The publication of Virgil Carrington Jones' bookRanger Mosbyin 1944 led to renewed interest in the dashing cavalryman; in the 1950s came the television showThe Gray Ghost, which aired in syndication from 1957-1958. The Union viewed them as unsoldierly: a loose band of roving thieves. He did not invent the concept or techniques of guerrilla warfare, but during the Civil War, he certainly refined and executed them with impressive efficiency and effectiveness. . The first uniforms Mosby's Rangers were issued were made of coarse cloth sewn in prison. This proved useful to Confederate military raiding. Ulysses S. Grant but not before it had attempted to negotiate surrender with Today, theMosby Heritage Area Associationruns tours and educational programs to educate folks about Mosby's Confederacy. If he goes on as he has commenced since the slight bleeding the Yankees gave him, who can say that in time we will not be able to stop Mr. Trenholm's machine, and pay our army off in greenbacks. With a recommendation from J.E.B. Mosby decided the mutual executions, being repulsive to humanity, should end and wrote Sheridan on November 11th, Hereafter any prisoners falling into my hands will be treated with the kindness due to their condition Sheridan agreed and the brutality ended. When Mosby became aware of the location of a still, he had it destroyed. Whether it was the family road trip toGettysburgor thestampalbum I had featuring all of the generals that got me hooked, I now consider myself very lucky to work among Civil War objects. Robinson, Vincent Date Released Hugh C. Keen, Horace Mewborn 1993. As the unit grew and gained notoriety, it eventually became Company A, 43rd Battalion of Virginia Cavalry, or Mosbys Rangers, in June 1863. He was held as a prisoner in Washington D.C., but he was released in just 10 days as part of a large prisoner exchange program. Mosby had agreed to a truce two days before, but not surrender. Servedin the Fauquier (Va.) Artillery beforetransferring to Mosbys Rangers. It's been 150 years since Mosby formed the 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry, more popularly known as "Mosby's Rangers," but there are still many ways to explore Mosby's story. Postwar, he was treasurer ofthe Washington Monument Society anda member of the Columbia HistoricalSociety. Attended College ofWilliam & Mary in 1860-61. The unit served behind Federal lines in Northern Virginia and was the most effective command of its kind. Death had no terror for him. The reorganization of the Confederate Artillery in 1862 caused the official disbanding of their unit on October 4 and the reassignment of the brothers to recruiting officer duty in Virginias Fauquier County. The furious Federals wanted to take revenge against the six captured rangers; permission was granted, probably by Federal cavalry corps commander, Maj. Gen. Alfred Torbert. He disagreed with the practice of slavery and tried to explain his reasons for still fighting for the South. As you succeed in your operations, your notoriety grows and the Union devotes additional troops to stopping you. The youngsters size made him a good target for the enemy, which is how the tales of Cab Maddux and Major Hibbs intersected along the banks of the Potomac River on July 30, 1864. Confederate Congress revoked the authority of all partisan units, except for Because he somehow blamed George Custer for the Front Royal affair, Mosby wanted most of the condemned Federals to have served under Custer. His troops were such a thorn in the Unions rear areas and supply trains that his area of operations became known as Mosbys Confederacy. They were masters at the art of guerrilla warfare, gather intelligence of the enemy, able to strike quickly in the rear of Union forces, and then able to melt away undetected from pursuing forces. After the disastrous Union defeat at Fredericksburg in December 1862, Stuart and Mosby led several raids behind enemy lines in Prince William, Fairfax and Loudoun counties, to disrupt the Union communications, harass the enemy and gather supplies for their own forces. "[7], The unit also utilized child soldiers. One of the best-known cavalrymen of the Civil War was John Singleton Mosby. "The rangers had some of the best horses in a region known for raising great horses. Threats of bodily harm to him and his family forced Mosby to give up his law practice and leave his home in Warrenton, Virginia. Gen. Edwin H. Stoughton who was captured in bed. A few guerrillas equipped themselves with carbines captured from the Union, but "they were unhandy things to carry" and unsuited for fighting on horseback; indeed in the thick of a February 1865 fight the carbines' long barrels made them too unwieldy to fire, and they were used instead as clubs. Live a Nautical Lifestyle. Wanting to create an impact event, Mosby and his men removed a rail and waited for the next westbound train to derail. This