Mosby's Men in Southern Maryland

[BettyO]

(07-30-2012 04:34 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  I cannot really enter this because I know so little about it. I am just going by my own logic. There was a close association between Mosby and explosives expert Harney, correct? Then, if so, I would think the possibility of Mosby having at least peripheral involvement in the assassination (and previous kidnap) plans would seem a very real possibility.

According to Messrs. Hall, Tidwell and Gaddy, in Come Retribution, Mosby was connected with Harney. I for one, believe that Col. Mosby knew a lot more than was ever let on. His men had, after the war, been either led to believe or TOLD never to repeat what they did know involving these affairs. They were not dumb and had to know what was up. I also believe that Judah Benjamin and others in the Confederate cabinet were behind most of this and sanctioned it. Mosby was probably working under orders from Benjamin; Surratt was working under Benjamin and I believe that Powell was more than likely as well after being permitted under orders to take a "leave of absence" from Mosby's command.

With the resurgence of "Confederate Pride" in the south in the 1880's and 90's which also continued on into the 1900's and with the continued sanctioning of the so-called "Confederate Myth", the south certainly did not want the Federal Government to know that their beloved leaders were guilty of some nefarious dealings as far as the war was concerned. So quite possibly any underhanded reference to Mosby or any other highly thought of Confederate commander or official was unsanctioned. No matter that the same sort of affairs went on within the Union government as well - i.e. the purported Dahlgren raid to wipe out the Confederate cabinet.