Civil War exploits of John Mosby

Since I neglected to write about Colonel John Mosby's first raid as a captain that occurred the first week of March in 1863, I thought I'd pick up on what took place later in the month.

To give a brief summary of that first excursion, however, since it outdoes even what the main character in my historical fiction novel Shades of Gray ever achieved, Mosby captured a Union general, two captains, 30 privates and 58 horses from a heavily fortified, Federally-occupied town (Fairfax).

And typical of the behavior of Colonel Alexander Hunter in Shades of Gray, Mosby did not tell any of the 29 men he had with him that day where they were going or what they were going to be doing. (Notice that he took more prisoners and horses than he had men).

Anyway, after delivering his prisoners from the Fairfax raid to Culpeper, Mosby was off again on another expedition.

Here is an account written by Ranger James Williamson in his book "Mosby's Rangers."

Starting from Rector's X Roads on the 23rd of March, he proceeded down the turnpike until within about six miles of Chantilly, when he left the road, though still keeping the same direction. Coming out from a piece of woods within a mile of the Chantilly mansion, he moved towards the picket posted on a little run on the Little River Turnpike. Seeing the vedettes, some of our men left the ranks and dashed off in pursuit. They suddenly came upon a picket of 10 men which had been thrown out on the turnpike. One was killed and 5 or 6 surrendered and were taken back to Mosby.

The alarm being given, the reserves were called out, and Mosby finding the force quite a large one, fell back up the turnpike, the Federals following.
Halting at a place where there was a barricade of fallen trees, Mosby formed his men behind this obstruction and awaited their coming. On they came, but in the pursuit they were strung out along the road, and on receiving Mosby's fire, wavered.

A charge was now ordered; the Rangers rushed forward with a yell and the fight became a chase. The Federals were driven back and could not be rallied.

The chase was continued for about three miles, back to the place where it commenced. Here the Federals were reinforced by the reserve from Frying Pan Church, and Mosby was compelled to halt and then retreat. The enemy did not pursue very far, as night was coming on, and they were afraid of being led into a trap.

Mosby sustained no loss. The Federals lost 5 killed, several wounded, and 35 prisoners were taken.

In response to his dispatch, General Stuart sent the following to Mosby:

Headquarters, Cavalry Division
Army of Northern Virginia, March 27, 1863

Captain: Your telegram, announcing your brilliant achievements near Chantilly, was duly received and forwarded to General Lee. He exclaimed upon reading it, “Hurrah for Mosby! I wish I had a hundred like him!”
Heartily wishing you continued success, I remain

Your obedient servant
J.E.B. Stuart
Major-General Commanding

The great Civil War snowball fight

Here in Pennsylvania, we know about the unpredictable weather of March. Yesterday (when I worked 12 hours), it was sunny and in the 60s. Today, it's going to be in the 40s and windy.

During the Civil War, the unpredictable weather helped to break the routine of camp life and interrupt the training schedule. On March 22, 1864, soldiers woke up to a fresh five inches of new snow - and since "boys will be boys" a snowball fight broke out.

Of course, as veteran soldiers, this was no ordinary snowball fight. One Arkansas soldier recalled, "Such pounding and thumping, and rolling over in the snow, and washing of faces and cramming snow in mouths and in ears and mixing up in great wriggling piles together." (Stephenson, Civil War Memoir)

Here are some other accounts of what occurred:

In Cleburne's Division, Lucius Polk's Brigade attacked Govan's Brigade, pitting Arkansas against Arkansas, and Cleburne could not resist getting involved. He placed himself at the head of his old brigade and led the attack on Govan's campsite. The snowballs flew thick and fast, and Govans's men were getting the worst of it when they decided to launch a counterattack. They charged, no doubt yelling for all they were worth and Cleburne suddenly found himself a prisoner of war. After some tongue -in-cheek deliberation, his captors decided to parol their commander, and Cleburne was released.

The snowball fight continued and Cleburne once again entered the fray. At last he was captured a 2nd time .. and this time his captors confronted him with mock solemnity about his violation of parole. According to one veteran, "Some called for a drumhead court martial; others demanded a sound ducking in the nearby creek. Still others, mindfull of Cleburne's reputation as a stern disciplinarian, insisted that the general be meted out his own customary punishment. The idea caught on and soon the whole brigade took up the familiar order: 'Arrest that soldier and make him carry a fence rail!'

Cooler heads prevailed, with Cleburne's defenders arguing that after all this was the 1st occasion on which he had been known to break his word and once again his captors granted him parole. When it was all over, Cleburne authorized a ration of whiskey to the troops, and they stood around great bonfires singing and yelling "at the top of their lungs." {Steve Davis "The Great Snowbattle of 1864" CWTI (June 1976) }

More snow fell on the 23rd of March, provoking yet another snowball fight and rain and snow continued through the rest of the month. On the 31st a more serious sham battle occurred when Joe Johnston organized a mock engagement involving Hardee's Corps. Cleburne's and Bates's Div. Squared off against those of Cheatam and Walker.

