Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-01-11


reconnaissance in the back yard and |
found him shivering in a state described |
In the following despatch
Rough Plight Of a Colonel.
Provost Marshals Office,
Fairfax Court House Va, Mch Q. 1868. |
Captain Mosbv with his command en-
tered this town this morning at a. IN. |
They captured my patrols horses etc |
They took Brgadier Gen. Stoughton and !
horses and all his men detached from his !
brigade. They took every horse that !
could be found, public and private; and |
the commanding officer Of the post, Col |
tombstone. Of the Fifth New York Cav
airy. made his escape from them in a
nude state by accident. They searched for
me in every direction. but being on the
Vienna road visiting outposts / made
my escape.
l.. L. CONNER, Provost Marshal
r. S. All our available cavalry forces
are in pursuit Of them.
They pursued us in one direction while
We went i'm the opposite.
It is reported that when the news came
to Mr.. Lincoln that I had captured a
hrigadier general and a hundred horses,
he remarked with dry humor that he did
not care so much for the loss of the
general. as he could make another in five
minutes, but that he hated to lose the
horses.
When We got back on the pike leading
to Centreville, which we had crossed a
few hours before, l closed up the column,
put Hunter i'm charge. and ordered him
to go on at a fast trot with one man,
Joe Nelson, ] rode some distance behind.
as there was danger Of pursuit by Wynd-
hams cavalry. We were getting away
from one danger but running into another
The pike ran through hostile camps in
our front at Centreville; and off on the
right were other camps at Chantilly.
To escape we had to pass the narrow
isthmus dotted with picket posts between
them. I had tempted fate so far that 1t
was safer to go on than to turn back. Soon
the lights Of the camp fires on the heights
/ Of Centrevile could be seen-day was
just beginning to break-and the column
halted ] galoped forward. and saw a
fire on the pike before us. with the
slightest delay or hesitation all would
/ have been lost; We were girdled by foes.
l rode ahead to reconnoiter: the fire was
/ deserted: the pickets had been sent out
/ in the evening: with dawning day they
/ had gone back to camp I called to
! Hunter to come on. We had won a point.
/ 1t was time for us to quit the pike; so
We turned off to the right and
moved on. ! was riding in front. We
were passing around a redoubt and could
see the cannon bristling through the en-
=
/ hailed us, but there was no answer to the
! challenge.
Just then there was shot fired behind
me. ] wheeled and saw Captain Barker
dashng at fun speed from our column
. toward the redoubt. Jake. Hungarian.
. was close after him and fired the shot
T Bankers horse tumbled into a ditch.
Jake pulled them out All this occurred
+ in fun view OF the guard on the parapet
. No doubt he was puzzled at the scene.
/ but as | had more prisoners than my
own men, he must have thought we were
I Union cavalry.
We soon hanked the Notifications and
reached the banks Of Cub Run. There
was melting snow; the stream was
booming and we were stil within cannon
shot OF Centreville. There was only one
/ altcrnative-to swim over or be captured.
| l plunged in; Stoughton followed. When
he came out OF his cold bath he said,
laughing. This is the first rough treat
ment l have had TO complain Of The
danger was past, the game was won; for
I knew that no cavalry would follow us.
There remained only one last risk. Soon
this. too, was past. They might cut us
off when came back to the pike No
enemy pursued. We could see their tents
on the heights. and in a few minutes
there dawned a glorious sunrise. In the
rapture OF the moment / exclaimed,
George! that Is the sun Of Austerlitz. "
I felt n deep sympathy for Stoughton
when he looked back at the camps and
saw that all hope was lost.
We took our prisoners to Warrenton
where Stoughton breakfasted with the
/ Bcckham family-old friends of his; for
. he had been at West Point with Frank
Beckham. who was then Confederate
artillery officer. and had spent a vacation
at the very house where he now went as
prisoner. l arranged TO send a despatch
to Stuart. telling him the news. The
next morning I presented Stoughton and
the officers at Fitz-Lees headquarters a
I Culpcper.
The operator at Culpeper told me tina
Stuart was on train that was soon due
I met him at the depot; my despatch haC
been delivered TO him en- route. I shall
never forget the JOY he expressed ovel
what I had done. He issued n genera
order announcing II to the cavalry, anC
said II was a feat unparalleled in tn,
war" In Il few days I received the fol
lowing letter, which proves his nobl,
nature:
Headquarters Cav. Div.
Army of Northern Va.
} Mch. 25, 1868.
Captain John s Mosby.
] Dear Captain:-I inclose your evidenc
l Of appointment by the president in tn
, | Provisional Army Of the Confederat
J States. You will perceive by Gen. Lee
accompanying instructions that you vii
: be continued in your precent sphere o
! conduct and enterprise. Already a cap
l tain. you will proceed TO organize a BAN
e of permanent followers for the war; bu
4 by all means ignore the term PARTIAL
[ Ranger" It is in bad repute. Call you
company "Mosby's Regulars" and
2 will give II a tone of meaning and soli
' worth which all the world will soon rec
D ognize, and you will inscribe that nam
e OF a fearless band OF heroes on the page
$ OF our country's history and enshrin
: 1t in the hearts of a grateful people. lie
2 'Mosby's Regulars" be a name of prid
4 with friends and respectful trepidatio
4 with enemies.
Very truly yours,
n ]. f. B. STUART,
Major General.