Stories of wartime heroics often become legendary when they are repeated frequently over time. but the first of many raids with Mosby's men."[9]. It was no fault of the Union cavalry that they did not get through faster than they did, but Sam seemed to think that it was. When Mosby became aware of the location of a still, he had it destroyed. From this modest beginning whould grow on of the best know of all ranger commands. He said he heard the noise the train made when it ran off the track and knew the men were gathering the spoils and did not think it was fair for him to be away picketing for their benefit. John Basilone, US Marine who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Pacific Theater of World War II. But not all of Mosby’s Rangers met their ultimate fate within the boundaries of Mother Virginia. After the war, Sam was the chaplain of the African-American 4th Immune Regiment in Cuba during the Spanish-American War, became the superintendent of public schools in Virginia’s Allegheny County, and served as the deputy U.S. marshal for the Western District of Virginia in 1909. Brown, Eugene - Triplett, T.D. Once, while chasing a fleeing detachment of Union cavalry, Massow supposedly exclaimed, “This is more fun than a fox hunt!” On another occasion, when a group of Rangers had surreptitiously slipped into a stable containing Union horses with the intention of capturing them, Massow expressed his disgust by saying, much too loudly, “This is not fighting, this is horse stealing!” Between the chuckles and shock at his noisy outburst, the other Rangers were able to quiet him. Of his purpose in raiding behind the Union lines, Mosby said: My purpose was to weaken the armies invading Virginia, by harassing their rear... to destroy supply trains, to break up the means of conveying intelligence, and thus isolating an army from its base, as well as its different corps from each other, to confuse their plans by capturing their dispatches, are the objects of partisan war. Many years past military age, he rode side by side with his own sons, in the foremost ranks, and his poor maimed and scarred body attested to his familiarity with hot battle.”, Hibbs did revel in the name, and his tombstone in Mount Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in Aldie, Va., is clearly marked “MAJOR Wm. Mosby noted William in dispatches for conspicuous gallantry at least twice. . Promoted to 1st lieutenant on April 2, 1862, and served as adjutant of the 1st Virginia Cavalry. HARRIS CHAMBERLAIN BLANCHARD, Private, Artillery Company. In 1862, still not comfortable remaining in one place for too long, Hoskins left Canada for the United States and “settled” in Baltimore, Md. CLAIBORNE ROBINSON, Private, Company D. Lived in Baltimore after the war. Louisa, known as “Luly,” is remembered for her book A Southern Girl in ‘61: The War-Time Memories of a Confederate Senator’s Daughter. DANIEL GIRAUD WRIGHT, Private, Company D. Born in Rio de Janeiro and attended the University of Virginia from 1857 to 1861. The newcomers also included a surprising number of Confederate officers who had resigned their commissions in order to ride with Mosby as Privates. Cab was quick-witted, but, seeing how angry I was, said nothing then. There were at least four father/son teams in the 43rd Battalion and a very large assortment of brother and cousin combinations. [15], For instance, describing the fight at Miskel's barn, Munson says of William H. Chapman (later lieutenant colonel of Mosby's command) wheeling his horse in a thicket of Yankees "[t]he pistols were not a foot apart. As reports and rumors of Mosby’s earliest successful raids against the enemy became known, the ranks of his little band increased almost daily. . In 1904, he was recorded residing at the Maryland Line Confederate Soldier’s Home in Baltimore. He died September 9, 1917. By the time Mosby chose to disband rather than surrender the 43rd on April 21, 1865, nearly 800 men had been part of this elite unit. Yet they seem connected, close enough to come to a comrade's aid should the need arise. Born in 1817, he was 20–30 years older than the vast majority of the unit. ¶ Mosby’s Partisan Ranger career began in late December 1862 when his commander and mentor, Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Laura Welch Bush, wife of US President George W. Bush, she served as First Lady from 2001 to 2009; she used her position to champion education and literacy. Hibbs’ feats link him with another Ranger, Henry Cabell Maddux, born on July 17, 1848, and nicknamed “Cab.” On February 20, 1864, still just 15 years old, Maddux was leaving a boy’s academy in Upperville, Va., his school books in his hand, when a group of Union cavalrymen came galloping through town. ¶ Mosby, who, it must be noted, was not given his famous sobriquet “The Gray Ghost” until well after the war, was an intelligent, tough, audacious, and innovative leader. Stuart. 