The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-31
COL. M0SB,Y''
AND GRANT
Interesting "reminiscences Of
Their Relations Recalled by
tic Death Of Longstrcet
WHY " " He Ne WAS RE ::I'.l b lcA \
Letters That Bear Upon Mos Mos
by's Political Career and Rc-
veal His True Character.

veal Ills True Character.
rho recent death of Gensfhl 'a''''
r.onystrept lrought to the minds OF y ma
persons Ills rrltItnl attitude atter tho
war, md tho fact that he liad sot'o one, - 'no
l,opublcun rarty recalled tho action OF
,,,lrr distinguished COnfsI"rates VINO
took tbs Same cotirse. Among oti'ers'
Colonel John s. ,Mosby was cited as o'e
who Ind separated himself from ON l''a
Democrat friends and allied hiln I'M: WIZ
tho Republicans. 3
The innuendo that tho men VINO took
Tits action wen, all actuated by desi.o
To got once, and that there was 2 sa ' -
f,co OF principle for profit, mas hiwn1s5
barn rcsc,nted by Colonel Mosby's iriehas'i
who knew that his action was .co ".
trolled by q sense Of what ne slpce'eiy ~.
levcu 10 9De tor tho best lh'ereae =. .,'
state. and tut. 70 fn. from, seeking .,',',,
i, q knew II would be at the expense OF MS
p.r,onnl /, terest. Colonel Mosby enriy
hnd M opportunity OF showing mat Nt
was not nllying himself with the 'nlack
end nti" ,1,...yt which WAS then seeking
r. control Virginia. but that's he wished
/ !, MT tho state In accord with tho pow
ers which, he believed would shape the
dest,pos IL tn. South. 1t was not WIN w
lilo negroes OF Virginia and thelr ~ ull
tint no wished to work Hut WIZ l ,1le
powerful men who controlled tne tsepuu.
'hau t,,a,iA Lie liGrth, at tl,u n+f,'' II
,,,rn, w,,s hi,, ndtsona, friend. (isncrhl
Grant I5
What Mc'sby Suffered,
What Colonel l1osby SUI Grad imme-
dlatcly after tho war by reason y. so
extraordinary eIilc!ency as q Confederate
soldier Is not generally known Dul y -
fact that he was saved from constant
and harassjng interference by malevolent
Fedorals through the Influence and pro-
tectlon of Gen.srnl Grant. This was tho
first step towards a close personal friend
ship between Grant and Mostly, and N
tho Greeley and Grant campaign OF .lsN
Colonel Mosby.H with many other Vlr-
rinia Democrats. supported Grant ana
carried ths State for him. In the KEN
per and Hughes Campaign for governor
which followed tho next year. Colonel
Mosby refused ITO support the Republl-
can ticket, because Of Its alliance WIN
the negroes, and h' Informed ueneral
| Grant in a letter that he ''repelled tho
ldea that he intended to Identify himself
| With the negro party Of Virginia
| Though he obtained many offlcos for his
| friends, he wou.l never take any. office
for himself from General Grant; but
when Mr.. Hayes became President and
/ commenced the policy, Of practical recon.
| Citation and took the Confederate and
1 conservative Democrat, D. NJ Key, into
| his Cabinet as Postmaster-General. Col
onel Mosby accepted the consulate TO
| Hong Kong,
In conversation recently with Judge
| Keith, he told the writer that, he re
| n,emhercd we'll the circums tanoes under
4 which Colonel Mosby, was pi1oed after
tho war, and his connection with tho Re-
| nuhl'nnr nartv. ard ". has set them forth
In a letter printed below.
No more loyal son OF Virginia ever
braYed death in defense OF her soil than
| John g. Mostly, and It Is we'll now that
tho mists OF ignorance and unreasonng
pr,judIce have dissolved away that this
heroic soldier can stand In the clear light
OF truth. his high character untarnlshed,
and his answering loyalty to his peopAs
l mistaken. ls4a
Judge Keith's "reminiscences.
Richmond, Va, Jan. q. 1904.
Joseph Bryan. esq, City:
Dear sir,--You have asked mo to write
! out certain "reminiscences Of Colonel Mos.
i BY. In which you seemed to be Interested
i I shall say nothing Of his services as
soldier; they are known Of all men. Nor
shall I have much to say OF his polttlcal
career. except In SO far as the incident
which am aboutTto nnrrnte may nave
4 had some Influence upon It.. shai' con-
4 tent myself with bearing testimony to
z the dislnterest edness OF Colonel Moaby
political position, beginning With his sep
aration from the Democratic party IN
1879.
i You vii; remember that the nomination
OF Horace Cr,-'v by the Democratic party
\ excited ntc dissatisfaction. Great
numbers o st earnest Democrats re-
fused to support him. and tho division
in the party ranks was so SERIOUS tha'
tho electoral vote of Virginia was given
/ to General Grant. Tn bringing about TINS
4 result Colone; Mostly was largely instru'
mental, and he himself was, as ! have nc
y doubt, controlled by many influences
i untngonism to Horace Greedy, common
as rhnve said to a great body OF psmo
Gratis; high respect and q kindly teellnI
towards General Grant, common to tht
great body OF Confederate soldiers bu
In his case intensified by circumstances
which am about to relate; but IN ad
dltion to th,se two considerations ne hac
a profound co ,viction thar the pest ~
terests OF Virginia and OF the people o
the South would he advanced hy estap
.shing friendly relations with the part!
N power. that to unite our fortune witt
the Democratic party would be to ARA!
ourselves against forces which CONTROLLED
!. and would likely IN the future CONTINUE
IN control, Of the dominant section, ar
that any scheme OF politics based upol
tho solidarity of the South would teI''
TO produce, and ultimately would be con
X tronted with. an equally sof'd and az
verse North Th,se considerations deter
, mined Colonel Moshy's position ~ w
national campaign OF 1874 IN lsIs NOW
, ever, when Kemner was candidate 70
Governor Of Virginia, and Robert "
Hughes tho nominee Of the Repup1'sa'
party, he refused to support the latte
because he would not be instruments
In bringing the people OF his state una &c
. tho domination OF the radical fepup e,s