The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-08-28
coLoNEL JoHN 5. MosRY.
Famous Guerrilla Who Now Holds
Government Position.

ducing more than its share Of the pic
turesque characters Of the last century.
but never was the time so prolific Of
this production as that period covering
the war. which has been described by
historians the blOOdiest conflict ever
waged between opposing armies-the
civil war. l. was a time when sGch
fOrCeful characters as Lincoln, Grant
Lee. Greeley. Davis and a host OF
others first gave the country taste
of their power. il was a time when
such soldiers as Thomas. Meade, Sher-
man, Sheridan, Stewart, Johnson,
Hooker and Mosby were made, and II
is Of the latter that this story has 70
deal. Nearly forty years after the close
of those scenes Of carnage the name
OF MOsby occasions as much enthusl-
assn in the land Of Dixie as It did IN
the strenuous times Of the sixties. and
his recent appointment 20 be commls-
SiOneF of the general land office Tor
the state Of Nebraska has more strong
" than ever marked the fact that the
rupture between two great peoples has
beer. cemented and that they are now
one and indivisible. The man who once
created terror by the mention of his
name is an official Of the government
/ he fought so hard to overthrow.
MOsby's guerriilas were known and
feared from the Atlantic coast to the
western end OF the Mason and Dixon
line. and the history of their fearless
leader gave good cause for the whole
sale regard in which that rowing body
was held. A Virginian by birth in
PoWhattan county in 1888. he entered
the university of that state when a
young man, and before completing his
course shot and seriously wounded a
student who had assaulted him. He
was fined and imprisoned. but the gov
ernOr pardOned him and the legislature
RENTED the fine. de was in prison
/ long enough. however. to make fair
Roadway in the study Of law and short
~ after his release was admitted TO
the bar and practiced in Washington
county His character at this time
was typical of the soUtherner Of the old
school and his personality most attrac-
tive Men Whc are born to command
early impress their fellows with their
superiority in many ways and Mosby
was no exception to the rule. He did
not puTpOSely force himself upon men.
but it was tacitly understood that he
was a man made for a leader rather
than a follower.
At the beginning of hostilities in 1851
he was quick to respond to the urgent
call of his state and enlisted in the
cavalry under the command Of Cen
/ eral Joseph T. Johnston, In the cam
1 paign in the Shenandoah valley and at
/ Manassas ne was a conspicuous figure
/ by reason Of his fearlessness and dash
{ his headWOrk and what generalship he
/ was able to display in his modest posi-
I ton as trooper. During the winter Of
1851 he was given picket duty to per-
I form. his field of action covering
6reat portion Of the Potomac river. and
/ It was at this time that his name be
gan to be murmured among his fellows
/ as one with which to conjure.
! Acting for the most part independent
! ~, he ranged with his troop from one
! end OF ne section To hfph he haT Ao.
! assigned TO the other destroying every
1 thing that might be of use to the en-
/ envy should il come into the possession
/ Of the federal troops. and many a band
! of rovers were taken to swell the ranks
I OF prisoners destined for AnderSOnVilIe
! and Libby So arduOus was this cam
/ palgn that. at the end Of the first year
] ne and a single companion were the
( only members of the troop who were
/ ready TO re-enlist without first receiv-
! ing furlough, and on the 18th of Feb
+ Iuafy- 1852. he was made adjutant of
/ the newly formed regiment. This grade
/ ne held for two months only retiring
/ 70 the ranks when the colonel William
( e Jones. was displaced.
! His abilities were so consDicuOus t7a4
/ they We're observed by that daShinr
/ brigade commander, General J Z. B.
I stuart, and Mosby was invited to at
/ lacE himself to the command of the
I brigade headquarters as a scout This
J Al0 AtICAltUs anu ulQeF MS guidance
/ the forces Of Stuart were brought
I against the rear of those of General
I George 3. Mcclellan on the Chicka-
I homlny- This was on June H. 1862. and
I in the battle that followed ne displayed
the most COmmendabIe gaIIantr-7 In
JanUarr. 1863. he took those steps that
made him famous. Crossing the Ran
D pahannOCk into northern Virginia. he
/ recruited there company of irregular
cavalry. and. aided by the friendly
fr-t-f rHrra 800 - 7
counties, harasssd the federal lines
and did much damage by cutting conf
mUnicatiOnS and destroying supply
! trains IN the rear Of the armies that
} invaded Virginia.
His rangers were true guerriIIas and
when not actively raiding dfsbandeI
ana met again at q preconceived time
and place. The federal army punished
those who harbored him and his men
I by devastating their country. but every
attempt TO capture him was frustrated
I by these friends. and he avoided every
possibility Of an encounter with a sI1-
perior force Strategems. nocturnal
attacks and guerrilla warfare were sus-
[ tanned by his forces, and the federal
lines were strengthened to avoid his
raids.
At ChantiIly, in March. 1865. he de-
feated much larger force than his
own, and at Dranesville in the follow
ing April q force sent especially to
Va bANlC lLilll lllCL Win disaster OurinE
all this time he reported to General
stuart at irregular intervals, but was
to all practical purposes. his own mas
/ ter One Of the fiercest engagements
with which he and his command was
concerned was that at Warrenton dur
ing the engagement of the main Oppos-
ing armies at Charlottesville. He was
routed by a detachment that came to
the rescue. but soon after secured more
men and a hOwitZer and returned to
the attack This time he passed to the
rear Of HOOker's army, wrecked a rail-
way train. inflicted severe damage on
the troops Of the federal army. and
/ finally cut his way through the lines
in veritable river Of blood and fire.
In 1868 he achieved a captains commits
sion. and two weeks later became a
major. After the death OF General
Stuart in 1864 he became attached 10
the command of General r. Z. Lee. but
was still free TO do much a. he pleased.
During the closing year Of the war ne
reached the grade Of colonel. He was
ever in the thick OF all the fights IN
which his command was engaged. and
was wounded several times. On April
Fl, 1865, he took leave Of his men in the
following brief words.
Soldiers OF the Forty-third Regi-