The Gray Ghost J. S. Mosby.

jessgettysburg1863

2nd Lieutenant
Joined
Jun 3, 2012
Location
Living in Kilmore in Victoria Australia
Hi to all,

l read somewhere that medals were not awarded in the Confederate army as General Lee
did not wish to discriminate within the army ranks as to him they the army officers & inlisted
men were all heroes. The highest honour one could achieve in the Confederate army was to
be favourably mentioned in despatches. ls it true that JS Mosby was mentioned favourably
more times in Confederate despatches than any other officer or inlisted man? Please your
thoughts are welcome.

Thanks.............................Jess :smile:.
 
I agree Mosby was highly effective, even Sheridan couldn't nuetralize him. Colonel Mosby decided to disband his men rather than surrender them at war's end. Mosby's exploits are legendary. Post war he befriended Grant and became an Ambassador. The area of his operations was known as Mosby's Confederacy. Federal troops always moved best when in large numbers for good reason when Mosby's area was crossed. For the most part Mosby operated well for a partisan guerillas actually he preferred calling his men rangers. Only once when some of Mosby's men were hanged by union forces did it get ugly when Mosby reciprocated by hanging union prisoners. Mosby's men did not enjoy that duty and the story of it is a great one in that a few of the federals were released on the way to thier hanging tree.
 
I agree Mosby was highly effective, even Sheridan couldn't nuetralize him. Colonel Mosby decided to disband his men rather than surrender them at war's end. Mosby's exploits are legendary. Post war he befriended Grant and became an Ambassador. The area of his operations was known as Mosby's Confederacy. Federal troops always moved best when in large numbers for good reason when Mosby's area was crossed. For the most part Mosby operated well for a partisan guerillas actually he preferred calling his men rangers. Only once when some of Mosby's men were hanged by union forces did it get ugly when Mosby reciprocated by hanging union prisoners. Mosby's men did not enjoy that duty and the story of it is a great one in that a few of the federals were released on the way to thier hanging tree.

Post war he had his life threaten, an assassination attempt and his home burned and effectively exiled from Virginia for not buying into the "Lost Cause".
 
mosby.jpg
 
Post war he had his life threaten, an assassination attempt and his home burned and effectively exiled from Virginia for not buying into the "Lost Cause".

I don't remember hearing or reading that as I thought after the war Mosby served posts outside the country as an ambasador. No former Confederate was immune to disparaging attitudes and remarks if they became a republican post war look at how General Longstreet fared but he did worse he questioned General Lee's judgement at Gettysburg. What is your source for the attempted assasination and his home being burned I would like to read about that.
 
Post war he had his life threaten, an assassination attempt and his home burned and effectively exiled from Virginia for not buying into the "Lost Cause".

I think Mosby would have found it difficult to buy into the “Lost Cause” once he had bought into the Republican Party.

”While I am able for service I intend to stand by the cause while a banner floats to tell where Freedom and freedom’s sons still support her cause.”

Major Walter Clark of the North Carolina Junior Reserve Brigade in a letter to his mother
 
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