Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-11-17
col. JOHN 8. MOSBY.
His Change to Republicanism Attribu-
ted To Grants Kindness to Mrs. Mosby

! ted to Grants Kindness to Mrs. Mosby
| Mr.. =. J. Sullivan spent his summer
! vacation in the section of Virginia
where the famous confederate. John
/ Mosby 'fived and achieved fame. ];
has always been a matter of conjec-
ture why Mosby. whose every pulses
beat was inspired by devotion TO the
| South should have abandoned the
| Democratic party and gone over to the
Republicans. says the Augusta tGa. }
Herald. In many quarters it has been
a matter of chagrin. Those who knew
the real cause Of Mosby's detection.
however. not only condone. but ap-
p.aud his course. and point to the fact
| that his conduct was in keeping with
the whole tenor of his life.
When Lee was at last compelled to
| lay down his arms, Mosby for long
time refused to surrender. He ceased
hostilities, but still carried his pistols.
| To all venturesome inquiries on the
part of the federals he calmly replied
| that he would surrender when he was
! personally informed by Lee that the
war was indeed over.
His was but a half-hearted sur.en-
| federate uniform, Once while he and
his old follower. Frank Carter-then a
| mere stripling-were in BARRIERS
shop. a sergeant and his guard entered
and informed Mosby that he had or
ders from his superior officer to cut the
confederate buttons from his coat. The
colonel arose and quietly requested
permission to wash the lather from his
face, which was given. He put on his
coat, but when his hands came for
ward there was a pistol in each one.
Gentlemen" he said. Il attach no
blame to you. l understand. that You
are merely here to execute the orders
of your superior officer. Proceed. gen.
tlemen, TO do your duty
Ii was grim urbanity, indeed. with
his two pistols and those of Carter
pointing in the faces of the frightened
detachment, so they chose the better
part of valor with a quiekstep alacrity.
Mosby and Carter mounted their
horses. rode rapidly through Leesburg
and into safety.
This was but one illustration of the
petty annoyances to which he was
continually subjected 1t was claimed
that he had been a guerrilla and was
not entitled to the general amnesty.
He was specifically excepted and his
former enemies. whom he had SO often
Inundated and made ridiculous. which
was worse than defeating them, were
anxious for his punishment. The lust
for office and patronage had raised up
horde of scallawags and carpet-bag-
gers in the community where he lived.
vrr- -: hot, n
harass and annoy him. thinking that
thereby they would ingratiate them
selves with the authorities at Wash
ingtOn.
This state Of affairs became unen-
durable. The wife of Mosby, noble
specimen of Virginia womanhood. de-
termined to go to Washington and in
tercede with President Johnson. But
the Tennessee Republican was then
trembling with the threat of impeach-
ment, and was by no means inclined to
prejudice his cause by an act of kind
ness TO a confederate officer whom the
Cnionists detested cordially. What
was worse he treated the fair ambas-
sador with courtesy so scant that II
was almost insulting. When Mosby
heard of this, all the, blood in his
chivalric veins grew hot and he swore
that he would never receive favor
from the government.