2005-2011 by the Stuart-Mosby Historical Society (SMHS). My poor mother—Jesus have mercy on her soul!” Upon seeing Atkins’ body, Mosby reportedly said, “There lies a man I would not have given for a whole regiment of Yankees.”. A small skirmish can become an enormous battle that changed the course of history. "[14] Union cavalry initially armed with the traditional sabre fought at a considerable disadvantage: The Federal cavalry generally fought with sabres; at any rate they carried them, and Mosby used to say they were as useless against a skillfully handled revolver as the wooden swords of harlequins. Mosby’s men captured and set afire a passenger train supplying Phil Sheridan’s army during the October 1864 Greenback Raid. The meeting ended without an agreement. Mosby's men each carried two .44 Colt army revolvers worn in belt holsters, and some carried an extra pair stuck in their boot tops. By the summer of 1864, Mosby's battalion had grown to six cavalry companies and one artillery company, comprising about 400 men. Served with the 1st Maryland Cavalry before joining Mosby’s Rangers. He survived, however, living until 1929. They were married on June 28, 1864, the same day Sam gained the rank of captain and assumed command of Company E of the 43rd Battalion. During the life span of Mosby’s command, almost 2000 men rode with him at some point, but the largest group ever to operate together at one time was the approximately 350 who took part in the Berryville Wagon Train raid on August 13, 1864. . Accept the challenge of celebrating life to its fullest even while acknowledging the inescapable finality of death. All images and articles are the property of their respective owners or SMHS and may not be reproduced elsewhere. As the Gray Ghost related in The Memoirs of Colonel John S. Mosby: While we were helping the passengers to climb the steep bank, one of my men, Cab Maddux, who had been sent off as a vidette to watch the road, came dashing up and cried out that the Yankees were coming. One particular set of brothers—the Chapmans—stands out. The capture of Federal supply trains, as shown here at Catlett’s Station, Va., was a key aspect of Colonel Mosby’s stealth guerrilla tactics, but it was not the only way his Rangers terrified the area’s Union forces. The Rangers all boarded in private homes when not on operations, they slept comfortably, ate well and often were in the company of young women who idolized them as their dashing and brave protectors. Instead of surrendering, Mosby's command simply disbanded. 6. One, John Atkins, crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Ireland to join Mosby. [5] Mosby's command operated mainly within the distance a horse could travel in a day's hard riding, approximately 25 miles (40 km) in any direction from Middleburg, Virginia. One particular set of brothers—the Chapmans—stands out. Mosby placed a mountain howitzer he had taken with him on the raid at the top of a small rise on a road up which the Union cavalry would have to attack. One of the first to join Mosby after he began operations in Northern Virginia was William Hibbs. The men were devoted to their horses. Noted for their lightning strike raids on Union targets and their ability to consistently elude pursuit, the Rangers disrupted Union communications and supply lines. The remaining Rangers fled, leaving Hoskins lying on the field in a pool of his own blood. After escaping from Johnson’s Island, he joined Mosby’s command. In stubborn fights I have seen the men on both sides sit on their restless horses and re-load their pistols under a galling fire. The leader of this little band was Private John S. Mosby. There were at least four father/son teams in the 43rd Battalion and a very large assortment of brother and cousin combinations. Fifty-eight men who at some time matriculated at the Virginia Military Institute can also be called Mosby Rangers. [Civil War Links and Information] [Rosters of men who served Virginia from the lower Shenandoah Valley] ROSTER OF MOSBY'S 43rd BATTALION CAVALRY--MEMBERS FROM WARREN CO. VA Index. Later, an Englishman named Charles Green who lived nearby in the small town of Greenwich, Va., found Hoskins and took him to his home. Looking at these small, worn stones, who will not reflect on the fleeting nature – and fragility – of life? Detractors of Mosby’s Rangers will say that they joined only "for the “plunder.” While it was true that Mosby’s unit was formed under the auspices of the Partisan Ranger Act of 1862, which permitted members of such units to keep everything that they captured, that was not the only reason.
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