The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-06-10
NARROWLY MISSED
BEING CAPTURED
BY MOSBY' SMEN
H.T.Cushman Recalls ThriIlingEx-
perienCe of CiVal war
INTERESTING CORRESPONDENCE
North Bennington Veteran Has Treas
ured Letters Written by Famous
Confederate Raider.


The recent death of Col, John S.
Mosby at Washington calls to my mind
an incident of my experience in the
Civil War which may be Of interest to
the old soldiers, and possibly to others
who are familiar with the exploits OF
this man during the Civil War as a
scout in chief of the Confederate
Army.
refer to some correspondence
which took place between Col. Mosby
and myself some time ago, which was
as follows:
"Col. John S. Mosby,
Washington, d. c.
Dear Sir:
| am writing to you on a subject
of considerable interest to me, hop
ing you may be able to give me
some information. One night dur
ing the latter part of the Civil
War, | was riding with one or two
others along the Chantilly Pike
near Alexandria, Va, 1t was about
midnight, and very dark, a party
of "Mosby's Men, as we useG, to
call them, halted us, and began
firing at us. We suspected they
were attacking army trains that
were moving along the Pike. We
could not see any distance ahead
of us. An attempt was made to
capture us. However, we made
our escape under the darkness of
tho night.
am interested TO know If you
can recall the circumstance Pos
sibly you were present yourself
To this received an answer in the
handwriting of Col Mosby, as follows:
"The Alamo, Washington, d. c.
Dec. IS. 1918.
Henry T. Cushman,
North Bennington Vt.
My Dear Sir;
Your letter just received think
the occasion you refer to was near
Chantilly on the Pike in October
1863, when Meade retired from
the Rapidan, and Lee advanced
was personally present that
night, and | remember very we'll
capturing a number of wagons, and
driving off the mules, and taking
some prisoners. One was a Capt.
Barton of Gen. Eustis' staff One
was a Private Moss, of Boston.
became to know them after the
war, and they were my warm
friends. also remember some
shots being fired. and the escape of
those at whom they were fired.
had lett the main body
of my command a mile or
so behind, and with about a
dozen men went on the Pike to
reconnoiter, We kept up this an
noyance ito YOU or fun Ito us)
for two days.
| would like very much to meet
you, and also some of the First
Vermont Cavalry, with whom had
several collisions. am sending
you half tone copy of picture
of myself taken a few months af
ter the close of the war.
Very truly,
(Signed) John S. Mosby'
1t will be remembered by Bennina
ton people that Frank H. Ray wa
Captain of one of the Companies O
the First Vermont Cavalry, and it wa
! said of him that he was one of tn
finest soldiers in the Cavalry Brigade
wrote Col. Mosby another letter /
December in which, among othe
things, wrote the following.
| "My dear Sir:
am in receipt OF your letter of
the 18th, and assure you 1t gives
me great pleasure to know that
you remember go wildly the oc
casion OF that October night in
| 1863 on Chantilly Pike, and thank
you very much that you were will.
| ing to take the pains to write me
SO minutely about IT,
| received your picture by mail
! last evening, and thank you very
much for It. am enclosing here.
with one OF myself taken some
time after the war.
was a member OF the 4th
Regiment Vermont Volunteers 2nd
, Division 9Th Army Corps. You
will remember that that brigade
was made up of Vermonters. con.
(Continund nm pnyn Gl