Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-09
MOsBY,s GUERRILLA DAYS.
He Tells That He Once Sent Lock
Of His Hair to President Lincoln.
washington Starr

washington Starr
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 en-
ployee of the Department of the Interior,
showed willingness to talk about his
wartime experiences to a Star reporter
a day or two ago. The latter inquired
into the truth of a story that he had en-
tered Alexandria in disguise.
ooh 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
command. Why, there is an Official tele-
gram on file in the War Department stat
ing that | was in Washington In confer
ence with Wilkes Booth the night OF the
killing of President Lincoln. 1t is need
less to say that the statement was known
to be false by most Of the Federal gen
erals.
Eyes, I frequently got to Washington
during the war. Many a time / would
ride up the hill up yonder across the 20
tomac and look down upon the city.
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 Wash
q
Her husband was a Federal soldier and
she was a northern woman She had a
mass to go in and out OF Washington,
and drove into the city often from her
farm I used to go to her house often
and get cup of coffee. OF course. she
gave it to us, knowing that we rather
had charge of things all along on that
side of the river. We'll, on this particular
morning Mrs Barlow had pair of scis-
6cr After L
had talked with her for awhile l said:
Mrs. Barlow, lend me your scissors
Ssh, handed them to me and ] reached
up to my head, got hold of a bunch OF
hair, cut It off. and said: Mrs. Barlow,
please take this lock OF my HAIR right
into Lincoln and say to him that | am
coming in to see him soon and will eX-
meet a lock of his hair in return She
looked much puzzled, but said she would
do it.
st found out afterward that she rode
straight in the White House and gave the
hair to the President personally, refus-
ing to give it to any one else. The Presi-
dent was amused and laughed heartily.
No. 7 was not afraid to do this, because
l knew that by the time the President
could attempt to catch me | would be
thirty miles away. President Lincoln
never made an attempt to catch me, be-
where else when his men arrived. Many
people took information of me into Wash
ington for the purpose of trying to bring
about my capture.
II covered the entire south side Of
the Potomac for many miles each way,
and the largest number Of men ] had in
1864, when Sheridan was in the Shenan-
doah Valley, was five troops Of cavalry,
a total of 80 men. With that command
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 cap
tured No, was never general. I was
private in the First Virginia Cavalry
for the first two years after the war
started. and began my command after
that time, beginning with one troop Of
cavalry. Each man was armed with two
pistols and a sabre. We had no car
bineS.''