibited his soldier
ly qualities in the many hotly contested
engagements in which he took part, and
it was not long before he attracted the
attention of his great captain and was
sent out in charge of small expeditions
against the enemy. Two of these I shall
mention. On the 10th of March, 1865,
Col. Marcus Reno, commanding the
Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry, with
at Charles Town, w. Va,
was sent by the War Department on an
expedition with his regiment and a regi-
ment of infantry under Col. Bird, con
cealed in wagons, against Col Mosby.
Col. Reno was scarcely out of sight of
the Potomac, his base of operations.
when he realized that the pursuer was
being pursued, for Mosby was on his
flank, front, and rear. Reno guarded
himself by disposing his cavalry in
plrallelograms on his fanks, with his
infantry in the center. In war there are
many ways to cqualize the strength of
forces. To overcome the differ
euce between his force and that Of Col.
Reno, Col. Mosby artfully drew his caval-
ry off from the infantry into ambuscade
near Hamilton, Va. To execute this
plan Wiltshire was selected TO make a
teint with twenty-five men on Reno's
right flank, while Col Mosby, with Com
Panies a and d, lay concealed in the
woods few hundred yards from the
road. The plan was carried ont so
and the bait thrown out seized
so eagerly by the enemy, that Wiltshire
had scarcely shown him self when Lieut..
Black, of the Twelfth Pennsylvania
Cavalry, was ordered, with a detachment
of men, to charge the Confederate. The
former retired, as instructed. before the
gallant Lieutenant in the direction of the
main body in concealment and without
casualty. In the retreat Wiltshire was
active in his efforts to save his men,
thus exposing himself to great danger.
When Wiltshire got to point in the
road opposite the ambuscade. he wheeled
like lightning" and killed the foremost
of his pursuers (Robert Chew, Then,
turning upon Lieut. Black, he forced his
the ground badly stunned Capt. Bob
Walker, William Biedler's account) At
this juncture Company D, led by Capt
Alfred Glasscock, with John and Bob
Chew two most gallant brothers). Rob
ertson, Joe Bryan, John Orrick, Charles
Deer, aud others, in no order, abreast
with him joined by Wiltshire in the road.
charged with awful intrepidity. So we'll
directed was this charge that the enemy
fed in confusion by lane in the direc-
ton of the infantry, followed closely by
this Company (D). Indeed, the foremost
men of the charging column mingled
with the fleeing host. The route became
jam by closed gate or a pair of bars
across the lane, and many of the enemy
were killed or wounded. Capt. Robert
Walker, Joe Bryan, John and Bob Chew,
John Orrick, Charles Deer, McGinnis.
TowneY Van Deventer, Keath. and Wilt
shire pierced the very ranks beenemy.
John Chew going so far that he was
wounded in the back by Federal Just
behind him. From this wound he did not
recover, though he lived nearly twenty
five years, bearing his affection with
Christian fortitude.
In the jam referred to there occurred
the only instance in the war of a horse
actually fighting in battle. Capt. Walker,
Charles Deer, and Robert Chew state that
Wiltshire's horse reared upon the backs
of the enemy's horses, walking upon his
hind feet, " and seemed to enjoy the part
he took in the fight.
Lieut. Black was Conducted to Rich
mond the next morning a prisoner of war.
Col, Mosby, who witnessed the capture
of Black, expressed his admiration for
the soldierlY qualities OF Wiltshire, and
promised him lieu.enancy.
The next day he ordered him, with
detachment Of the command, to scout in
the vicinity of Winchester, Va, for IN