Post by Lt Colonel Bruce Reynolds on Oct 23, 2008 2:56:26 GMT 12.75
Hello to one and All,
Here is a little bit of information about how Mosby got his artillery crew.
I will post more as I get it.
Dear Major Reynolds:
Your email was forwarded to me for reply. I looked into my books and
other materials and found some factual information you may be interested in.
Authority for organizing the artillery company was granted Mosby by the
Secretary of State, Confederate States government, effective 4 Jul 64.
Before this, I am aware that Captain Mosby borrowed a small mountain
howitzer from General Jeb Stuart for his raid on an Orange & Alexandria
train he attacked with about 40 men on 30 May 63 at a site just above
Catlett Station, Va. Stuart allowed him 15 rounds, which were used up
by the end of the fight. After causing the train to leave the tracks --
Mosby had his men cut the telegraph wires next to the RR tracks, removed
the spikes holding a rail, wrapped the wire around the rail and placed
it back more or less in line. On Mosby's command, the rail was pulled,
forcing the train to leave the tracks and the little cannon was fired at
the engine, missing the boiler. A second round was fired, this time
directly hitting the boiler and causing a huge explosion. A unit of
Vermont infantry accompanying the train fired one volley and fled, and
the Rangers "fired" the train. After taking as much as they could cram
into their saddlebags, they also fled. Federal cavalry regiments, which
were placed about a mile apart for great distances on the O&A to protect
that line, raced to the sound of the cannon-fire whille others attempted
to cut the Rangers off as they raced toward Fauquier County.
The fight ended at the back end of what is even today known as Vint Hill
Farms, a former highly-sensitive Army listening post a half-dozen miles
north of Warrenton. To make a shorter story, the 5th NY Cavalry
overtook the gun after heavy fighting and captured it. Mosby and others
barely escaped, and had to leave a number of dead and wounded on the field.
As to the artillery company that was formed in '64, its first action
came on 4 July, the very day it was officially authorized. Mosby
employed -- on this point I'm pretty sure, but not positive -- a 12-lb
Napoleon cannon in a fight with Federal infantry at Point-of-Rocks,
Maryland. In Mosby lore, this is known as the Calico Raid. Two days
later, Mosby used the gun as a prelude to what is today known as the
Mount Zion Church Fight, in which Mosby's approximately 175 Rangers
badly defeated 150 Federal cavalry (100 from the 2nd Mass. and 50 from
the 13th NY) under the command of Major William Forbes. At the end of
the day, Forbes lost more than two-thirds of his command -- that's more
than 100 -- in dead, wounded, captured and missing. Mosby's losses that
day were 1 killed and seven wounded.
The unit also saw action in announcing the Rangers' attack on Gen.
Sheridan's wagon train near Berryville, Va., known as the Berryville
Wagon Train Raid, on 13 Aug 64. There were two guns that day, and Mosby
began the attack just after dawn. The Rangers had placed the guns on a
little knoll a couple hundred yards from a stream where some of the 525
wagons had camped for the night. Mosby's signal to attack was for his
men to swarm from behind the knoll after the third round had been
fired. I don't know off the top of my head what size guns they were,
but may be able to find out if you need the information. I do know
that, while placing the guns, one of the wheels rolled over a
yellow-jacket's nest, sending hardened fighters running and swatting the
little tormentors; one Ranger bravely moved the wheel back and they
were able to re-place the gun a few minutes later. Federal infantry
guarding the wagons more or less ignored this and other activity so near
them because it was quite misty that August morning near the Shenandoah
Valley -- thinking them friendlies -- and not suspecting them because of
their audacity.
A fifth account took place in Fauquier County on 5 Oct 64, where LTC
Mosby shelled the train depot and camps of Federal engineers and
troopers rebuilding the Manassas Gap RR at Salem -- today's Marshall --
hoping to extend it to Strasburg. If they could accomplish that task,
they would not need to drive their supplies by wagon over the mountains
from Harper's Ferry to Sheridan's headquarters at Winchester, but rather
via the faster and more efficient rail system. Mosby had a pair of
Napoleon's up on Stephenson's Hill about a mile from the train depot.
They rained shot on the tracks and camps, killing some 40 Federals and
sending the remaining troops and engineers running for their lives. To
make a long story short, the Federals abandoned extending the track.
There were perhaps other instances where the cannons were used, but I am
not able to recall any without additional digging. I do know the
Federals captured two howitzers that Mosby had hidden near Emory's, a
secluded spot on Big Cobbler Mountain in Fauquier County. They
apparently worked one of the men from that company over enough for him
to give them the location of the guns. Apparently, he attended several
reunions and was treated like the other veterans.
The artillery company was led by Captain Peter A. Franklin, 1LT John
Fray and 3LT Frank H. Rahm. Its 1SG was the very capable Alexander
Babcock, whose nickname was "Big Guerrilla" while in the Alexandria
Union prison. Babcock was among those Rangers captured when former
Ranger John Lunceford led Federal troops to the guns kept on Cobbler
Mountain. The story goes that Babcock and the other Rangers were put
into a boxcar next to a locomotive and sent up and down the Manassas Gap
RR for five weeks to deter Mosby from throwing trains off the track.
I hope you find this information useful, and please let me know if you
have questions or need additional information.
