The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-09

work of storio. that thrilled and dazzlcd
men who were forced to perform we MOI.
member OF The command told me, at Cnl-
pepper the other day that Colonel Mos ,i
nevor had over four hundred men IN MS
ms The Forty-third Battalion. Virginia CAY.
nlrv. Mos6y was advanced from the rank
Of captain successfully to that of major,
''s" 'e''"i THE GREAT DANGER. =.
1t Is impossible at tho peersent day to
gather from survivors of Mosby's com I'm.
imana o of their undertaknss. The dan
| gcrous parts are slurred over In the
telling: they much prefer to dwell upon
the humorous features OF their adventures.
| Charles H. Dear, Of Rappahannock coun-
| ty who was one Of Mosby's most fear
less riders. told me recently OF their ex.,
peIience In capturing q Baltimore and
who Who carried $500 with which 10 pay
OFF troops. 1t was after night. Just as
the command reached the railway train
passed They took up r, rail III, n "a, cut hy
as little loss Of life ns possible Present,
~ the train they were looking for could
be heard In the distance. It came on at
t tract reared red there w would be many
people killed when the engine reached
the point where the. rail- had been re-
moved, But 1t Elided on rather, rather gently
and nobody was seriously injured.
Mosby's troopers were aboard In an In
stnnt, Charley Dear we'll In the front.
There was great excitement among me
fred his pistol but did no damage. Dear
and his companions made prisoners OF
paymnster. major and two or three cap
tains OF his stan' The oii'cers were ,. rerS
they had with them, and. of course TINS
made Dear all the moro determined TO
have II In less t thnn an hour ssoo hS n
sreenbacks. The men received about $1,000
apiece. The greenback raid, as 1t is
called. will always be famous In the an
nails of Mosby's command.
So will many other of the adventures
OF the gallant band. Mosbv's capture. of
General stoughton has been told so fire.
Colonel NIosby took a handful of mon,
penetrated the enemy's lines to the head:
quarters OF General stoughton. captured
Quietly : that ) when the sleeping apartment
awake. and Colonel Mosby had to spank
him to awaken him.
the men opportunity for plenty OF fun. 4
night of hard riding and flghting would
be followed by day Of rest far from the
neighborhood that would last until dawn.
Sometimes the approach Of q Federal cav
airy would cause the cavaliers to leave
the ballroom In unseemly haste.
AFTER a RAID.
Alter a RAID lHe 1llelHbelS Va VIC I'm
mand would scatter to their homes orNto
tho homes Of friendly farmers. When he
planned another raid Colonel Mosby would
send out notices to the men OF me pace
Vile, Berryviile snickcrsville, all are
mentioned as favorite Meeting places.
Mosby's men never tire Of dwelling upon
the loyalty to Southern cause of the peo-
pie of Piedmont and Northern Virginia.
Colonel Mosby has termed this section the
Flanders Of the South; yet, the people
they remained true to the last. recoGniz-
ing Mosby as their chief shield. and sup
porting him to the last. When the COM
mand was finally disoanded on A55ril q
General Lee. the men were as well mount
ed, and. perhaps. rs strong In numbers as
at any time during the war. They had
lived off the enemy.
tempt was made. to connect him With the
assassination Of President Lincoln 1t |
was frequently reported during the war
that Mosby r had been TO MashnfeoR was
often Of. I'VE Very = near 'i to the capital Upon
one occasion he was riding along road
in Fairfax county. when he overlook or
to Washington Colonel Mosby borrowed |
n pair Of scissors from her, and telling |
her who he was clipped off a lock OF his
that she give It to Mr. Lincoln. and tell
him that he would call in person IN
few days. Mr.. Lincoln is said to have
enjoyed the Joke.
command OF the forces nearest Mosbys
command when the war ended. Ne
gotiations for the surrender of the COM
were peno or br ree daHs vas
upon, but at It's conclusion agreement as |
to terms Of surrender had not been reach
e. There eeWeen nndsr and
some Officers sent by Colonel Mosby. DR.. |
a. Monteiro of Richmond. was Of Colo,
mel Mosbys representatives. General
was to be the Democratic candidate for |
the presidency received the Conferedates
In the most pleasant manner possible.
one Of them said he for the first time felt
a doubt as to the justice OF the Southern
cause.
HORSE RAN AWAY.
A day or two later there was meet |
ing between Colonel Mosby and his off,
GERS on one side, and representatives
of General Hancock on the other. While |
the officers were in house discussing the
terms of surrender one OF Mosby's men
was hobnobbng with the Federal sol
diers on the outside. The man was very
doubtful OF the good faith OF his enemies,
and was constantly on the lookout for
for horse.race. and could not resist.
The course lay for some distance down
the road He could not stop his horse.
and the animal ran into where n Federal
regiment was lying quietly in camp. OF
course, the unexpected and wild appear
ance of the trooper created excitement.
But nobody was so, excited as he, and
when he succeeded In turning his horse
he galloped back to the hotel, and, rush
Ing had been planned for the purpose OF
Of the two sides were In conference, de-
clared in an excited voice that the meet
ing had ben plannd for the purpose OF
forming an amDuscade,
Everybody sprang to their feet, and
an eyewitness says that for an instant
It appeared as though there would be
DESPERATE strugsle to the death right
there. But everything was explained
and the excitement subsidized. Still. the
conference broke up ut once and Colonel
Mosby and his officers left the room,
mounted ther horses. and rode away. A
few days later he gathered his mon about
him, spoke few eloquent sentences COM
mending their bravery and devotion to
duty in the years he had led them, and |
said farewell, Then the men dispersed,
the little colonel In gray riding off almost
alone.
lie has never been at the head of his
command but once since. Ten years
90 no If no hat al bnl1