New-York tribune., 1906-12-01
MOSBY'S MEN.
A Thrilling Record of DmedeUil
ErpIoits.

John " Munson. With fifteen Illustrations
STo. pp xvi. ~. MoTat. Yard & Go.
The story which MI Munson has to tell is
rather narrative Of personal experiences than
a history of the 4Sd Virginia Battalion Of Cav
alry-which was the official If little used, des
ignation of the band of partisan rangers that
made UP Colonel Mosby's command. The book
does not suffer any loss of interest on that ac-
count and the incidents related in sufficient
ly consecutive order to convey a very vivid and
complete idea of the organization and Its opera
tons The volume is one succession OF lively
and daring adventures, described in vein of
naive frankness that is a guarantee Of their
substantial accuracy, despite the authors con-
fessed youthful ability imaginative am
broiderer Of fact
The activity Of the rangers was confined TO a
few counties, known during the war as "Mosoys
Confederacy' yet including q territory large
enough to afford scope for variety Of exciting
enterprises and ample room for eluding the too
inquisitive attentions OF superior forces OF the
enemy. Here during the suspension OF all
forms of local government, Mosby acted as q
practical dictator, and here his men enjoyed
the grateful hospitality of the Inhabitants. The
life they led was unlike that followed by any
other body Of troops in either army.
His men had no camps nor fixed quarters, and
never slept in tents. They did not even know
anything about pitching tent Inc lae@ 0 faa 1s
never entertained. When We wanted to eat We
7fPpe9 ft{Ps town VI and Bought What we wanted Every
man IN the command had some specie! IaTIn t ae
9o Kb6Wedge Of the first principles Of cavalry drill.
ana fers o0u sHer bsen a1y need for our doing so We
did not know the bugle calls and very rarely had
us well however-to obey orders and 10 fight
The only weapon used by the guerillas was the
n1uzzle loading Colts army revolver Al cauore'
~ which each man carried at least two. "As
general thing" writes Mr. Munson. our real
fights were fast and furious and quickly over
one or the other side Withdrawing at dead run
when the pistols were empty" The general aim
Of the command was to harass the enemy by
operating within its lines, and for this purpose
Mosby usually relied upon small detachrnents
working in different directions Whatever was
needed in the way Of mounts. equipment. arms
and ammunition was obtained in raids upon the
camps and trains Of the federal forces, or pur-
chased with money got in the same way. IN
fact the methods OF the highwayrpan were char
acteristic of the gueriIas whether acting in con-
junction or individuals. Any one not
Southern sy1npathizer was fair game, and North
ern suffers were the favorite quarry. Yet MosDy
himself was graduate Of the University OF Viz
ginia. and "a very large percentage" of his fol-
regarded Mosbys command as the proper
channel through which to express their feelings
on a subject that made some sort Of action
essary" as the author suavely expresses It.
While they ran great personal risks, the re-
wards were not to be despised. They lived we'll
and dressed we'll each man had several mounts,
and the famous "greenback raid when the
paynlasters of Sheridan's army were captured,
yielded up more than So 100 in Northern money
to each private in the ranks. It does not appear
to have occurred to Mosby to turn the cash over
70 his bankrupt government. The guerilIas
were generous enough with their booty. how
ever.
Whenever made successful Taid. made it
a point 10 repay the farmers and country people
plies. The return from suffers raid was holl-
day occasion 1or eIeryPody got something, or
fifty fat cattle from General Sheridan's supply
train, and we gave our friends half Of them 1i-
viding them among all the people living within
range.
It was Mosbys spectacular capture Of General
stoughton at Fairfax Court House that first
brought him into the limelight Of notoriety.
Though the town was held by several brigades
of federal troops Mosby, with only tweuty-nine
men penetrated the lines night and trotted
out with a hundred mounted prisoners among
them the commanding officer Stoughton was
in bed and asleep when Mosbv entered his room
and "unceremoniously woke him up by spank
ing him on his bare skin.
The general was properly Mortified such
| liberty and, when asked If he had ever heard Of
. Mosby, quickly answered:
Yes Have you got him.
Mosby replied:
mo, but he has got you,
Other members Of the command were not
behind their chief in this sort of daredevilTy
Mr.. Munson relates how Tom Lake and seven
men were detailed to convey forty-seven pris-
oners to General J E. B. Stuart. They into
Hancocks column, and not only crossed It safely
without raising alarm, but swept in several
additional prisoners they went through. The
author himself at time captured but
redeem ed his reputation by a daring escape
from the prison in Washington. Donning blue
blouse, to which he had affixed the conspicuous
green insignia Of d Union hospital steward, i'm
provised from the covering OF green paper box.
he boldly walked out of the door When his
escape was discovered, the rest Of the prisoners
were handcuffed in pairs and sent TO Fort War
rem in Boston Herbor. where they were kept
until the end Of the
SIBIL.
! This Is the glamour Of the world antique:
The thyme scents OF Hymettus I'LL the air
nd In The grass QarciSsuS- Guns ara fair.