It was a fine weather for a charge, and the troops entered the spirit of the drill, firing off a blank cartridges each, thrilling the small audiences of ladies who had driven out from Dalton to watch. One veteran recalled, "The noise was terrific and the excitement intense, but nobody was hurt. . . except perhaps one of the cavalry men who was dismounted while charging a square of infantry." That night, back in camp , it was peaches and cornbread again for dinner. (John S. Jackson Diary of A Confederate Soldier)

I hope we are not in for any more snow here in Gettysburg, but if a snowstorm does give us another blast of winter, I think I'm going to go start a snowball fight!

A trip back in time to Olde Virginia

Well, I'm back from beautiful Charlottesville and the Virginia Festival of the Book, and boy did I have fun!

Though I was only there a short time, I did take the opportunity to see some of the historic sites the Charlottesville area has to offer. My first stop was Michie Tavern just outside of Charlottesville. I could almost smell the smoked meat and tobacco as I walked through the tavern, which has served customers for more than 200 years (circa 1784). Of course, I went shopping in their well-stocked general store, and came home with some delicious, rich hot chocolate mix, which I have already sampled.

From there I went to a Barnes and Noble on Emmet Road and signed copies of Shades of Gray. I didn't allow myself to look around too much, knowing I could kill an entire afternoon in a bookstore that size!

From there I checked into my room at the beautiful Omni and started to explore Charlottesville. For those who are not familiar, the town's Main Street is closed to traffic, so strolling down the brick sidewalks and window shopping is the thing to do. Charlottesville has more independent bookstores than I have ever seen in one town, so needless to say, I passed quite a bit of time browsing the Civil War history sections and looking for 19th century historical fiction and historical romance novels.

Late in the afternoon, I jumped back into my Jeep and visited the historic "grounds" of the University of Virginia. I must admit, as much as I have read about it, I was awestruck by the beauty of the architecture. In every direction you can see the great influence of Thomas Jefferson, who established the University, planned its curriculum and designed its buildings. Opened in 1825, it was the school of choice of such notable figures as Edgar Allan Poe in 1826 and Woodrow Wilson in 1879.

The Rotunda is the signature landmark of the University, referred to by Jefferson as the "temple of knowledge."

Of course, the main thing I wanted to see was the old dorms because Confederate Colonel John Mosby (who the main character in Shades of Gray is patterned after) went to law school there. I love visiting the sites where great historical figures once roamed, and the University of Virginia afforded me a beautiful glimpse at the past.

On my final day in Charlottesville, I took part in a panel discussion on historical fiction and answered questions on researching the Civil War. I really enjoyed talking to unpublished authors and hope they will keep on plugging away at their writing. Perseverance is the path to being published.

A Civil War curiosity: Devil's Den

One of the little perks I get for living in an historic area like Gettysburg is to have the opportunity to pass Civil War landmarks during my everyday travels.

I found myself in that circumstance last week when a shortcut to an appointment took me across the area of Pickett's Charge and right by the Peach Orchard. I don't know about other historical fiction authors, but I find I get great inspiration by visiting battlefields, so on this day, I decided to make a slight detour and ended up at Devil's Den. (Usually I end up on Little Round Top, and spent many, many hours there in all types of weather while writing Shades of Gray.)

Students of the Battle of Gettysburg know all about Devil's Den, but for those who have never heard of it, I took some photos to share. Over the years, Devil's Den has been a favorite site for youngsters to visit because they can climb on the rocks and play hide and seek. Little do they know of the significance of what took place there.

Devil's Den is located about 900 yards west of Little Round Top, and was considered a curiosity by local residents long before the battle. On July 2, the huge granite formations provided height and protection for the Union battery placed there, but there was a major weakness. Only four of six guns would fit among the rocks and there was no place to safely park the artillery limbers that carried the ammunition chests. With guns and gunners crowding the summit, there was also little room for anything else, including infantry support. Of course, the Union officers hoped that if the Confederates attacked, they would do so on the west side through a triangular field and not from another direction.

(As a side note, this triangular field is now a favorite spot for ghost hunters, and I have seen many "orbs" in photos taken here).

Unfortunately, the Union's worst fears came true when Confederates struck the den from three directions at once.

Not shown in the photo is that even the pastures around the base of the Den are filled with piles of rocks and large boulders that caused battle formations to divide and fall apart. Officers lost control of their commands and soldiers lost their way in this wild garden of stone.

