The Gray Ghost

[Jon G.]

I've been reading some first person accounts about Col. John Mosby and his raiders, all by him or his men. I'm actually re-reading some of the works after reading some years ago.

A question popped into my head and perhaps there's no answer as lots of CW first person accounts back then can't be considered gospel for one reason or another....but they've always been my favorite reading anyway! Sorry for digressing

I've read a number of places that Mosby and his group never wore Union Uniforms during ANY of his raids...NEVER.

For some reason that came across somewhat like a a young lad saying he didn't spill the pop on the carpet before it even occured to you, the parent.

Some anecdotes I've read point out how brazen they sometimes were, carrying out their objectives. Almost unbelievable, like riding in the midst of a Union wagon train while talking with Union soldiers or riding smack dab through the middle of a Union city or town, all without anyone noticing that they looked out of place.

I thought that perhaps they just wore civilian clothes when on those close in missions....which lots of southern soldiers might have considered uniforms. But again, they would have seemed to stand out that way too?

Was just wondering....

Any thoughts?


Regards to all,
Jon G.

 

[TerryB]

Depends on the weather and the dust and fog and all that. Longstreet and his staff almost got busted riding through a Union picket line prior to the Battle of Chickamauga. He was trying to link up with Bragg, and when challenged by the picket, he quickly realized his mistake and bluffed his way past. Polk rode up to a Union regiment at Perryville and ordered them to cease fire. Once he realized his mistake, he bluffed his way out of it. These stories are legion, and I believe Mosby had no shortage of nerve. [edit] I also think it's safe to say that the ACW had more friendly fire incidents than any other war we've had, so the confusion works both ways.

 

[BillO]

Mosby once rode by the white house in the back of a hay wagon scoping out the possibility of grabbing Ole Abe some dark night. I got a book around here somewhere titled "Gray Ghosts and Rebel Raiders" It's an excellent book about the partisan rangers in western and northern Virginia.

 

[dvrmte]

Mosby once rode by the white house in the back of a hay wagon scoping out the possibility of grabbing Ole Abe some dark night. I got a book around here somewhere titled "Gray Ghosts and Rebel Raiders" It's an excellent book about the partisan rangers in western and northern Virginia.

My neighbor just let me borrow his copy of that book. I don't know when I'll get the chance to read it.

 

[Jon G.]

Depends on the weather and the dust and fog and all that. Longstreet and his staff almost got busted riding through a Union picket line prior to the Battle of Chickamauga. He was trying to link up with Bragg, and when challenged by the picket, he quickly realized his mistake and bluffed his way past. Polk rode up to a Union regiment at Perryville and ordered them to cease fire. Once he realized his mistake, he bluffed his way out of it. These stories are legion, and I believe Mosby had no shortage of nerve. [edit] I also think it's safe to say that the ACW had more friendly fire incidents than any other war we've had, so the confusion works both ways.

Ah, good thoughts and great examples of others Terry! I wasn't aware of those stories.

I agree, Mosby sure had lots of nerve and had to be a great leader. Apparently he made a great example to all his men too!

Really a good point about the confusion both ways! Mosby probably knew that and apparently knew how to take advantage of it.

Thanks for posting!

Regards to all,
Jon G,

 

[Jon G.]

Mosby once rode by the white house in the back of a hay wagon scoping out the possibility of grabbing Ole Abe some dark night. I got a book around here somewhere titled "Gray Ghosts and Rebel Raiders" It's an excellent book about the partisan rangers in western and northern Virginia.

That sounds like a "must read" for me too! Thanks for that!

Mosby was among my favorite personalities during the period.

When I was in school I even had an old gray primered 47 Ford with "The gray ghost " painted on it!

Regards to all,
Jon G.

 

[16thVA]

My neighbor just let me borrow his copy of that book. I don't know when I'll get the chance to read it.

It's a very good book, available in many editions. Another one I would recommend is
"Spies of the Confederacy", by John Bakless, available in a cheap Dover Books edition.

