Lot 184

Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 184
image_0 image_1
John Mosby Writes: "Cuba is an act of folly and an adventure like Don Quixote's"
John Mosby Writes: "Cuba is an act of folly and an adventure like Don Quixote's"
image_0 image_1
Description:

John Mosby Writes: "Cuba is an act of folly and an adventure like Don Quixote's"

Bi-fold letter, 4.75" x 8," heavily scripted on three sides entirely in the hand of John Singleton Mosby. Dated "San Francisco, May 3d/ 98-" and signed by Mosby as "John S. Mosby." Lightly toned with a few small intact separations along the folds, and a tiny intact 1/2" tear along the bottom edge. Vibrantly scripted with bold contrast. Expected folds, else near fine.

A wonderfully revealing and jocular letter written by Mosby in 1898 to the Garnetts, alluding to his command as the "Grey Ghost."

Mosby's exploits as commander of the 43rd Battalion would rival any Hollywood movie. Mosby's Rangers or Mosby's Raiders was a unit noted for its lightning-quick raids, deft in-and-out elusive maneuvers, and its ability to elude Union Army pursuers and disappear, blending in among local farmers and townsmen. His battalion operated officially as a unit of the Army of Northern Virginia, subject to the commands of Lee and Stuart, but its men (1,900 of whom served from January 1863 through April 1865) lived outside of the norms of regular army cavalrymen.

The Confederate government drafted special rules to govern the conduct of partisan rangers, including sharing in the disposition of spoils of war, but they had no camp duties and lived scattered among the civilian population. Mosby's jocular yet tenacious personality made him something of a legend during the Civil War. In March 1863, Mosby conducted a daring raid far inside Union lines near the Fairfax County courthouse. He and his men captured three Union officers, including Brigadier General Edwin H. Stoughton. Mosby wrote in his memoirs that he found Stoughton in bed and roused him with a "spank on his bare back." Upon being so rudely awakened the general indignantly asked what this meant. Mosby quickly asked if he had ever heard of "Mosby." The general replied, "Yes, have you caught him?" "I am Mosby," the Confederate ranger said. "Stuart's cavalry has possession of the Court House; be quick and dress." In this way, Mosby and his 29 men had captured a Union general, two captains, 30 enlisted men, and 58 horses without firing a shot!

Mosby was formally promoted to the rank of captain two days later, on March 15, 1863, and to the rank of major on March 26, 1863. Mosby was perhaps best known for his infamous August 13, 1864 raid on General Sheridan's wagon train, when the rangers attacked the train while delivering supplies to Union General Phil Sheridan. This iconic raid resulted in Mosby’s men losing only one who was killed and one who was mortally wounded, however they captured 200 beef cattle, 500-600 horses, 100 wagons, and 200 soldiers! Even Mosby's numerous brushes with death would not hold him back: Mosby endured his first serious wound of the war on August 24, 1863, during a skirmish near Annadale, Virginia, when a bullet hit him through his thigh and side. He retired from the field with his troops and returned to action a month later. Mosby endured a second serious wound on September 14, 1864, while taunting a Union regiment by riding back and forth in front of it. A Union bullet shattered the handle of his revolver before entering his groin. Barely staying on his horse to make his escape, he resorted to crutches during a quick recovery and returned to command three weeks later.

And Mosby's closest brush with death was on December 21, 1864, near Rector's Crossroads in Virginia. While dining with a local family, Mosby was fired on through a window, and the ball entered his abdomen two inches below the navel. He managed to stagger into the bedroom and hide his coat, which had his only insignia of rank. The commander of the Union detachment, Major Douglas Frazar of the 13th New York Cavalry, entered the house and—not knowing Mosby's identity—inspected the wound and pronounced it mortal. Although left for dead, Mosby recovered and returned to the war effort once again two months later.

Fast forward to the time period of this letter, penned in 1898. Though now long since retired from the Army, Mosby courteously pledges his assistance during the present war effort. The "Grey Ghost" was still very much alive and ready to assist. His wonderful letter is shown in full below:

"San Francisco

May 3r/ 98-

Mr. or Mrs. Garnett;

I was very much pleased to get your kind letter a few days ago, and to hear of the success of your bazaar - I am going to send you in a few days three photos representing scenes in the life of my command. They are copies of paintings, made just after the war by a celebrated battle scene painter in Paris - Philopoteaux - I suppose you have met Charlie Grogan in Baltimore - If so you will recognize his face in the picture. I never expected to see another war + consider the war about Cuba an act of national folly - more ridiculous than any adventure of Don Quixote's - Still as the country is at war I consider it my duty to go to war if I am wanted - So I wrote to (illegible) Miles offering my services + rec'd a reply saying that he had recommended me for an appointment in connection with troops raised in the South - I don't know what it is - on whether I will get it - If I ever come to Baltimore I shall certainly call to see you - I was at yours + both of your sisters weddings - Perhaps you will not recognize your old friend with one eye - yesterday I rec'd a letter from Prof. Peters saying that his son wanted to go with me to war. Peter + I were classmates at the University + graduated together in (illegible) 1852. What a strange turn in the wheel of fortune that brought me back a wanderer to lose an eye + almost my life, where I had been raised + educated

Yours sincerely

John S. Mosby."

A perfect piece for the collector of this significant figure in history, in stunning collectible condition.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item.


Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

November 11, 2020 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000