Colonel John Singleton Mosby example essay topic

John Singleton Mosby: The Spirit of the Confederacy Many leaders and heroic figures emerged from the Civil War, on both the Confederate and Union sides. Ordinary people were given the chance to show their valor and conceive brilliant military strategies. One such "regular Joe" exercised the idea of attacking many spots of an army to weaken them instead of the traditional charging, and worked his way up through the ranks and become the legend known as the "Gray Ghost". John Singleton Mosby helped the Southern effort in the war by weakening the strength of the Union armies through his style of guerilla warfare, and by disrupting the supply of goods and communications within the Union through his attacks and raids.

John Mosby's life began in Edgemont Virginia on December 6th, 1833. He was baptized John Singleton Mosby by his Methodist parents Virginia Mclaurine and Alfred Mosby. John's first seven years of schooling took place in a school called Murrell's Shop. However, around 1840 his family moved to a town in the Blue Ridge Mountains four miles from Charlottesville, Virginia. For the next three years he would attend the local school in Fry's Woods.

Starting at age ten, he attended Charlottesville School that taught up through high school. Mosby had a reputation for a heated temper and one of the first occurrences of it was on March 29, 1853 after he had entered and graduated the University of Virginia. The incident began with a disagreement between himself and another student, George R. Turpin, a medical student who was also attending the University. The tiff then escalated to the point that John shot the young man and then was sentenced to twelve months in prison and fined five hundred dollars.

Surprisingly, this event seemed to help rather than hurt the reckless Mosby, for while he was in prison he studied law. After being pardoned by the governor at the time as a Christmas present, he studied in the law office of William J. Robertson. Admitted to the bar in 1855, Mosby first set up his own practice in Howards ville, Virginia. However, Mosby soon after moved his practice to Bristol but not before he met and married Pauline Clark. They were married in a Nashville hotel on December 30th, 1857 and had their first child May, on May 10th, 1859. Unfortunately, their time together was cut short by the outbreak of the civil war in 1861.

Mosby first saw action at the first battle of Manassas, also called the first Battle of Bull Run. When Mosby enlisted in the Army he did not think of fighting for secession and all that stood for, but rather for defending his beloved State. He declared "Virginia is my mother, God bless her! I can't fight against my mother, can I?" .

He joined the 1st Virginia Cavalry, and served as a private under Colonel Jones. Mosby, however, longed to be his own ruler and "emulate the Revolutionary War partisan hero Francis Marion, the legendary Swamp Fox", and have his own band of Partisan Rangers under the Confederacy's Partisan Ranger Law 5. Mosby's time spent under "Grumble Jones", as he was amiably referred to, was not wasted. In fact Mosby admits that it even helped him to become a good commander. "While the cavalry did not have an opportunity to do much fighting during the first year of the war, they learned to perform the duties and endure the privations of a soldier's life. My experience in this school was of great advantage to me in the after years when I became a commander".

(52-53) Under Colonel Jones John Mosby rose to the rank of first lieutenant and adjutant of the first Virginia Cavalry. Then in June 1862 Mosby received recognition from J.E.B. Stuart by volunteering to serve as a scout for the Brigadier General and helping with Stuart's famous "Ride around McClellan". Mosby fashioned his guerilla warfare ideas from his hero Francis Marion, which used small, fast-moving cavalry as a more effective way of disrupting enemy plans and communications than large cavalry offensive actions. Finally in December 1862 Stuart permitted Mosby to go on a raid as the commander of a few men. "On the morning he left, I went to his room, and asked him to let me stay behind for a few days with a squad of men. I thought I could do something with them.

He readily assented. I got nine men -- including, of course, Beattie-who volunteered to go with me. This was the beginning of my career as a partisan. The work I accomplished in two or three days with this squad induced him to let me have a larger force to try my fortune.

I took my men down into Fairfax, and in two days captured twenty cavalrymen, with their horses, arms, and equipments". (59) 6 Mosby's first recruits were fine soldiers from the army of Col. Fitz Lee, who took over Col. Jones's position, but whom were at the disposal of General Stuart. "I found him [Stuart] in his tent, and when I reported what I had done, he expressed great delight. So he agreed to let me go back with fifteen men and try my luck again. I went and never returned. I was not permitted to keep the men long.

Fitz Lee complained of his men being with me, and so I had to send them back to him". (60) However, Mosby was not without a band of followers for too long. In a Confederate hospital in Middleburg, Mosby selected a few soldiers recuperating from the Maryland campaign they had fought in a couple months before. They proved to be a very useful bunch for the nighttime raids. "They would go down to Fairfax on a raid with me, and then return to the hospital. When the Federal cavalry came in pursuit, they never suspected that the cripples they saw lying on their couches or hobbling about on crutches were the men who created the panic at night in their camps".

