The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-26
MOSBY'S CRUTCHES
ARE NOW In MUSEUM.

Washington. d. G., September as
Colonel John S. Mosby. the famous cav
airy leader of the Confederacy, has pre-
scented to the United States National
Museum the pair of crutches which ne
used when wounded during the civil
War They We're made by slave be-
longing to his father.
These crutches were twice In the
headquarters of General Robert q. Lee,
and on each occasion under the arms OF
Mosby. When Colonel Mosby allghted
from an ambulance and hobbled toward
headquarters on crutches General Lee
came out, In company with General
Longstreet, and introduced Longstreet
to Mosby Then. eying the crutches,
General Lee said: THE only f>nt
have to find with your conduct, Colonel
Mosby, is that you are always getting
wounded"
The crutches are plainly made, con-
sisting of unvarnished sticks OF wood,
fitted into arm-bars at the top, and one
OF them Is covered with calico fitted
over padding. The padding is worn of
metal plate bearing the words:
John s. Mokby, 1s63-1S64."
| Wrapped around the clutches, which
are tied together, Is a sheet of paper,
on which, in the handwriting of Colonel
Mosby, is the following statement:
"These crutches were made for me
during the war by slave named Isaac,
who belonged to my father. They We're
first used In August, 1863, when went
home wounded, My mother kept them
for me, and again used them In Sep
TENDER, 1864. and December, 1854.
JOHN s.. MOSBY."
i 4 II !, bo hf. ,,,othnr fo than<NfOr saw.
| ing these crutches, and she had valued
them highly. Colonel Mosby said:
IT have often told my mother thai
she was never so happy as she was
during the war when she was reading
| the newspaper accounts of my adven-
lures The thought never seemed to
enter her head that | was in danger OF
being killed. have told her often
that II she had commanded the Army OF
Northern Virginia the South would have
won its independence or 1t would be
fighting now"
Tho Mosby crutches will be placed In
the museum with his other gifts, which
include bust of himself, made tho
i year after the war by Valentine; Mos
I by's hat and the military Jacket" he
Il wore at the end of the war This
Jacket bears the three stars Of Con
federate colonel.
zone night during the last winter OF
the war" said Colonel Mosby. "tht
y night OF December 81, 1864. was at i
d house over there in Virginia getting
supper. The house was surrounded b,
about 400 New York cavalrymen. They
Aired through the windows. One hulle
went through pane of glass, STRUCK
me in the left side Just above the waist
ran around the front OF my body ant
I. lodged In my right side. 04
1.-THE Yankees ran In, ] pretended
to be dying They stripped me OF m,
clothing 7 gave them fictitious name
but before they got into the room
had removed my Jacket containing tn
three stars indicating my rank, an,
had thrown it-auickly under a bureau
l told them I was a lieutenant, knowing
my pants We're too good for them \
believe me a private, They took m
hat, overcoat and cape. They brough
along a Yankee surgeon, who leane
lover to examine mel pretended t
be dying, and the surgeon said Yes. h
has been shot through tho heart 10
eating my heart down about my ston,
h aeh. y.
.'Afterward, when the affair BEGAN,
|. known, At was gosslped about the camp
THAT I was the man b the house, an