Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-27
MosBY's GUERRILLA DAYS.
How He Once sent "A Lock of His Hair
to President Lincoln.

How He once Sent n Lock OF HIS Hair
to President Lincoln.
John s. Mosby, we'll known as the COM
mander of a guerrilla band in the service
| of the confederacy during the war Of the
states, and who is now a special employe
of the Department Of the Interior, showed
a willingness to talk about his wartime ex-
| periences to a reporter Of the Washington
Star a day or two ago. The latter inquired
into the truth OF a story that he had en-
tered Alexandria in disguise.
"Oh, that story is all nonsense said
Colonel Mosby. II never went to a place in
disguise in my life. These stories arose
because Of the rapid movements Of my com
mand. Why, there is an official telegram
on file In the War department stating that
l was in Washington in conference with
wilkes Booth the night of the killing of
President Lincoln. 1t is needless to say
that the statement was known to be false
by most of the federal generals.
Eyes, l frequently got close to Washing
ton during the war, Many a time l would
ride up to the hill up yonder across the
Potomac and look down upon the city. I
might have one or two men with me, and
we would soon disappear. Just over on
the Virginia side early one morning l met
a Mrs. Barlow on her way into Washington
with a wagon full Of vegetables. Her hus.
band was a federal soldier, and she was a
northern woman. She had a pass to 20 in
and out of Washington, and drove into the
city often from he7 farm. / used to go to
her house often and get a cup OF good coffee.
OF course, she gave II to us, knowing that
we rather had charge Of things all along
on that side of the river. Well, on this
particular morning Mrs. Barlow had a pair
0f gpiggOra HANGING from bar mr. 4.-
l had talked with her awhile l said:
Mrs. Barlow, lend me your scissors
she handed them to me, and | reached
up to my head, got hold OF a bunch Of hair,
cut 1t on, and said: Mrs. Barlow, please
take this lock Of my hair right In to Lin
coin and say to him that l am coming in to
see him soon and will expect a lock OF hIs
hair In return She looked much puzzled,
but she said she would do It.
II found out afterward that she rode
straight to the White House and gave the
hair to the president personally, refusing
to give 1t to anyone else. b president
was amused and laughed heartily. No, I
was not afraid to do this, because knew
that by the time the president could at
tempt to catch me l would be thirty miles
away. President Lincoln never made an
attempt to. catch me. because he knew that
] would be else when his men
arrived. Many people took information of
me into Washington for the purpose OF
trying TO bring about my capture.
Il covered the entire south side OF the
Potomac for many miles each way, aud the
largest number OF men | had in 1864, when
Sheridan was in the Shenandoah valley, was
ave troops Of cavalry, a total OF $50 men.
With that ommand we captured all the
arms we needed. all the ammunition, food
and clothing, and had a wagon train running
to Lees army frequently with supplies we
had captured. No. l was never a general, I
was a private In the First Virginia cavalry
for the first two years after the war, aud
began raising my command after that time,
beginning with one troop OF cavalry. Each
man was armed with two pistols and a
saber. We had no carbines."