Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-06
M0sBY CELEBRATES HIS
E|GHTY-F|RsT BIRTHDAY
Confederate Cavalryman Admits Am.
bition to Join In European
Conflict.
WOULD LEAD sUFFRAaETTEs
Unique Career of One Of Most Noted
Men Produced by. War Between
the states-Has Held Several Gov
eminent Positions.

TIC StdtcS-i1uS t1elu Several gov
eminent Positions.
To lead a regiment Of English suf-
fragettes against the forces of the
Kaiser in France would be q doubly
hazardous undertaking. YETI
: John Singleton Mosby. celebrating his
eighty-first birthday In washington to-
day. acknowledges that such Is his
ambition. Those who fought against
the doughty old warrior n fly odd years
OF the task. while those WHO followed
his banner have no hest fancy In assert
Ing that he would he the first tolenter
Berlin/ glance mt HIS history would
he Ia. the John S.. Mosby of Confederate
fame would make 1.-The feathers fly IL
he were taking an active part In the
European cmbroglIo to-day. instead Of
peaeefully' wsleoaing his. friends and
John Singleton Mosby was born at
Edgcmont. PoYhatan County on de-
cembcr 8, 1885, His father was Alfred
ID. Mosby, of Amherst County. and his
mother. was Virginia J., McLaurin,
Ills carly life was spent near his birth
place. but he early announced his In
tention of becoming lawyer. and en-
tered the University of Virginia.
SHOOTS s1lAN WHO
sLANDEHs WOMAN
While student. young Afosby heard
IL companion speak conpromisingly of
a young woman In his presence. He
demanded an apology, and shot and
seriously wounded tho slanderer. For
this he was tried and convicted. fined
and sentenced to fail. After spending
doned by tho Governor and restored to
liberty. His fine was RENTED by the
Legislature.
Books wero not forgotten during
nose troublous days and when Mosby
left the Albemarle County jail ne was
an accomplished classical scholar, and
had become proficient In his law
studies. Shortly after his graduation
from the University OF Virginia, In
1852. he was admitted to practice. and
settled at Bristol. Va. becoming it's
first lawyer. There he won quito a
reputation, and had lucrative prac-
ice when the War Between the States
started.
Volunteers were called for and
young Mosby was one OF the firat 10
step to the front He enlisted as a
private In the First Virginia Cavalry.
OF which General j. E. b. Stuart was
Inc inc colonel The first days drill was
his Introduction to military life. and
he received his baptism OF fire. at the
hrst battle OF Manassas.
LED STUART ON
FAMOUS LONG RIDE
although AIosby had been In Ger.
vice n year. he had given no indIca.
ton or the remarkable talent that-was'
ABOUT to develop. He was a trusted
scout and was assigned to watch ths
movements of Mcclellan, who wan nd
vancing on Richmond with his sunerh-
~ organized army. One afternoon he
was sent out to reconoitre along the
right flank of the Union Army. He
klrteo the moving columns. mad then
Tor eight milcs along the Srear r. or the
lines His active mind aaw the nos
sibilities Of bringing cavalry over the
same route.
arriving back at camp. Mosby told
/. stuart or his plan It's feasibility was
General Lee and again told to exnIain
s.the proposition. General Lee gave
f-permisslon for the attempt. and
sstuart, lead by thes alitiatious Mosby,
Sthen mere trooper. started on the
long ride The perllous trip was
.snade without the loss Of a man or
morse, and the fact that handful of
cavalry had ridden around the entire
Federal army threw the North into
u panic. and the South was tubilnnt.
1t was this effect that was the key
note of all Mosbys subsequent sue
cess.
ORGANIZED AN
INDEPENDENT, COMMAND
For his remarkable exploit, Mosbv
was given permission to organize an.
independent cavalry command He
crossed the Rappahannock River into
Northern Virginia and gathered a band
OF irresuiars. In March of 1853 he
waS given the rank OF captain, and
Immediately began to harass the en-,
emy. although the original purpose OF
the company was for defense only. IT
was not the nature Of Mosby. however.
TO remain inactive, and he began max
Ing tentative raids. Az his fame
spread through the country districts,
the command grew. ,, On tho night of
March g.. Mosby. taking twenty picked
men with him, penetrated right into
the heart of tho Federal lines, between
Washington and fredericksburg, en-
tered Fairfax Courthouse under cover
OF darkness, captured General Slough
ton In the midst OF the sleeping army
and carried him safely away, together,
with twoscore prisoners, all OF whom.
with the kidnapped general. were
turned over to the Confederate author.
tiles at Culpeper
Mosby's Partisan Rangers, as they
wers known. became the terror of
the opposing army. When not on
raid. the rangers scattered for safety.
only to assemble again and strike An
other blow. They cut communications
and destroyed supply trains. Num-
bers OF outposts were captured by the
intrepid cavalrymen, and the Federals
were forced to strengthen their pick
cts, contract their lines and to use
constant vigilence against stratagems,
surprises and nocturnal attacks.
COMMAND, SANCTIONED
by CONFEDERATE CONGRESS
Mosby was promoted to major and
subsequently, made colonel. Al
though his opponents dubbed him
guerilla. his command was sanctioned
by the Confederate Congress, and was
known az tho Forty-third Virginia
Cavalry. Time after time large forces
were sent out to capture him. but he
always eluded his pursuers. AT Cham
tilly. March Is, 1868, he defeated a.
much larger force than his own BY a
countercharEe On April /, at Danes
Vile. he successfully defended HIM
self against superior force sent out
to cantura him ~ - 8.