Blazer's Scouts (Union) wore Confederate uniforms to combat guerrillas in West Virginia/Virginia, until they were practically wiped out at Kabletown, when Mosby surprised the Scouts. You can get "Headquarters in the Brush, Blazer's Independent Union Scouts" by Darl L. Stephenson on the internet book sites for under $10, and well worth it. He has a lot of photos as well as a detailed roster of the Scouts.

I always recommend avoiding Amazon, except for new books. Go to ABE books for out-of-print books, they are almost always cheaper than Amazon. I know, I've been in the used book business for 20 years.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchEntry

 

[K Hale]

16th VA, your signature quote is terrific.

 

[ole]

the possibility of grabbing Ole Abe some dark night.

Ummmmm, Bill, that's Ol' Abe. Thank you for noticing.

Actually, I wonder how those guys ever recognized each other. They were all the same color -- whatever color the dust was there. A couple of days on the road and they all looked the same.

 

[16thVA]

16th VA, your signature quote is terrific.

Thank you very much. Do they have an emoticon for - (smiling sheepishly)? If not, we need one, stat!

 

[sf46]

Yes, the Civil War is full of stories of friendly fire incidents. I'd suspect that Mosby wouldn't draw a lot of undue attention if wearing civilian clothes. It should also be noted, that at the very start of the war, some Union units had grey uniforms, while some Confederate units wore blue. The Zouaves added to the uniform confusion as well. And then you had the Confederates wearing uniform parts captured from Union supplies or off the battlefield.

 

[Jon G.]

Has anyone heard of or read accounts of them ever wearing Union uniforms?

I assume, since in what I've read lately, that someone had accused them of it.

Regards to all,
Jon G.

 

[TerryB]

Has anyone heard of or read accounts of them ever wearing Union uniforms?

I assume, since in what I've read lately, that someone had accused them of it.

Regards to all,
Jon G.

I've read several books on Mosby and none of them mentions them wearing Union uniforms. The first uniforms they were issued were made in a prison and the men burned them because of the poor quality.

 

[Nathanb1]

Not only were Grierson and the Butternut Warriors adept at finding "friendly" clothes--they were cheered by a group of schoolchildren and their teacher when they went riding by a school in Mississippi.....everyone thought they were Confederates due to the mud and dirt on their uniforms!

 

[K Hale]

At Chancellorsville, after Jackson had been wounded and Stuart had taken over, some regiment or other was trying to advance under enemy artillery fire when Stuart galloped up to the Union battery and told them to hold their fire, which they did. He exited stage left ASAP, of course.

 

[Nathanb1]

I wish I could have been a fly on the wall after he left.

"Hey, was that.......?" "Naw. Some dude on a bay horse that looks like him."

 

[K Hale]

"Who was that masked man?"

 

[BillO]

The largest case of mistaken idenity I can think of was Longstreets corp. Just before boarding the trains to head to Braggs army they were issued new uniforms that had been made of imported english kersey which is so dark gray as to appear black or navy blue from a distance. Of course the boys in Tennessee had never seen the stuff before and the fun soon began.

 

[Jon G.]

I've read several books on Mosby and none of them mentions them wearing Union uniforms. The first uniforms they were issued were made in a prison and the men burned them because of the poor quality.

Thanks for that Terry,

I'm kinda wondering now if it might have been Union Officers that may have just said they did in a report to superiors, to cover their backsides .... and hence might have made it into the ORs. Lots of the raids were certainly embarrassing to the Union officers from what I've always thought.

Since they were denying it in their first person accounts, somebody must have been accusing them publicly of it seems.

Regards to all,
Jon G.

 

[Jon G.]

Not only were Grierson and the Butternut Warriors adept at finding "friendly" clothes--they were cheered by a group of schoolchildren and their teacher when they went riding by a school in Mississippi.....everyone thought they were Confederates due to the mud and dirt on their uniforms!

Wow, I read about that long ago and forgot about it. He's another I'd better put on my list of re-reads.

Thanks for posting that Nathan!

Regards to all,
Jon G.