wool jacket and slouch hat both belonged to Mosby, who was wearing the hat when he was wounded by federal cavalry in December 1864. Charging with a yell, then firing their Colt revolvers, Russell and the Rangers scattered most of the Federals. According to Chapmans obituary in the Greensboro (N.C.) Daily, published September 7, 1929: General [Winfield Scott] Hancock, to whom Colonel Chapman surrendered his command, was so impressed by the spirit of the young Confederate that he wrote in his report that in healing the wounds of war and reuniting the country This young man will be valuable to the government. The prophecy was fulfilled in a life of devotion to the interests of the south without bitterness toward his former foes. A guard pulled his revolver, but Charles Dear beat his draw. Ranger John Munson wrote, usually a young fellow who joined Mosbys command came with romantic ideas of the partisan rangers existence. Adding to the lure of ranger life, Mosby allowed his troopers to keep plunder from raids, if men got rewardsof horses and arms, they were more devoted to the cause.. He became a Ranger that day and remained with them until the end of the war. Post War: Mosby was only 31 when the war ended, but was constantly harassed by occupying Union troops. He wasconnected with the wholesale drug firmof James Bailey & Son in Baltimore afterthe war. Even at that supreme moment in my life, when I had just stood on the brink of ruin and had barely escaped, I could not restrain a propensity to laugh. Enl. *Lighting a path to truth* Former Navy JAG Worldwide U.S. Military Defense. Figgins, Alphaeus Rhodes, Henry (killed) Furious over Major Mosby's successful raids behind Union lines, General Stoughton orders Captain Morrow to locate the source of the Confederates' information. Title, Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historical Park, Download the official NPS app before your next visit, Sheridan Launches Counterguerrilla Forces, cedar creek & belle grove national historical park. Ritter, Harrison Sheridan had burned out most of the farms and crops. [18] Mosby tried out some small field artillery pieces, including a 12-pound (5.4kg) brass Napoleon,[19] but artillery proved to be too cumbersome for his fast hit-and-run tactics and not especially helpful in action. Mosby rose slowly, put his hand on his revolver and said, if the truce no longer protects us, we are at your mercy, but we shall protect ourselves. A ranger witness later said, had Mosby given the word, not one Yankee there wouldve lived. Instead, Mosby and his men rode away from the Shenandoah Valley without pursuit from the Federals. On Jan. 26 1863 to conduct a raid on Federal picket line. Ultimately Union troops found the mountainside hiding places of the cannons and made off with them. The 43rd Virginia Cavalry Battalion, also known as Mosby's Rangers, Mosby's Raiders, or Mosby's Men, was a battalion of partisan cavalry in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.Noted for their lightning strike raids on Union targets and their ability to consistently elude pursuit, the Rangers disrupted Union communications and supply lines. Hoskins threatened him with his saber and said, Surrender, you damn Yankee. The Union soldier replied, The hell I will, and shot Hoskins in the neck and back. He and Mosby remained close friends and communicated frequently until Mosbys death in 1916. Nofurther information available. In 1862, still not comfortable remaining in one place for too long, Hoskins left Canada for the United States and settled in Baltimore, Md. Noted for their lightning strike raids on Union targets and their ability to consistently elude pursuit, the Rangers disrupted Union communications and . He fired six shots and emptied five saddles."[17]. Enjoying the cavalry, but bored with his job as regimental adjutant, Mosby resigned and became attached to the staff of Brig. Sam provided Mosby with an indelible memory that the Gray Ghost shared in his Mosbys War Reminiscences and Stuarts Cavalry Campaigns: There was with me that day a young artillery officerSamuel F. Chapmanwho at the first call of his State to arms had quit the study of divinity and become, like Stonewall Jackson, a sort of military Calvin, singing the psalms of David as he marched into battle. Younger Rangers called him Major, probably a combined result of youthful impertinence and an abiding respect for ones elders. Mosby twice offered his services to Early with little response. MOSBY'S RANGERSMOSBY'S RANGERS. Appointed as U.S. consul to Hong Kongand served in that capacity from 1878 to1885. ALEXANDERGIBSON CAREY,Private, Company E. Brother of Ranger James Carey. At sunrise, Mosbys force struck just north of Berryville, Virginia. Hockman, Noah This organization began with a scouting assignment from Confederate Gen. J. E. B. Stuart in January 1863. Joined Apr 20, 2012. Sort By: P.O. This proved useful to Confederate military raiding. Federal casualties were reportedly 42 while the Confederates lost five. On the 150th anniversary of the fall of the city of Atlanta to the Union Army's Division of the Mississippi during the Civil War, we're "Um, what is that? They hold shooting contests, and trade tobacco for coffee. Noted Relevance There were two purposes of the Partisan Ranger Act. After seeing limited action at First Manassas, however, Mosby was promoted to first lieutenant in the 1st Virginia Cavalry regiment. . This temporary, and informal, command would evolve into the 43rd Battalion, Virginia Cavalryknown better as Mosbys Rangers. He was a member of the RoyalArcanum. R. Roland Sergeant. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. After the wagons were plundered, Mosby ordered them burned. The makeup of Mosbys Rangers was no different. Even then, the 5-foot-5 Cab was heavyset. The indomitable and irrepressible Mosby is again in the saddle carrying destruction and consternation in his path. Civil War Links and Information] [Rosters of men who served Virginia from the lower Shenandoah Valley] ROSTER OF MOSBY'S 43rd BATTALION CAVALRY-- Released on June 15, 1865. All soldiers in World War I had one thing in common: possible execution by their own country for alleged cowardice. [Photographed between 1861 and 1865, printed between 1880 and 1889] Photograph. The members of the battalion were referred to as soldiers, partisans, rangers, and guerillas. The rangers seized over 200 Federal soldiers, 500 horses and mules, 200 cattle, and about 100 wagons. HARRIS CHAMBERLAINBLANCHARD,Private, Artillery Company. 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. After over a year of successful raids to harass the enemy, gather intelligence, and strike Federal supply lines east of Virginias Blue Ridge Mountains, a new Federal threat appeared west of the Blue Ridge in the breadbasket of the Confederacy, the Shenandoah Valley. No quarter! "[8] A few partisans were wizened old men in their 40s, but most were in their late teens or early 20s; two paroled after the war at Winchester were only 14 years old. The raid began as a complete success and the Rangers were having a bit of a frolic as they ransacked the train looking for loot. You can also visit theStuart-Mosby Civil War Cavalry Museumin Centreville, Virginia. Mosby was a small town lawyer who joined the Confederate Army when his home state of Virginia seceded from the Union, and who became GeneralJeb Stuart'sbest scout, earning himself both a command and the nickname "Gray Ghost." The partisan rangers job would gather intelligence and take supplies away from the Union army. Action in the Valley declined, although there was a sharp encounter between rangers under Lt. John Russell and Federal cavalry on December 16th. He was so valuable to the Confederacy that many Union officers tried and failed to capture him (he, however, captured Union General Edwin Stoughton). Although I was surrounded by Revolutionary War history as a kid growing up in New Jersey, I much preferred the Civil War. A friendship based on mutual admiration rose up between the two, and Mosby became a Republican who worked to repair the fractured Union. At least partially in retaliation for the recent ranger executions in Front Royal, Mosby, through a lottery process, identified seven Federal prisoners to be hanged. Thescholarships continue to be awarded tothis day. When Lee surrendered in 1865, Mosby and his men were leery of surrendering, fearing that the Union would hang them as spies. supply lines. Sheridan's army. We barely made it, too. Ranger Ben Palmer once saw Massow starting a raid with his trusted saber by his side and asked him in complete seriousness, Do you want to be killed? To which Massow replied, A good soldier is always prepared to die!. His uniform andcrutchesare on display inThe Price of Freedom: Americans at War. Hibbs unique ability to find forage paid personal dividends, too. Brown, Eugene The wound, though serious and painful, had a positive aspect. Mosby asked him, have you ever heard of Mosby? The general replied, Have you captured him? at which time Mosby said, I am Mosby, he said. Oldest Merrills Marauder MG Milton Pitcher Dies at 100. General Rosser erred here indicating ignorance of Mosby's tactics, as it has been tirelessly repeated that Mosby's men rejected the saber for the much more efficient six shot pistol. Printed by H. E. Howard. [11], Munson's denial of the use of Union blue is contradicted by another source however. He was a postwar merchant inboth Baltimore and Indianapolis. CHARLES EDWARDGROGAN,1st Lieutenant, Company D. Author McHenry Howard referred toGrogan as having as little sense of fearand danger as any man he had everseen. Captured at Gettysburg whileserving on Maj. Gen. Isaac Trimblesstaff and sent to the Johnsons IslandPOW camp in Ohio. 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