Here is how one of the Southern veterans described the ground at Devil's Den.

"... a wild, rocky labyrinth which, from its weird, uncanny features, has long been called by the people of the vicinity the 'Devils Den.' Large rocks from six to fifteen feet high are thrown together in confusion over a considerable area and yet so disposed as to leave everywhere among them siding passages carpeted with moss. Many of the recesses are never visited by the sunshine, and a cavernous coolness pervades the air within it."

I urge you to read about the heroic attacks and counter attacks on this ground - all performed under a hot July sun. Eventually, the outnumbered Union troops were forced to retreat, and a wing of the 44th Alabama rushed to the summit of Devil's Den and planted the regiment's flag among the boulders.

After the battle, the area between Devil's Den and the Round Tops was nicknamed "The Slaughter Pen" and Plum Run Valley referred to as the "Valley of Death." The names have remained to this very day.

Civil War graffiti & a new photo of Lincoln

So many great Civil War stories in the news this week, I wanted to post a couple in case you missed them. As an historical fiction author, I am always keeping my eyes open for these, and it always amazes me when we learn something new about this period!

The first one has to do with Lincoln's pocket watch, which was long rumored to have a secret message inscribed within it by an Irish immigrant and watchmaker. The story that the man was fixing the 16th president's watch when Fort Sumter was fired upon in the opening salvos of the Civil War had been passed down through the family for generations.

Lincoln never knew of the supposed inscription and neither did the Smithsonian, which now has the watch, until a family member stepped forward. They opened the watch this week and found the watchmaker's name, the date of April 13, 1861, and the following words:
"Fort Sumpter [sic] was attacked by the rebels on the above date. Thank God we have a government."

Of course, Sumpter was fired upon on April 12, but the finding is incredible. The descendant of the watchmaker was delighted to find that the story he had heard around the dinner table was true: "That's Lincoln's watch, and my ancestor wrote graffiti on it!"

You can see the photo of the inside of the watch and read the full Civil War story here.

Another article I discovered also concerns Lincoln (which is ironic since this year marks his 200th birthday). A photograph found in a private album once owned by Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant shows what historians believe is President Abraham Lincoln in front of the White House.

If it is proved to be authentic, this will be the only known photo of the 16th president in front of the executive mansion. Considering the fact that only about 130 photos of Lincoln are known to exist, it would be a very rare find. Because it is stamped on the back with the photographer's name (and an inscription, "Lincoln in front of the White House"), it is also believed to be the last image taken of the president before he was assassinated in 1865.

To see the full story and the new Lincoln photograph check out the story Lincoln photo uncovered in Grant album.

I can't wait to see what historical treasure is uncovered next, and what great untold stories of the Civil War will be revealed in the future.

Another page from Civil War history

"Then not one drop of blood was shed in vain."

I found this passage about the Confederates repulsing an overwhelming force against unbelievable odds, and thought I would share. This type of writing is why I fell in love with reading first-hand accounts of the War Between the States, and why, as an historical fiction author, I grew to admire the language of the 19th century. This comes from Land of the Golden River, Lewis Philip Hall, Hall Enterprises, 1980.

For a little background, General Joseph E. Johnston attacked General W.T. Sherman in Bentonville, N.C., on March 19, 1865. Brigade after brigade of the Federals were crushed, and the center almost destroyed. Following this defeat, Sherman was unwilling to suffer another so he waited for General Schofield to join him. This brought the strength of his force to more than 160,000 men.

The Confederate Corp of General D. H. Hill numbered 2,687 men.

In regard to this display of courage and character, and in honor of all Confederate soldiers of 1861-1865, Judge de Roulhac Hamilton wrote:

"How splendid they were in their modest, patient, earnest, love of country! How strong they were in their young manhood, and pure they were in their faith, and constant they were in their principles. How they bore suffering and hardship, and how their lives were ready at the call of duty! Suffering they bore, duty they performed, and death they faced and met, all for the love of the dear old homeland; and all this for the glory and honor of North Carolina. As they were faithful unto thee, guard thou their names and fame, grand old mother of us all. If thy sons in the coming times shall learn the lesson of the heroism their lives inspired and their deeds declared, then not one drop of blood was shed in vain."

Civil War landmark is almost history

One of the many benefits to come out of book signings is the wonderful people I get to meet. The signing I did at Historic Blenheim in Fairfax, Va. is certainly no exception.

Mentioning to one visitor that the main character in Shades of Gray is based loosely on Colonel John S. Mosby, we began to chat about different "Mosby" landmarks, including Mosby's Rock, which is one of the few sites I have been unable to find and visit personally.

