The Washington herald., 1914-10-24
CIVIL WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago
October a. 16MOsby Rangers Set Out from the Blue Ridge Mountains
for Dash Against Shedn Wagon Tains that Was to Result the
c,ptur. of Federal Cavalry Commander, Gen. A. n Dufhe.
Written .rU-essly for The Washington EeraIdD


race ensued. which the ambulance driver
seemed in : way of winning, when
one OF Mosby's troopers shot one Of the
ambulance horses.
That ended the race. Riding up to the
ambulance. a group OF the rangers de-
manded the surrender Of its occupants.
These proved to be Gen. Duffe Cpro-
nOunced Doof-yeaD, Capt William z.
Roome assistant adjutant general OF
the Second Brigade. First Division. Sixth
Army Corps, and the driver. who was
civilian mail carrier. Capt. Roome was
going home wounded.
The capture was made within a few
hundred yards Of the approaching train.
As the Captors OF Gen. Duffie hastened
down the road with their prisoners they
met Mosby, who was bringing up MS
command 10 attack the train.
Who are your asked Mosby, as ne
looked at Gen Dufiie.
Gen. A. y Duffie,' was the reply.
Take him t. the rear" said Mosby.
and putting sPUrs to his horse, he rode
with hIs command at the approaching
wagon train.
Mosby was met by sharp resistance ana
beaten off. In the noise Of the engags =
ment Gen. Duffie, provided with a mount
the ambulance having been abandoned
was hurried of bv a side road across
the valley
That night he was taken across tho
Blue Ridge into "Mosbys COnfederacy.
The next day Mosby joined the guardians
OF the Fed, raj general. bringing in the
spoiIs OF tine raid. which consisted of
forty-five horses and mules and sixty
other prisoners, that he had picked dP
by surprising a small wagon train on
his return. near Winchester.
Career Terminated.
The capture Of Gen. Dufie terminated
a military career that had been varied
and picturesque. Gen. Dufie was 4
Frenchman. a native OF Paris. and twen-
| ty-nine years old He was graduated
! from the st. Cyr Military School in 1854
as a lieutenant. served in Algiers, Sens'
gal. and the CrImea in turn, and in lsE
came to America.
The Civil War gave him the opening
he sought for military service in his
adopted country. which he began as 4
captain in the First Rhode Island Cav
airy He became colonel Of that regi'
ment. and after much hard service with
| the Army Of the Potomac. in which HI
had met some reverses, was made brig
adler general Of volunteers, June p 1888
| AT the time Of his capture he was ir
command of brigade OF Sheridan !
cavalry. and had recently been on duty
J at HaGerstown. remOunting some regi'
ments stationed there. He had made a
visit to Winchester and was returning
to his post. when he had the misfortune
to meet Mosby.
When news of Gen. Duties capture
reached Sheridan it caused him so much
Iu!spleasure that he recommended &c
the War Department that Gen. Dutfie BE-
dismissed from the service. adding -
think him a triiing man and a poor sol
der He was captured by his own stu
Pidity."
By this Gen Sheridan meant that Gen
Duffie should not have ridden ahead u
! his escort. Gen Sheridans rec mmenda
ton with regard to Gen. Duttie was no
acted on by the War Department In tn
! following February Gen Duffie was re
LEASED on his parole by the Confederate:
and was ordered by the War Department
to Cincinnati 10 await exchange. The wa
ended before he was again free to serve
After the war Gen. Duffie received rec
ognitiCn for his services from the gov
ernment. which appointed him ronsul -
lCadiz This post he held until his death
(which occurred in 1850.
Copyright 1911
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