The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-09
Reunion Of the Gallant Raid
ers Recalls Many Stories.
ALMOST CAPTURED GRANT
The Federal Commander Was Unob-
served BY the Riders The story OF
the Greenback Raid-Career OF
Wonderful Guerrilla Leader
,sncoja, from a star Correspondent

about the list of May, 1864 as Genera
Grant was returning from washington t
his headquarters IN Culpeper. he say
from, the window OF the car cloud
dust rising from the road immcdiatel.
20 the east of Warrenton Junction. Whei
his train reached the junction he asked
lone man at the station for lnforma
ton as to the cause of the dust. The maj
Informed General Grant that Colone
John S. Mosby had Just crossed the rail
road few minutes in hot pursuit OF
body of Federal cavalry. General Grant
who relates tho incident In his me.
moirs. says he had no doubt that had
Noshy seen the train he would have re-
linouished pursuit OF the cavalry and
taken, the train. He would have bagged
the General-in- Chief OF the armies OF
ithe United States, within less than an
hours run OF the Federal capital
The Incident is valuable as illustrative
,of the daring OF Mosby and his men, and
the audacity OF tho movements they mace
IN front on tho flanks, ana IN the rear
of the Federal army.
was at the reunion Of the SURVIVORS OF
the command at Culpeper, a few days
ago. and the stories I heard from the
iips of the men who were participants
in the exploits described, impressed upon
une more than printed accounts could 90
lthe dash and daring OF Mosby's men, ana
the invaluable service rendered the Con-
federacy by this band OF partisans' VINO
for over two years made miserable inc
hives OF Federal soldiers on duty IN North
.ern Virginia. had heard Colonel Mosby
lrelate many Incidents OF his war ex-
periencc, and after looking upon the
5nen. who had followed him. and
with whom ne had accomplish
;ed apparently impossible tasks, appre-
iciated more fully the dangers faced, the
,diffcultes overcome, and the glory won
'by the famous commander and his men.
It was surely against his Will that Colo
incl Mosby entered the cavalry arm OF the
service hard as It Is for one to THINK OF
tthe superb ca~alrymnn as an inlan,ry
soldier. Colonel Mosby was attending
court ut Abingdon m April. 1861. when he
received the news of the secession OF
Virginia. He Joined cavalry company,
known as the Washington Mounted Rlfles,
and commanded by West Pointer, ca
tain William e. Jones, who afterwards
fell at the head OF his brigade whila
fighting General Hunter In the valley
of Virginia In 1864. All Colonel Mosby' s
friends were in an infantry compan!
which had been raised in the section OF
Washington county in which he resided,
and he applied for transfer to tSnt cons
pany. But on the very day the appli-
cation was made, orders came for Captain
Jones company to proceed to Richmond,
and nothing more was ever hearo OF H.
UNDER "JEB."
Colonel Mosby's company was made
part of the First Virginia Cavalry under
''Jeb" Stuart: later, Stuart was made a
brigader and Captain Jones was made
colonel of the regiment Colonel Mo ,seS
rising to the rank Of adjutant of the First
Virginia His daring. and fondness for
scouting. had attracted the very favor,
Cole a'' Mosby .. About the first Of the
year, 1868. applied to his commander for a
few men with which to conduct independ-
ent partisan operatSns IN Northern wir
to the Federal army the year before and
was not again, occupied by, the Confeder-
.ates. save when General Lee passed
campaign In Maryland. Colonel Mosby
promised General Stuart that II permits
tEion were given him to enter on the ser
vice, of the character he desired. he
would either compel the enemy to very
greatly contract his lines or to reinforce
them. either Of which would be Of great
sion was granted, and. although a very
'hy. thought to make up In zeal and
CELEBRITY Of movement what he lacked in
there was a man In the army Of North
iern Virginia, except General Stuart and
two or three others. who knew him well.
who expected, him to accomplish any
thing. Other bodies Of cavalry sent into
the country, in which he proposed to ope-
lrate, did little or nothing. Colonel Mos
the augurs when he went through War
Tenton with his little party on the way
10 the field OF future operations.
It was not long before the world began
TO hear OF Mosby's men. OutpostS were
captured. wagon trains destroyed. railway
and telegraph communication with
washington interrupted. and as re-
Pc sent to the lines to the rear OF the
Federal army. The fame Of the partisan
bano spread through the North and South.
stories were told at the North. and in
dernr ga Gedmps concerning his ruses his
larlv. commissioned and In constant com
Inunicat!on with his commander, General
stuart. ana with General Lee, after the
1 Sea . OF stuart. the Federal commanders
n Confederate officer A Federal renern,
hanged half dozen OF Mosby's men on
n oneved shs stem Ge wSob e himself
wasds retaliation, One day the comrnona
captured about, thirty prisoners. T rI,.y
We're made to draw slips of paper from
nat Tor the purpose of ascertainiug
which ones OF the number should he
hanged. AZ nightfall, the six unfortunate
were taken close to the Federal lines
get away. the rest were left hanging by
the roadside, u placard pinned TO the
breast Of one Of them announcing 10
General Sheridan that the men were eS
ecuted as measure OF retaliation for the
murder of hosby's men.
There was no more hanging OF prisoners
Although nearly always within the enc
mics lines Mosby's men wore the Con
federate gray. Colonel Mosby has himself
since the war, denounced as Infamous
ialsehoods the statements made by enc
mics mat he and his men disguised them
selves in the uniforms OF the Northern sol
diers.
INTERESTING STORY.
IN this connection an interesting story II
related. All about the close Of the war
Colonel Mosby ordered a young man Of hi!
command named McCue, of Augusta co,ln
~, 10 cross the Potomac into MnrylanC
and capture the mail NJ a certain poytof
flee McCue did so, but he had 10 XII
the postmaster and was himself captured
lie was sentenced 10 be hanged as a spy
President Lincoln was assassnated in III,
meantime. and the case went TO Presiden
Andrew Johnson for final review The lat
ter sent the papers 10 General Grant VIII,
examined them and sent them back 10 IN
President with an Endorsement TO the Il
feet McCue was in the uniform OF Con
federate. soldier when captured, that h