The Washington herald., 1912-11-24
Col John S. Mosby Again Victorious
In Hard Battle Nth the Great Enemy
Noted ConfederateLead-
er Who Defied Death
for -Four Years Dur
ing Cipil War Re
copers from Illness.

copers from Illness.
Col John s. Mosby, upon whom the
fingers Of death 50 nearly closed hun
dreds of times In the four long years
of civil war, during which his name
was by-word among unfearing soldiers
for reckless daring and brilliant courage,
has once again defied the great enemy.
For Col Mosby, against whom the en-
emy this time moved insidiously, bring
ing him low with long illness. is recov-
cred, and come back into somewhat Of
his old-time vigor, and, barring the re-
lapses that all convalescents must fear,
soon once more will be the sturdy vet
eran Of the bloody war between the
States and the recipient Of felIcitations
= from admirers. North and South.
The remarkable Confederate cavalry
: man has had a hard siege, and while
he lay upon a bed in the hospital, thou
sands of men and women in the land
for which he fought-and 1t may be
fairly said in the land against whose
people he fought-have waited anxiously
the varying bulletins Of his condition.
An operation, performed a few days
Mosby of his immediate aIlment and
TO have made it possible for him to re-
gain his health.
Leader of Raiders.
Col Mosby stood in the front rank of
Confederate raiders in the civil war, be-
ing particularly harassing in the 1854
campaign of Gen. Sheridan in the Shen-
andoah Valley which ended with his
brilliant victory at Cedar Creek. There
was a long line of communication to be
guarded from Baltimore to Harpers
Ferry and then down the valley, and
from Washington by way of Manassas
and Front Royal. Col. Mosby devoted
himself to breaking these lines and raid
ing his enemy's forces wherever possi-
bic. No one else in the army was so
mathematical as was he.
That such a rebel against the govern
ment could not only have escaped with
his life after the surrender, but should
actually later have been appointed TO
office under the government he sought TO
destroy, will always be one of the mar
vels of history. For his case was unlike
that of Lee and his generals. 1t was
persistenIy maintained that he was
lawIess, barbarous raider, who violated
the laws of war and of humanity, and 1t
was generally known that II he had been
captured he would speedily have been
hanged.
1t is almost impossible after this lapse
OF time, for any one 20 appreciate the
bitterness of the feeling in regard to
Mosby. Toward the latter part of 1854
his name was used by the mothers and
nurses OF the Northern States TO fright
en- unruIy children into obedience.
There was nothing this cavalryman
was not accused of, from the wanton
killing of women and children to being
a wizard who could disembody himself
for the purpose of making astral visits
to the headquarters Of the Northern
generals TO learn all their secrets. With
in few years after the close of the
war, all the deeds ne was accused of
were practically forgotten, and no doubt
some of the very children who were
admonished in 1864 are to-day scanning
the newspapers quite calmly for news
of him
Some Tragic Dispatches.
Just what the feeling against Col. |
Mosby was may be learned to-day from |
the published records of the rebellion, |
which also contain some of his official |
dispatches giving his side Of the case |
a peculiarly tragic exchange of dis |
patches between him and Sheridan re-
lates TO the hanging of captured pris-
Oners by both of them in the Shenan-
dOah in 1864. acts which one would think i
incredible in a civilized country. In a |
dispatch to Gen. Robert Z. Lee from |
Middleburg, on October ., 1854, the Con-
federate cavalryman said:
Il desire to bring through you to the |
notice Of the government the brutal con-
citizens of this district since their oc-
cupation of the Manassas Road. When |
they first advanced up the road, we /
smashed up one of their trains, killing |
and wounding a large number.
In retaliation they arrested a large |
number Of citizens living along the line, !,
and have been in the habit of sending an !
of them on each train. As my |
has done nothing contrary to !
the usages of war, it seems to me that |
some attempt at least ought to be made |
to prevent a repetition OF such barbarities. |
During my absence from my command J
the enemy captured six of my men, near |
Front Royal; these were Immediately |
hung by order and in the presence Of 4
Gen. Custer. They also hung another
lately in Rappahannock. It is my pdr-
pose to hang an equal number Of Gus
ter's men whenever 1 capture them"
Gen. Lee in referring Mosby's Letter to
the Secretary of War of the Confederate
States, said:
'I do not know how we can prevent
the cruel conduct Of the enemy toward
our citizens. I have directed Col Mosby
to hang an equal number of Clusters men
In retaliation for those executed by him"
Secretary Seldom cordially approved
Lees instructions, and suggested in ad-
dition that II any Southerners were
found exposed on any capture train. sig
nal vengeance should be taken on all
conductors and officers found on 1t, and
also that all male passengers Of the
North should be treated as prisoners.
Wrote to Sheridan.
In a dispatch to Gen. Sheridan on No.
vember II, 1854. Mosby said:
Some time in the month of September,
during my absence from my command.
six OF my men who had been captured
by your forces were hung and shot in
the streets Of Front Royal. by the order
and in the immediate presence Of Brig.
Gen. Custer. Since then another, cap
tured by a Gel. Powell on a plundering
expedition into Rappahannock, was also
hung. ..-.-
"A label afixed to the coat Of one Of
the murdered men declared that would
be the fate OF Mosby and all his men,
Since the murder Of my men not less
thRn 200 prisoners, including many OH
GERS Of high rank. captured from your
army by this command, have been for
warded to Richmond, but the execution
of my purpose of retaliation was defer
red. IN order, as far as possible, to con-
ine its operation to the men Of Custer
and Powell Accordingly on the 6th in
slant seven Of your men were, by my
1rder, executed on the valley pike. yourt
highway Of travel