(60) 8. The thrown-together group of soldiers became known as Partisan Rangers. They provided their own equipment, raided Union outposts and supply lines, then dispersed only to meet up later. "Mosby's tactics-swift night raids by small groups of rangers against trains, wagons, picket lines, outposts and small camps-made the rangers a dangerous menace to Union forces in Northern Virginia". There was no established camp, which Mosby believed to be some incentive to join his band. "Old men and boys had joined my band.

Some had run the gauntlet of Yankee pickets, and others swam the Potomac to get to me. Most men love the excitement of fighting, but abhor the drudgery of camps. I mounted, armed and equipped my command at the expense of the United States government". (60).

Mosby's lack of discipline combined with his success as a commander attracted many additional rangers to his crew. One of their better-known escapades was that of the capture of Brigadier General Stoughton. It took place on the night of March 8th to the morning of March 9th, 1863. "GENERAL: I have the honor to report that...

I determined to make the attempt to reach Fairfax Court House, where the general headquarters of that portion of the army were established. The few guards stationed around the town, unsuspecting danger, were easily captured. I then sent one party to the headquarters of Colonel Wyndham (acting brigadier), another party to Colonel Johnstone's, while with 6 men I went myself to Brigadier General Stoughton's. Unfortunately Colonel Wyndham had gone down to Washington, but his assistant adjutant-general and aide-de-camp were made prisoners. Colonel Johnstone, having received notice of our presence, made his escape. General Stoughton I found in bed asleep, as well as his staff and escort, whom we captured...

While these things were going on, other detachments of my men were busily engaged in clearing the stables of the fine horses with which they were filled... The fruits of this expedition are 1 brigadier-general (Stoughton), 2 captains, and 30 men prisoners. We also brought off 58 horses, most of them being very fine, belonging to officers; also a considerable number of arms". Shortly after Mosby's famed capture of General Stoughton, on March 15, 1863 he was promoted to Captain, and then promoted again to the position of Major of his Partisan Rangers on March 26, 1863. The news of Mosby's capture of the brigadier General reached the Union President of the time, Abraham Lincoln.

The capture and other raids of Mosby's made the Generals feel unnerved by the rogue Confederate soldier. They feared that he would kidnap the President right from under their noses. Lincoln however felt differently about the threat of Mosby. "Listen to you men, you speak of Mosby as though he is a ghost, a gray ghost". Although Mosby did not hear of the nickname until after the war, it stuck with him. As word of Mosby's daring exploits kept circulating the newspapers and grapevine, more willing citizens joined his Partisan Rangers.

On June 10, 1963 his rangers, and himself, were given the proper title of the 43rd Battalion of Virginia Cavalry. By early 1864 Mosby's 43rd numbered around 240 men. With a larger gang of soldiers Mosby could attack any number of points and places guarded by the Union soldiers. This was one of his more effective tools, for it produced a need for constant alert, which turned into fear. It is said that the mere name 'Mosby' became so feared and hated in the Union, that Northern mothers would quiet their children by saying "Hush, child, Mosby will get you!" The rangers used the word "Mosby" to their advantage as well. "Rangers learned that the word 'Mosby' was so powerful that is was useful in subduing a guard and preventing him from yelling or shooting.

'I am Mosby,' a Ranger would whisper, and sometimes the captive would go into a daze, bowing his head and trembling in fear" (5). However on the Confederate side Mosby was admired as a great hero and a "daring and distinguished guerilla chief" (5) 15. Many of the Southern babies born during and after the Civil War were named in honor of him. There is a tale originating from the Shenandoah Valley that one day a Union officer knocked on the door of a plantation house. "A woman slave answered the door, and he asked if anybody was home. 'Nobody but Mosby,' she answered.

'Is Mosby here?' he inquired excitedly. 'Yes,' she answered, and he jumped on his horse and rode away. Shortly, he returned, surrounding the house with a company of cavalry. He came to the door and asked if Mosby was still there.

'Yes,' the woman said, inviting him in. 'Where is he?' he demanded, and she pointed to her infant son in a cradle and proudly announced: 'There he is. I call him "Mosby", Sir, "Colonel Mosby", that's his name' " (6). Even though the Rangers never all camped together, some stayed in small groups around key places in the Maryland and Northern Virginia region. Ranger Walter Bowie led one such small group of rangers.

