The Washington herald., 1914-08-19
THE WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago.
August IT, lS64-mby Rangers, Coming Upon Party
gan Cavalry Engaged Carrying Orders to Destroy Confederate
Property Near Bey in the Shenandoah Valley Overwhelmed Them
and Gave No Quarter.
written expressly for The Washington Herald)

Ftfty years ago today a company of
Col John s. Mosby's Rangers came upon
party Of the Fifth Michigan Cavalry,
engaged in executing orders to destroy
Confederate property, near Berryville in
the Shenandoah Valley, attacked and
overwhelmed them and gave no quarter.
This savage incident of the war was
an inevitable consequence OF conditions
prevailing in the valley. Gen. Philip H.
Sheridan. acting under orders from Gen.
Grant, issued under military necessity,
was carrying fire and the sword into the
valley. Grants object was to destroy
all crops, livestock and other supplies
that might be OF value 70 the army Of
the enemy, under Gen. Jubal A Early
that was operating against Sheridan.
Col Mosby. at the head OF a small
band OF irregular troops. termed by the
Confederates partisan rangers and by
the Federals guerrillas. was operating In
the rear Of Sheridan's army. BY dodging
back and forth through the passes OF the
Blue Ridge Mountain Range and across
the Shenandoah. MOsby was enabled to
strike many stinging blows at the Fed
erals and TO escape when pursued.
His method OF warfare was not con-
sidered by the Federals in accordance
with military rules. He-was termed an
outlaw. and Gen. Grant had issued orders
without trial whenever caught. A later
order directed that all male citizens in
the region where MOsby operated be ar
restd, since MOsby's men, when not in
the saddle, passed as peaceful citizens.
These orders. the stern measures OF
the Federals in burning supplies, and
Mosby's sucCesses-his most recent being
the capture Of a part OF Sheridans 5
wagon train, with about 80 prisoners
l3-combined to rouse spirit OF savage
reprisal on both sides. which found ex-
preston in the shooting down, without
quarter. Of the Cavalrymen whom Mosby's
troops encountered on August 10
Mosby RccrosSes Mountains.
Sheridan's orders for the burning OF
grain and supplies were being carried
out IN the vicinity OF Berryville by de-
tails from the cavalry division under
Gen. Weslay Merritt.
While the Federal cavalry officers
executed their orders Conscientiously
and in the main guarded houses and
their inmates, they felt themselves
justified in furnishing inhabitants sus-
pected of aiding or harbOring MOsby's
men
on the other hand. MOsby held him
self to be the avenger of the citizens
about Berryville, and after his sue
cessful raid against Sheridan's wagons
and the disposition Of his plunder in
LoudOun County, east of the mountains,
he recrossed the Blue Ridge and the
latter at Castlemans
Ferry-and dividing his command of
about 300 men into three companies
started to seek the Federal cavalry
details.
AS the Rangers crossed the river at
night they encountered n picket of the
Fifth Michigan Regiment. A fusillade
laid one of them dead and another
wounded upon the bank. Two more
were captured. The picket was thus
wiped out.
Riding next morning toward Berry
willie along the turnpike, the Rangers
turned into a byroad. known as the
Mill road, when they heard
the Yankees were engaged In burning
AS they neared the residence OF Will