This kind Virginian took the time to write down precise directions to the historical site, which is now located in the common area of a townhouse development (ugh). I thought that was the end of the story, but this gentleman went another step by tracking down my email address and sending pictures. (Which is good, because after getting lost in Fairfax on my home from the signing, and seeing the development around this wonderful historic landmark, I don't think it is one I will take the time to visit).

He sent some photos with and without snow, but I wanted to post one that shows the Historic Marker and the development in the background. The inscription on the sign reads:

Mosby’s Rangers (43d Bn., Va. Cav.) used this rock as a rendezvous point and met here to divide the spoils after raids. The renowned Southern spy and scout Laura Ratcliffe, who lived nearby, showed this rock to Col. (then Captain) John S. Mosby, CSA, in 1863, and suggested he use it as a meeting place.

The story behind Laura Ratcliffe and her exploits, as well as her relationship with Mosby and General J.E.B. Stuart, will provide great fodder for a future post. She is an exceptionally interesting character, and her story continues to have great relevance as preservation groups work to save her home, Merrybrook. As a tease, John Mosby credits her for saving his life and the lives of his men after she warned him of a planned Union ambush. Miss Ratcliffe - and the "Rock" - just might lay the groundwork for a future historical fiction novel...

I was able to find an additional photo on the Internet of Mosby's Rock, obviously taken before some of the destructive development began.

I certainly want to express my gratitude once again to Mr. Costanzo for the photos, and for taking the time to write down the directions. I hope the residents of the townhouses realize the great acts of courage and heroism that took place in their backyard.

Honoring history on Confederate Flag Day

"Who will scorn or frown to see veterans of the South’s shattered armies unfurl that other banner, the riddled and blood-stained Stars and Bars, to look upon it and weep over it, and press it to their bosoms? For it is hallowed with recollections tender as the soldier's last farewell. Then who will upbraid them if they sometimes bring it to light, sacrificed and glorified as it is by the blood and tears of the past and wave it proudly in the air…?"
-- Confederate Veteran, 1897

Since Wednesday, March 4, is Confederate Flag Day, it seems like a great time to do a post on the history of the flag. Unfortunately, the banner under which the Confederate soldier fought is often maligned these days -- largely by people or groups whose knowledge of American history is so distorted or inaccurate as to be cause for alarm.

In reality, there were three major "official" flags of the Confederate nation from 1861 to 1865. Many people only know of, and refer to, the "battle flag" - which was not a national flag at all.

The Confederacy adopted the "Stars and Bars" as its national flag on March 4, 1861 (hence Confederate Flag Day). The seven stars on the First National flag represented the original Confederate states of South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. More stars were added, up to 13, as other states joined the Confederacy.

As you can see from the picture, the pattern and colors of this flag made it difficult to distinguish from the Stars and Stripes of the Union, causing considerable confusion on the battlefield. This flag design was only used until May of 1863.

Because of the confusion, General P.G.T. Beauregard asked Congress to change the First National Flag. In addition, a congressman suggested that the Army adopt a distinctive battle flag for its own use, the design being one of those that had been turned down in favor of the First National. This flag was red with a blue cross and white stars, and was first issued in November of 1861. Referred to as the "Southern Cross," the flag had 13 total stars, 12 stars for the states currently in the Confederacy, and one for Missouri, which had seceded, but was not yet admitted.

Still wanting an improved National flag in addition to the battle flag, the Confederacy went on to adopt the Second National Confederate Flag. This flag was referred to as the "Stainless Banner" because of it's pure white field, said to represent the purity of the Cause which it represented. It incorporated the Southern Cross in its design because so many soldiers had already shed their blood fighting under the Battle flag.

Interesting note: One of the first uses for the Second National flag was to drape the coffin of General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, who died after being mortally wounded by friendly fire at the Wilderness.

As you might guess from seeing the design of the Second National, it caused a new problem - looking too much like a flag of truce! The Second National was then replaced by the Third National in 1865. Similar to the Stainless Banner, the Third National flag incorporated a broad red bar for the last 25 percent of the flag's length.

The National flags of the Confederacy are almost forgotten today, the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia having become the symbol most associated with the C.S.A. Hopefully through education - and even historical fiction such as Shades of Gray - the true history and heritage of those who served under these flags in unselfish regard for duty can be taught.

If you would like to learn more about the symbols of the Confederacy, I urge you to visit the Confederate Colonel and take a look at their Confederate Flag Etiquette page. This website is an online community that exemplifies the "new life of the Old South."

Thanks to the Confederate Colonel website, I was able to find the perfect ending for my post from their quote page:

"The flags of the Confederate States of America were very important and a matter of great pride to those citizens living in the Confederacy. They are also a matter of great pride for their descendants as part of their heritage and history."
- Winston Churchill