Bowie is known for his raid on the Sandy Spring Store on Oct 7th, 1864. He and his gang raided the store, then fled towards Rockville, however he was shot in the face and died as the only casualty of the "Battle of Ricketts Run". Shortly after the Maryland raid by his Ranger Walter Bowie, Mosby called together his troops to set up another raid, now well known as the "Greenback Raid". Mosby planned to disrupt the railroad that brought supplies to Sheridan's army and to make him put stronger guards on the railroad.

This was intended also to take away from the task force of 100 men organized by Major General Philip Sheridan sent to hunt down and destroy Mosby's command. "The military value of a partisan's work is not measured by the amount of property destroyed, or the number of men killed or captured, but by the number he keeps watching. Every soldier withdrawn from the front to guard the rear of an army is so much taken from its fighting strength" (66). Mosby, with 84 of his men, rode toward the Middleburg region in Loudoun County, and then on to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad track. After reaching it after sundown on October 14th, 1864, Mosby's men removed railing from both sides and elevated them so that the train would roughly slide to a stop, rather than crash. The train approached, many of the rangers including Mosby dozing, and soon it had gone off the tracks and slid to a stop.

The surprised conductor got out of the train, surrendering it to the men. As they were entitled to any loot they acquired during war, some of the rangers felt compelled to take the train rider's wallets, purses, and watches, although they were not technically military goods. There were, however, legitimate Union goods aboard the train that the rangers were free to take. They found two Union paymasters, Major Edwin Moore and Major David Ruggles with bags full of greenbacks. The sum totaled to around $173,000. Mosby had killed or captured all but two of Sheridan's task force by November 18, 1864.

And by December 1864 he had 800 men under his command. From all the success from his raids, especially that of the "Greenback Raid", it was time once more for a promotion. On December 7th, 1864 Mosby became Colonel John Singleton Mosby, 43rd Battalion of Virginia Cavalry. He continued his blitzkrieg attacks on the rear of Union armies and camps. Mosby's ability to be anywhere at anytime required the Union soldiers to be up at all hours of the night, which combined with long treks during the day and the fear that they would be the next victims of the Gray Ghost, caused them to be extremely exhausted and unable to perform regular duties capably, which he used to his advantage. "Modern military studies of sleep deprivation indicate that cognitive skills deteriorate after one night without sleep; after two or three nights, performance is considerably impaired...

But Mosby carefully saved the energy of his men and horses, moving slowly into a raid for maximum performance in the fight and hasty withdrawal" (3). Mosby's last fight occurred on April 10th, 1865, one day after General Lee surrendered at Appomattox. Mosby at first sent his second-in-command Lt. Col. William H. Chapman and Aristides Monteiro to negotiate his own surrender with General Winfield S. Hancock. A rumor began spreading that Mosby was coming to see Hancock, and the Union soldiers started to gather in the streets to try to get a glimpse of the famous "Gray Ghost". After the meeting was over, there were so many men assembled that it was impossible for Mosby's two men to leave through the front". 'It is rumored that Colonel Mosby is here,' Hancock said with a smile.

'Observe the curiosity of the army to see your leader. ' " (9) 23. However the negotiations fell through, therefore Mosby disbanded his command on April 21st, 1865. When the war finished Mosby returned to his family and settled down in Warrenton, Virginia to set up his law practice once more. In 1869 when Grant became the president Mosby decided to visit him and offer support for his former opponent of war. He publicly declared his support in 1872 during Grant's re-election campaign.

From 1878-1885 Mosby served as an U.S. consul to Hong Kong and after returning served as an assistant attorney in the Justice Department from 1904-1910. He also became active on the lecture circuit, and wrote down his war memoirs and other works for newspapers and magazines. After a series of physical problems Mosby died in Washington D.C. on May 30th, 1916 at the age of eighty-two. John Singleton Mosby's scouting abilities led him to one of the most successful Partisan Ranger careers in the whole Confederate Army.

His swift night raid tactics and commanding abilities over his loyal band of followers allowed him to disrupt one of the most useful means of supply and communication networks; trains, and led him to become one of the most well respected and highly praised soldiers of the South, to the extent of his name being passed on to other generations of Virginians. Unusual as they were, Mosby's fighting methods proved to be very beneficial; the enemy never knew what to expect or when, which kept them on a constant alert and weary during battle. Although the Confederate Army did not prevail, Mosby and his Rangers helped to prolong the war, and keep the fighting spirit of the South alive, for even just a few months longer. For even today, the legend of the "Gray Ghost" lives on.