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SSlater · (This post was last modified: 08-22-2014 10:48 PM by SSlater.)

(08-22-2014 10:18 AM)L Verge Wrote: Am I wrong in guessing that, while Harney was Mosby's primary mission, the Gray Ghost could easily switch to working with Booth once Harney was captured? Since he had formed a pattern of calling his troops into the Northern Neck previously, why could he not have sent a small contingent (Jett, et al) further north to assist in getting Booth farther into the State of Virginia and deeper south?

Assuming that someone higher up had been involved in the plot, and given that the Confederate underground had been well established in the Northern Neck and Southern Maryland for four years, what makes it so difficult to surmise that Mosby and the underground had been ready for such action throughout the last year of the war? Operatives could have been moving in the shadows with no one stupid enough to put plans down on paper to be found on a corpse a la Dahlgren. They just stood ready and went into action once they heard of the assassination.

Sorry, John, but I still believe that the skirmish in St. Mary's County right after the assassination involved a small force of Mosby's men who were trying to locate Booth so that they could assist him in getting across the Potomac - probably via the Wicomico River somewhere around Chaptico or Allen's Fresh.

Laurie. Me again. I found another squabble between Union Forces and Mosby's Men, on the Northern Neck.
On March 13, Col. S.H. Roberts, 139th NY Volunteers, sent a message, from the MD side of the Potomac, saying he had attempted a landing at Kinsale in Westmoreland County (VA.) and had been repulsed by Mosby's Men. But, this is before the assassination.
(I think this skirmish led to the Fight at Colonial Beach (VA) a few days later. - The Army was having trouble winning, so the Navy chipped in -to help.
DO you have any more info on the battle you referenced?

(08-22-2014 10:31 PM)SSlater Wrote:
(08-22-2014 10:18 AM)L Verge Wrote: Am I wrong in guessing that, while Harney was Mosby's primary mission, the Gray Ghost could easily switch to working with Booth once Harney was captured? Since he had formed a pattern of calling his troops into the Northern Neck previously, why could he not have sent a small contingent (Jett, et al) further north to assist in getting Booth farther into the State of Virginia and deeper south?

Assuming that someone higher up had been involved in the plot, and given that the Confederate underground had been well established in the Northern Neck and Southern Maryland for four years, what makes it so difficult to surmise that Mosby and the underground had been ready for such action throughout the last year of the war? Operatives could have been moving in the shadows with no one stupid enough to put plans down on paper to be found on a corpse a la Dahlgren. They just stood ready and went into action once they heard of the assassination.

Sorry, John, but I still believe that the skirmish in St. Mary's County right after the assassination involved a small force of Mosby's men who were trying to locate Booth so that they could assist him in getting across the Potomac - probably via the Wicomico River somewhere around Chaptico or Allen's Fresh.
Laurie. Me again. I found another squabble between Union Forces and Mosby's Men, on the Northern Neck.
On March 13, Col. S.H. Roberts, 139th NY Volunteers, sent a message, from the MD side of the Potomac, saying he had attempted a landing at Kinsale in Westmoreland County (VA.) and had been repulsed by Mosby's Men. But, this is before the assassination.
(I think this skirmish led to the Fight at Colonial Beach (VA) a few days later. - The Army was having trouble winning, so the Navy chipped in -to help.
DO you have any more info on the battle you referenced?

Continued - I think Mosby did start to look for Booth, but not exclusively - the 15th Va. Cav. (Recruited here) posted pickets on the South shore of the Rappahannock, beginning at Fredericksburg, South. Presumably to intercept Booth. IMO, by this time the whole South was looking for him. But, Mosby only had enough time to put Bainbridge, Rutledge and Jett on station. (Mason was 15th VA Cav.)