Evening star., 1928-11-04
Belle Boyd Confederate Spy Matched Wits With Union Foes

"You are fairly good at stealing
horses. See If you can steal man
mel"
He replied:
"I have stolen horses. But the
horses had riders and the riders wore
Union uniforms and had swords and
revolvers. I accept your invitation"
Then came the night of March 5,
1868. The weather in and about Fair
fax Court House was vile, snow melt
ing under foot. mist and drizZle. 1t
was more pleasant in the stately
Southern Colonial mansion where Gen.
Stoughton was giving a ball.
Candles and candelabra, the heavy
air of a ballroom and much dancing
eventually made the thought of sleep
welcome to even the greediest at the
dance.
Offcers chivalrously escorted the girls
to their homes, then returned to their
quarters. Four of them went back to
the now dark mansion where Gen
Stoughton was already asleep
The roads and other approaches to
Fairfax Court House were competently
picketed.
Down the pike on one side was Cen
terville, a Union stronghold. In the
other direction was Chantilly. another
heavily guarded post. Between Fairfax
Court House and the Confederates was
Cub Run, a watercourse now swollen
with spring floods, natural guard
against enemy approach.
It is not surprising therefore, that
Gen. Stoughton slept soundly in his
mahogany four-poster and that else
where through the house his young and
dance-weary subalterns slept just as
soundly.
! RUT 25 miles to the south of them
~ John Mosby had just finished
| scrutinizing some papers that had been
| brought him. They were mostly hand
| drawn maps of the country between him
and Fairfax Court House.
| On each map we're indicated garri-
| sons. batteries outpoSts; even individual
sentrles we're shown.
| What he studied most was detailed
/ map of Fairfax Court House with in
! dividual houses marked.
| When he felt he knew his maps by
| heart he put on his coat of Confederate
! gray, long double breasted affair with
! braids on the sleeve all the way up to
| the elbow and three lines Of braid on
| his officers collar. He wore no saber,
| but in his belt were two revolvers.
| He went outside and mounted his
! horse. Abaut him in the darkness were
| 90 others on their horses. Not one of
the troop-except, of course-their lead
er-knew what was coming.
Capt Mosby turned his horse and
started off through the night his 90
/ men blindly following.
1t took expert prowling to discover
| that gap of which the Union officers
| themselves we're not aware, and 1T was
of this break that Mosby had been in
formed. Now his men softly walked
their horses through the gap in the
line of sentries.
Between that point and the outskirts
of Fairfax Court House Mosby expected
no challenge and got none. The group
of silent horsemen held whispered
consultation. Then Mosby, at the head
of dozen men, crossed over to GER
tain house and took one Of several keys
out of his pocket.
Unlocking the door he and his dozen
entered the house. With candles and
drawn revolvers they rushed into bed
room and surprised the sleeping off,
GERS.
"Your hands will stay up gentlemen, -
Mosby said in that low but incisive
voice which returned in dreams of
is Col. Wyndham?"
lie left for Washington last night
on order from the Secretary of War;
one of the Union officers said surlily.
I'm sorry to hear it." Mosby said
sarcastically I'm here at the express
invitation of Col. Wyndham himself.
| Here is his letter. It was the Union
| officers challenge for Mosby to get him.
| Into the street the captured officers
were hustled and mounted on horses
1 that had already been borrowed from
/ JY1iA c+o Vxsifh
| Other captured officers were also being
| assembled silently by Mosby's Rangers,
where here and there Ranger held a
| tangle of brides with his left hand and
in the other pistol strategically point
ed at a huddle of disconsolate, half
| dressed Union officers. Silence-such as
broods over a powder magazine-was
maintained.
THEN Mosby and six of his men
l. strobe over to the mansion where
Gen. Stoughton was. Mosby led.
Halt! Who goes there?" sentry
challenged.
Friend" Mosby sang out cheerfully
Advance, friend, and give the pass
word"
Mosby and another brisky advanced.
! Their cloaks were about them as if to
| keep out the rain. But when they came
up to the sentry the two cloaks whipped
| about him and down he went The cry
he thought would arouse the town was
| lost in folds of wool
| Out of his pocket Mosby took key
| to the mansion. Clearly the informa-
ton service he was receiving was COM
| petent one, Letting himself softly into
| the house. .Mosby. followed by several
| Of his men, mounted the stairs and
| threw open a door.
| Gen. Stoughton must have thought
| OF battle when a terrific smack on his
back shocked him. He sprang out of
| bed and wildly regarded the slightly
built man who was looking at him with
| grin