Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-07-03
Civil War Stories


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The mention of Mosby's Rangers re-
caiis most wildly the stirring times
OF the war, when these same men were
not the peaceful citizens of to-day. but
the much-feared bold spirits that spent
their days and nights in harassiag the
boys that Uncle sam sent out to cap
ture them. The band known as the
Mosby Rangers was in fact the Forty
third Virginia Battalion, regularly
organized troop, In which the officers
We're commissioned and under the per
so1al supervision of Mosby, who was
subordinate to General Lee, just as
We're the other officers of the Confed-
crate army. These rangers. however.
We're gathered for species of warfare
which, being exercised In an independ-
emit way, was the means of harassing
the enemy and of keeping the large
armies of the Union constantly on the
alert. AS line is only as strong as
its weakest point il sometimes took
several thousand Federal troops to
guard road or communicat tons, when
they We're In truth menaced by only
Few hundred, The rangers, who were
composed of the young men of the
state, received no compensation from
the Confederate government for their
services, other than the spoils of war
taken by their own efforts from the
enemy. Many Of the soldiers were but
Boys, some scarcely out of school, but
the flower of the South could be found
IN their ranks while for daring and
absolute fearlessness they had no equal.
That part of Virginia which is in
cluded in Fauquier and Fairfax coun-
ties became known as Mosby's Confed-
eracy, and In a short time was practi-
cally under the control Of his men.
Ceaseless were the skirmishes which
took place, the thrilling adventures and
hair-breadth escapes they encountered,
but none perhaps are as remarkable as
the affair In which they went boldly
into the center of Union camp and
too5 out from its midst a slumbering
general, escaping with their prey under
the very frown of the guns in the Fed
eral forts.
This adventure occurred In March,
1868, just after the battle of Chan
cellorsville, and about the time that
Lee had begua TO marshal his forces
for an intended invasion Of the North.
Brlgadier General Stoughton and a
large force were encamped at the little
village of Fairfax, which is the county
seat of the vicinity, and numbers a few
hundred inhabitants The men of the
force were quartered about the place,
while the general had his headquarters,
with his staff, at the brick house which
is now used as the rectory for the Epls-
copal clergyman of the town This res
idence is a large one, standing In the
midst Of lot of goodly size. just about
100 yards from the main road. and the
front room in the second story was
occupied by the commanding general.
The night selected by the rangers
was cold, drizzling one, and they set
out on their journey from their start
ing point. which was several miles out
side the enemy's lines about the town,
at gear midnight The lines OF the
Federals extended in every direction
about the country. some of the Union
forces being at Centerville, tiny ham
let six miles from Fairfax. In order
to escape the pickets the rangers made
a detour, and striking off from the
main road on which they were travel
ing managed to approach the town in
such way that the Federals could but
suppose the troop was part Of their
own force. The read was anything
but a pleasant one to ride, for the
mud was as deep as only Virginia mud
can be, bur the lncn plodded on, mulfled
up In their cloaks, TIL they saw in the
misty distance a few lights family
cleaning through the trees
The soldiers belonging to Stoughton's
force were souadly sleeping, artillery,
cavalry and infantry being quartered
about in the citizens houses. The gen
eral was IN the center of the town, and
had retired late, having extensively
celebrated at a supper at which there
was liberal supply Of champagne
Mosby. with twenty men, rode slowly
into the town about two hours before
dawn, and trotting up TO the Court
House green the little party divided,
some going 10 get supplies that were
procurable, as well ms the horses of the
enemy. while Mosby and two or three
Of his men rode down 10 the headquar-
tiers Of the general
No sound was to be heard In the
foggy darkness but the slight splash
OF the horses in the muddy road. and
even had any Of the enemy been awake
they would never have dreamed for a
moment that the guerillas, as they
we're called. were calmly riding about
In the midst of their camp, having
aluded by stratagem the plckets posted
along the line. Mosby and his men
rode up 10 the generals house and dis
the leader boldly knocking