The Washington herald., 1912-10-27
Colonel Mosby Talks
Of War Time Days
Hale and Erect at Sepenty-nine Years of Age,
Old Confederate, Styled a Guerrilla,
Becomes Retrospective.

| Bristol, Tenn, Oct S-Marching in tri
umphant old age back across the scenes
of strife and carnage which laid waste
many of Virginia's fair possessions OF
! of nearly half a century ago. silencing
forever many of the heroes of the
Northern and Southern armies. Col.
John Singleton Mosby. persistently and
erronously styled a guerrilla. told to old
comrades and neighbors in this city
what to his mind was the hardest battle
he ever fought. With his head and
shoulders erect. carrying still that poise
OF the distinguished warrior that he was.
this striking figure of the Virginia cam
paign related to ante-bellum friends and
neighbors here many of the thrilling in
cidents of his life from 1861 until the
surrender at Appamattox in 1865.
of the many conflicts he said with
a show of feeling. in which / was en-
gagged in that great war which tried
mems souls. none. to my mind and
heart. was so hard as that on the day
in 1861 when I kissed my devoted wife
and my darling little baby good-by and
marched away to fight for the Southland.
The rest of my experiences, covering
four years of service and sacrifice, We're
easy compared with that of the taking
leave of my family. l never expected to
live to get back home. 1 was not afraid
of death, but the thought that I might
never again see my family or be of d.
rect service to them was the one crush
ing sentiment which ragged in my heart.
was overpowered for the time. but
blindly marched on in response to the
|call to arms"
Waiting Old Haunts.
While Col. Mosbys legal residence is
at Bedford City, Va, he has spent most
of the time in recent years in Washing
ton. During his long residence at the
Capital he has frequently written old as
sociates and comrades here and in this
region Of his intention to come back for
a tour Of the scenes that were familiar
to him prior to the civil war, but 1t was
not until recently that he carried out
his purpose.
Now. in his seventy-ninth year. nat
urally his great mind is clear upon in
cidents and events of half a century
ago, and it was somewhat confusing
to many Of the residents here. being
almost entirely of a new generation.
when he made inquiry of this or that
man. or woman. whom he knew here
prior to the civil war.
Gid" Burkett was a practicing lawyer
in Bristol when Col. Mosby, as a young
man, left Charlottesville. Va, where he
studied law while serving as a prisoner
for shooting, to begin the practice of
his profession. Col. Mosby retains the
most interesting recofiections of Cid
Burkett and of many others who were
here at that time. but who are remem-
bered by only the very aged residents
and by those who take an interest in
tracing community history. 1t was only
to this class that his inquiries signifed
any special interest. As matter of fact.
Col. Mosby. as might have been ex-
pected. found almost entirely a new
generation here. not one in a thousand
of whom had ever heard the name of
Gid" Burkett until Col. Mosby began
to relate some of the mans amusing
experience as lawyer and citizen.
There are still. however. a few of the
men and women here who were resi-
dents when Col. Mosby hung out his
law Office shingle on the main street of
the then simple village, at this point
on the Virginia-Tennessee line where
the first two railroads of the South met.
and which roads. it was then predicted.
would eventually be united in forming
the main line of transportation from
the New England States to the South.
While here Col. Mosby visited the old
home on North Moore Street. in which
he and his family lived prior to the Civil
War. He was much gratified to find
that the family now occupying the house
was posted as to his war achievements
and took special pride in the fact that
they were living in the house that was
once occupied by this famous warrior.
Not a Guerrilla.
guerrilla by many persons who have had
occasion to refer to his achievements. he
denies that he possessed any Of the char
acteristics which made it necessary or
appropriate to place him in that cate
declare, only distinguished member Of
"Jeb'' Stuart's cavalry, and was singled
out for special duty in command Of a
because of his peculiar fitness
for harrassing and weakening the enemy
by the exercise of bold strategy in |
His gallantry and his tact |
drew men to him. and the fearless band |
known as 'Mosby's Men had to a man |
imbibed the Mosby spirit, and thus 1t |
was that they were able to capture SO |
many Federal soldiers and seize and de- |
stroy their wagon trains in the memoir |
able Virginia campaign.
To this day the whole of the Valley Of /
Virginia is grateful to Col. Mosby for |
the part he played in the campaign |
ington, touching the valley region, be- |
cause it offered the most direct route |
of attack upon the National Capital. were
so stringent and uncompromising that |
but for the daring of such men as
Mosby and those under his command the /
people of the valley might have been
forced to starvation. 1t was his daring |
and determination and his constant har-
RAISING Of the Union forces that gave
the Inhabitants Of that part Of Virginia |
a chance to get the bare necessities Of /
life.
Thfs situation. and the necessity for
such Cork as he accomplished. Col Mos
by described In detail to Col Sam King.