Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1916-06-15
COLONEL MOSBY.
Statesville Landmark.

few Confederates Of prominence
who joined the Republican party
early after the war and for that
reason he was..not popular with
his comrades-or at least did not
enjoy that degree OF popularity,
nor receive the honors from his
former comrades.in.arms, which
his service for the Confederacy
would ordinarily have warran-
ted. 1t may seem strange to the
younger people of this genera
ton that Col. Mosby's politics
should have in any degree detrac-
ted from the fame he admittedly
won as O soldier. At that time,
however, the conditions were dil.
ferent. The Republican party
was responsible for the Recon-
struction Era which attempted,
and in some localities succeeded,
in putting the former slave over
the former master. This was an
inexcusabIe humiliation and the
bitterness it engendered was
fierce. In localities where the ne
gro population was more numer-
ous than the white, it was sim.
ply a question of whites against
the blacks, in politics and the
white man who lined up against
his color had q hard time. More
especially was this true of men
who had served in the Confeder-
ate army. They were looked up.
on as repudiating all they had
fought for if they voted with the
Republicans, which was at that
time equivalent to deserting the
South and joining with former
foes against home people.
So much by way of explanation.
Col. Mosby's joining the the Re-
publicans may have resulted from
a feeling Of gratitude to Gener-
al Grant and the noted Confeder-
ate may have been uniustly GEN.
sured. Col. Mosby was q young
lawyer in Virginia when thegeat
conflict began. He organized IN
independent band OF cavalry that
raided the Union army outposts,
captured supplies, invaded the
enemy's territory and harassed
and harried the enemy continu-
ally by appearing unexpectedly,
doing a lot OF damage and dis.
appearing as if by magic. Mos
; by's men were noted for their dar.
ing. Their warfare was irregular
and when the surrender came the
Federal government wasnot dis
posed to allow Mosby to 20 on
parole along with the regularsol'
diers of the Confederacy. In short
he was to be treated as an out
: law and he might have suffered
death but for the intervention ol
: Gen. Grant. When Grant was
candidate for President, Mosby
: stumped Virginia for him a n d
naturally thereafter cast his for
tunes with the Republican party
whether he so intended from the
beginning or not. Ills act, assta'
ted, may have been one OF graft
!. , tude and not deserving OF criti-
! cism. But he accepted reward
for his service. He was consu
: general to Hongkong for a time
an important post. and was fol
! years afterward-up to a fe v
l years ago-in a position unde
:. the Department of Justice il
\ Washington. When he accepted
office under the Republican ad
, .ministration Col. Mosby'sforme
comrades doubtless felt that h
9 had "soId out" and like Genera
}. Longstreet OF Georgia, who pur
, sued a similar course, the DARN!
i Confederate raider was not there
after popular with the Confeder
4 ate veterans.
!. Indiana Mau's Experience.
8 Frank Mosley, More's Hill, Ind
j. writes: II was troubled with al