Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-11-17

captains The rangers We're SUMMARY.
| III hanged within sight Of their homes
4 In Franf Royal. On the breasts Of the
execav~l piacards were pinned read.
in9. SNeh is the fate of Mosby's
/ men
! One 81 the captives. OVERLY by
! name. called out before his death, MY
| last moments are sweetened by the re-
is,wtiun fhat for every man you muir.
| der this day Mosby will take tenfold
vengeance
Retaliation was shortly in reach of
| the partiSans. Three days later a
| platoon VI Clusters men was captured
| by Mou.tjoy, an aid TO Moshy. The
| prisoners We're drawn up in single file.
and seven were chosen by lot. They
| were TO die The unfortunate soldiers
met their doom like stoics.
But for the fierce raids and charges
! Of these rangers and their rapid moves
on the fear and tanks OF Sheridan's
army the hero OF Winchester would
have been aisle TO press southwark
| through the Shenandoah valley after
| the defeat OF General Early. This
would have enabled him 10 concentrate
his army OF 50oo0 men on the rear of
| Lees forces Lees cohorts were al
| ready hard pressed in front by Grant
| with 100000 men. the flower of the
| northern forces. Sheridan. in his report
| OF the Shenandoah campaign. paid a
high compliment to Colonel AIosby.
He admitted that the rangers prevent
| ed him from following out Grants or
ders to press forward TO Lynchburg
| where could have been administered a
| crushing defeat to the Confederate ar
my under Lee.
Few OF the Virginia colonel's ex-
| PLOTS created the furore that did his
capture OF General Edwin III. Slough
ton in March, 1863 The general was
! quartered at Fairfax Court House. In
a drizzling rain. with but 20 men, Colo
mel Mosby started on his dangerous
and well nigh foolhardy mission.
| After the affair was triumphantly
terminated the colonel gave the ac-
count Of this venture: 1--WE passed the
outlying guards by stating we We're Of
| the Fifth New York cavalry, with dis
patches for General Stoughton. With
the aid of Big Yank' Ames. stalwart
desertr from the Union lines, we
found our way to the building where
lay our game. The sentry at the door
was quietly overpowered. Violent
knocking brought to the entrance a
night ROBBED figure, which proved to be
Lieutenant Prentiss OF the generals
| staff.
I'VE were then four miles inside the
| enemy's lines and amid hundreds Of
hostile soldiers. Caution was needed.
4 "Prentiss let us in ON our informing
him that we were of the Fifth New
York. We pushed up the stairs and
| entered the commandments room. He
was sound asleep. His snorings were
| resonant in the extreme.
with such environments" said Colo
mel Mosby. Il could not afford to await
his convenience or stand on ceremony.
So gave the sleeping man slap. Its
| erect was electric. The brigadier rose
| from his pillow and in an authorize
| tive tone inquired the meaning of the
| rude treatment He had not realized
| that the intruders were not members
of his own staff.
II leaned over and said to him, Gen.
eral did you ever hear Of Mosby 2
| Yes he quickly answered. Have You
caught himf' No said. 4 am Mosby.
| He has caught you In order to de
prive him of all hope l told him that
Stuart's cavalry held the town and
that General Jackson was at Center
vile.
with a look Of agony and despair
he asked If Fitz Lee was there. told
| him Yes Then take me to him. he
| said .Nn were classmates af Wesf