The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-04

equipped my command At the expense
Of the United States Government"
Probably no single adventure o'
Mosby's band has been so widely sung
as the capture Of Brighten. Edwin II
Stoughton at Fairfax Court House In
| March, 1853. bn IA dark night. WHOM
melting SNOW and drizzlinc rain muf.
fled their horses huofs. Moshy wit.
twenty-ninc followers found the only
gap in The Federal picket lines which
formed a triangle round Fairfax Cou-i
House and reached the place at = \.
NJ. when everybody was asleep except
a few drowsy scntincls. II was too
| dark to distinguish federals from Con
federatcS. and the audacitv Of Oh,
project also avertcd suspicion from
the gray uniforms which MoShy aver.
they invariably worc. in emphatic ,o'-
tradiction of the charge that the,
sometimes assumed the Federal d.
guisc.
capt. Amcs:a descrtcr from Tie l|tj
New York Cavalry. acted as pilot .,
this expedition. and whenever then
progress was halted 10y "a sentinel .
would reply. "iifth New York Ca
airy and it was all right, thou-'
they usually took the sentinel aipra
with them rs n p%rocaution. Lcaruu-
from one of those captured Scutri,s L..
location of Stoughton's h%oadquarto
Mosby with five or SIX men procc,..I
to the house and knocked loudly n. ..
the front door.
\ voice from an upper window &C.,
manded. Who's there" and the req.
was. "I'iith New York cavalry VIII ID
despatch for Gen. Stoughtou.'
Presently tho door was opened h.
n man in his nightclothc>, WHOM
Mosby instantly seized 10y tho cu'.,
and whispered something i'm hi- cHt
which rendered him quiet and crw.
plant. lie led the way to S%touehton
apartment. where signs e e ulsI
revcl accounted for tire GcuotH'-
sound slumbcr. Failing ia a'ur.o ',"
Ivy their noisy entrance M,>ny rH.
preached the bed. and turning bar'
the overs administered - stusu-
| spank. which brought tho astuuIs.rj
l%iricadicr to an upright p"sit!ua dr-
handing the meaning of this rid' "-
trusion Leaning over him. Musly Doe
| guircd in II low. musical voice:
General. did YOU ever hear ~
Mosby?'
Yes" was the quick response, mis-
| taking the intrudcrs for memhC> ~
his own staf. "Iiavc you got the
damned rascal"
NO. but he has got you"
Then in order 10 deprive him o.
hope Mosbr old Stoulhtu. l.r
Stuart's cavalry held the tout. ami
that Gen. Jackson was at tout'lti.'
With n look Of despair Stpushior
asked If Fitzhush Lee was t'crc. and
! on being answered in the affirmative
said.
Then take me to a.m We ncn
classmates at West Point
Certainly" said Noshy. "OSxS
dress quick; I'm in something 81 =
hurry
! As well he might Ne. for his it'ls
force of t~wenty-Uir" mon was su'-
rounded by hostile thousands. Wi'n
that rare genius which 10 cVc ds-
played for cxtricaiing himself from
| perilous situations, he led his band or'
under cover Of darkness, carrying "'.
them as prisoners one G,n'rnD 1870
Captains, thirty @priva'cS and tt..-
eight horscs-aud not "a shot iir.i ~
either side
Mosby says Of this affair: 81 ~
never able 10 duplicate his advcu' t
II was one Of those things a mar
do only once I'm a lifetime: the Nor'
err cavalry got too smart to allow =
repetition
when the news of 1t reached Nro.
dent Lincoln he is said To- haN, f.-
marked with sly humor; II don 80
much mind the loss of the Genera. t."