Tales from Tennessee and Beyond: John Singleton Mosby "The Gray Ghost"

John Singleton Mosby, who is most often referred to as the "Grey Ghost," was a Confederate partisan ranger in the Civil War. He was the leader of the 43rd Battalion, 1st Virginia Cavalry. He engaged in acts such as breaking up supply lines and robbing trains. The 1st Virginia Cavalry became known as "Mosby's Raiders." Mosby was born on December 6, 1833 in Powhatan, Virginia. His family was very wealthy. He attended Hampton-Sydney College as well as the University of Virginia. When he was 19 years old he got into trouble with the law. Mosby and George Turpin, who bullied Mosby on multiple occasions, got into a fight. This resulted in Mosby shooting Turpin in the neck with his pepper-box pistol. Mosby was arrested and charged with unlawful shooting as well as malicious shooting. The trial resulted in a hung jury. Mosby was convicted of both charges and sentenced to ten years in prison. While in prison Mosby befriended the prosecutor in the case William J. Robertson. He told Robertson that he wanted to study law. Mosby was later pardoned by Virginia Governor Joseph Johnson. After his release he was admitted to the bar (he had studied law while in prison and had met all the requirements). He worked with Robertson in his law office, but later set up his own practice in Howardsville, Virginia. He then met his future wife Pauline Clarke who was in town visiting her family. They got married and moved to Bristol, Virginia. They had two children that were born before the Civil War, and one that was born during the war. At the outbreak of the war Mosby was against secession. He later changed his mind and joined the Confederate army as a private. He started the war under the command of J.E.B. Stuart. He was quickly promoted through the ranks. In 1863 he was given command of the 1st Virginia Cavalry. His first raid was at Fairfax Courthouse. Mosby and his men were able to capture three men. One of the men they captured was Brigadier General Edwin H. Stoughton. Mosby and his raiders were very successful in breaking up Union supply lines. One of the reasons "Mosby's Raiders" were so successful was that they were able to escape disguised as civilians (hence the nickname "The Gray Ghost"). They were able to conduct raids their raids almost invisibly. The strategy continued until the end of the war. After Lee's surrender at Appomattox in 1865, Mosby disbanded his rangers. Mosby had a $5,000 reward out for his capture, but was eventually paroled by Ulysses S. Grant. This made Mosby and Grant good friends. When Grant was elected president, he appointed Mosby a U.S. consul to Hong Kong. Mosby also served as a lawyer in San Francisco, California. Mosby later worked for the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Justice. Mosby in a letter to Samuel Chapman, said that he never approved of slavery. He only fought with the Confederacy because he felt that was his duty as a native Virginian. John Singleton Mosby died on May 30, 1916 in Washington, D.C. He was 82 years old. Mosby's service to his country is to be commended. He truly is an American hero.

To this day John Singleton Mosby's legacy lives on. The area of North Central Virginia where Mosby and his raiders operated is known as "Mosby's Confederacy"(there is a highway named in his honor). There have been books written about Mosby (the book To Kill a Mockingbird mentions "The Gray Ghost"). His name has also been mentioned in T.V. westerns, and blockbuster movies.