The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-10-06
GIVES Z, S. HIS CRUTCHES.
Col. Mosby Deposits His Uniform i'll
National Museum.

Washington, Sept. 24.-Col. John
S. Mosby, the famous cavalry leader
of the Confederacv, to-day presented
the United States National Museum
the pair of crutches which he used
when wounded during the Civil War.
They were made by slave belong
ing to his father.
These crutches were twice in the
headquarters Of Gen. Robert E.
Lee, and on each occasion under the
arms of A1osby. When Colonel
Mosby alighted from an ambulance
and hobbled toward headquarters on
crutches, General Lee came out IN
company with General Longstreet,
and introduced Longstreet to Mos
by. Then, eyeing the crutches. Cen
eral Lee said: The only fault l
have to find with your conduct, Col
cnel Mosby, is that YOU are always
getting wounded"
consisting Of unvarnished sticks OF
wood, fitted into arm-bars at the
top, and one of them is covered with
calico fitted over padding. The pad
ding is worn Off the other crutch
On one crutch is metal plate bear
ing the words:
'John S. Mosby, 1S63-lS64.
Wrapped around the crutches'
which are tied together. is sheet
of paper on which, in the handwrlt-
ing of Colonel Mosby, is the follow
ing statement:
These crutches were made for me
during the war by a slave named
Isaac, who belonged to my father
They we're first used in August, 1868
when 1 went home wounded. My
mother kept them for me, and |
again used them in September, 1854
and December, 1854.
Jno. S. Mosby.'
He has his mother to thank for
saving these crutches and she valu-
ed them highly. Colonel Mosby
said:
'.I have often told my mother that
she was never so happy as she was
during the war when she was read
ing the newspaper accouns OF my
adventures. The thought never
seemed to enter her head that | was
in danger of being killed. I have
told her often that if she had COM
manded the Army of Northern Vir-
ginia, the South would have won it's
independence or it would be fighting
now"
The Mosby crutches viii be placed
in the museum with his other gifts,
which include a bust of himself,
made the year after the war by VAL
entine; Mosby's hat and the military
Jacket" he wore at the end OF the
war. This jacket bears the three
stars of a Confederate colonel.
Zone night during the last winter
of the war;" said Colonel Mosby,
1.-The night of December 21, 1864, l
was at a house over there in Vir-
ginia getting supper. The house
was surrounded by about 400 New
York cavalrymen. They tired
through the windows. One bullet
went through pane of glass, struck
me in the left side just above the
waist, ran around the front OF my
body and lodged in my right side.
"The Yankees ran in. I pretended
to be dying. They stripped me OF
my clothing. I gave them t1ctl-
tious name, but before they got into
the room l had removed my jacket
containing the three stars lndlcat-
ing my rank, and had thrown 1t
quickly under bureau. I told them
I was a lieutenant, knowing my
pants were too good for them to be-
lieve me private. They took my
hat, overcoat and cape. They
brought along a Yankee surgeon,
who leaned over to examine me. l
pretended to be dying, and the sur
geon said: Eyes, he has been shot
through the heart" locating my
heart down about my stomach.
"Afterward, when the affair be-
came known, it was gossiped about
the camps that I was the man in the
house, and the Yankees returned to
capture me. But by that time the
bird had flown"