Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-10-17
Hon. John W. Mason Pronounces
Eulogy on Capt, Maulsby.
TELLS OF HIS COURAGE
AND BRILLIANT CAREER
Old Commander Loved His Native
State n as Was Fitting Died on
Top Of One Of It's Highest Peaks
Only "a Now Living Of His Com
mand Of so Men.
mand Of so Men.


In his address delivered at the bier
Of his late commander. Captain
Thomas A. Maulsby, Judge John W.
Mason, OF Fairmont, this week gave a
telling talk upon the magnificent rec
ord Of the dead soldier. Judge Mason
was in the command OF Captain
Maulsby and was fitted to talk upon
the subject. Speaking of Captain
Maulsby he said:
When the civil war broke out. Cap
tain Maulsby was nearly 2S years of
age. He had been married about five
Years and was the father or three
baby boys. the youngest OF whom was
only about two months, when the
father enlisted. He was at that time
OF great physical power and was 81
feet high and weighes $50 pounds
a perfect specimen OF a well develop.
ed athletic young man.
In August 1860 Captain Maulshy re-
cruited what was known as Company
G, Sixth Regiment of Virginia Infan-
try and was mustered into the service
as captain on August 20. 1861. At the
time the company was mustered in 1t
consisted of 80 men. OF that number
only "a are living today. We were
mustered into service at Fairmont.
Manly OF the older citizens viii re-
member us as country boys, young
and strong, and they VIII scarcely
be able to realize that only "a OF us
remain.
In July, 1862, Company G was de-
tailed to .ale charge Ct a six-gun bat
terry of light artillery. The command
was increased to the requisite number
of an artillery company by details
from companies In the Sixth regi-
ment. The company was finally
ii ansferreJ from the infantry arm or
the service and became Battalion Il,
First West Virginia Light artillery in
March, 1863. The total number of men
belonging to both the commands az
different times is 1G2, OF whom Is
are still living.
In June, 1863, when General Lee
marched his great army down the Val
ley OF Virginia and crossed the Poto-
mac, Battery F was at Martinsburg.
We had there only one brigade with
which to repel the attack Of a liyis
ion supported by an entire army
corps. Lees advance reached Martins
burg June "A, 1868. under command OF
General Rhodes. The commander OF
the federal brigade. with more ccur-
age than discretion male q fee bic and
quite disastrous attempt to hold his
position. This was a serious mistake
or rather a criminal blunder, for many
good men were numerically sacri-
feed. Among these was Captain
Maulsby. While e~ndeavorlng TO ex-
trlcate his battery from the Danger
ous position in which it was placed,
he received a gun shot wound In the
right leg, just below The knee involv.
ing the knee joint from which he
never recovered.
From that time on until his death,
Captain MaulsDy was not free for one
moment from pain and suffering. Dur
ing all these years his life was a iy-
ing death. For more than sixty-ive
years he carried with him a leg abso-
lutely asleep, and practically lead.
Captain Maulsby had. al the time of
his wound, just reached the point in
his military career where he was
useful to his country and when his
genius had been made apparent. What
his career In the army would have
been had he not been permanently |
disabled, can only be conjectured' but
1t promised to he a very brilliant one
To us his services seemed indispens
able at the time. But God wiled Il
otherwise and no one ever heard Cap
tain Maulsby question he wisdom OF
God in overriding His plans or to re-
bel against a providence.
Captain Maulsby was devoted to his
native state. He loved her valleys,
her hills and her mountains. IT was
fitting that when the end came. that
the Death Angel should find him at
the top Of one Of the loftiest peaks OF
the Alleghenies. Let US hope that
from the morntain tops his great SOU
assembled to that Great City, The /
Nsa~, rer,saaay, ;, whore there shall he /