Respectfully,
Your obed. Servant,
Dave Goetz
Warrenton, Va.
Here is a little bit of information about how Mosby got his artillery crew.
I will post more as I get it.
Dear Major Reynolds:
Your email was forwarded to me for reply. I looked into my books and
other materials and found some factual information you may be interested in.
Authority for organizing the artillery company was granted Mosby by the
Secretary of State, Confederate States government, effective 4 Jul 64.
Before this, I am aware that Captain Mosby borrowed a small mountain
howitzer from General Jeb Stuart for his raid on an Orange & Alexandria
train he attacked with about 40 men on 30 May 63 at a site just above
Catlett Station, Va. Stuart allowed him 15 rounds, which were used up
by the end of the fight. After causing the train to leave the tracks --
Mosby had his men cut the telegraph wires next to the RR tracks, removed
the spikes holding a rail, wrapped the wire around the rail and placed
it back more or less in line. On Mosby's command, the rail was pulled,
forcing the train to leave the tracks and the little cannon was fired at
the engine, missing the boiler. A second round was fired, this time
directly hitting the boiler and causing a huge explosion. A unit of
Vermont infantry accompanying the train fired one volley and fled, and
the Rangers "fired" the train. After taking as much as they could cram
into their saddlebags, they also fled. Federal cavalry regiments, which
were placed about a mile apart for great distances on the O&A to protect
that line, raced to the sound of the cannon-fire whille others attempted
to cut the Rangers off as they raced toward Fauquier County.
The fight ended at the back end of what is even today known as Vint Hill
Farms, a former highly-sensitive Army listening post a half-dozen miles
north of Warrenton. To make a shorter story, the 5th NY Cavalry
overtook the gun after heavy fighting and captured it. Mosby and others
barely escaped, and had to leave a number of dead and wounded on the field.
As to the artillery company that was formed in '64, its first action
came on 4 July, the very day it was officially authorized. Mosby
employed -- on this point I'm pretty sure, but not positive -- a 12-lb
Napoleon cannon in a fight with Federal infantry at Point-of-Rocks,
Maryland. In Mosby lore, this is known as the Calico Raid. Two days
later, Mosby used the gun as a prelude to what is today known as the
Mount Zion Church Fight, in which Mosby's approximately 175 Rangers
badly defeated 150 Federal cavalry (100 from the 2nd Mass. and 50 from
the 13th NY) under the command of Major William Forbes. At the end of
the day, Forbes lost more than two-thirds of his command -- that's more
than 100 -- in dead, wounded, captured and missing. Mosby's losses that
day were 1 killed and seven wounded.
The unit also saw action in announcing the Rangers' attack on Gen.
Sheridan's wagon train near Berryville, Va., known as the Berryville
Wagon Train Raid, on 13 Aug 64. There were two guns that day, and Mosby
began the attack just after dawn. The Rangers had placed the guns on a
little knoll a couple hundred yards from a stream where some of the 525
wagons had camped for the night. Mosby's signal to attack was for his
men to swarm from behind the knoll after the third round had been
fired. I don't know off the top of my head what size guns they were,
but may be able to find out if you need the information. I do know
that, while placing the guns, one of the wheels rolled over a
yellow-jacket's nest, sending hardened fighters running and swatting the
little tormentors; one Ranger bravely moved the wheel back and they
were able to re-place the gun a few minutes later. Federal infantry
guarding the wagons more or less ignored this and other activity so near
them because it was quite misty that August morning near the Shenandoah
Valley -- thinking them friendlies -- and not suspecting them because of
their audacity.
A fifth account took place in Fauquier County on 5 Oct 64, where LTC
Mosby shelled the train depot and camps of Federal engineers and
troopers rebuilding the Manassas Gap RR at Salem -- today's Marshall --
hoping to extend it to Strasburg. If they could accomplish that task,
they would not need to drive their supplies by wagon over the mountains
from Harper's Ferry to Sheridan's headquarters at Winchester, but rather
via the faster and more efficient rail system. Mosby had a pair of
Napoleon's up on Stephenson's Hill about a mile from the train depot.
They rained shot on the tracks and camps, killing some 40 Federals and
sending the remaining troops and engineers running for their lives. To
make a long story short, the Federals abandoned extending the track.
There were perhaps other instances where the cannons were used, but I am
not able to recall any without additional digging. I do know the
Federals captured two howitzers that Mosby had hidden near Emory's, a
secluded spot on Big Cobbler Mountain in Fauquier County. They
apparently worked one of the men from that company over enough for him
to give them the location of the guns. Apparently, he attended several
reunions and was treated like the other veterans.
The artillery company was led by Captain Peter A. Franklin, 1LT John
Fray and 3LT Frank H. Rahm. Its 1SG was the very capable Alexander
Babcock, whose nickname was "Big Guerrilla" while in the Alexandria
Union prison. Babcock was among those Rangers captured when former
Ranger John Lunceford led Federal troops to the guns kept on Cobbler
Mountain. The story goes that Babcock and the other Rangers were put
into a boxcar next to a locomotive and sent up and down the Manassas Gap
RR for five weeks to deter Mosby from throwing trains off the track.
I hope you find this information useful, and please let me know if you
have questions or need additional information.
Respectfully,
Your obed. Servant,
Dave Goetz
Warrenton, Va.