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| Landmark #B-12 | Fairfax County | Visited: Sept. 21, 2014 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | A plaque commemorating a road named for Colonel John Singleton Mosby! |
| What makes it historical? | THE PLAQUE SAYS: This road, along which may of his skirmishes took place, is named for Colonel John Singleton Mosby, commander of the 43rd Battalion of Confederate Partisan Rangers. Their activities in this area helped keep the Confederate cause alive in Northern Virginia toward the end of the Civil War.
OTHER TIDBITS: This doesn’t say much about the “Gray Ghost!” John Mosby started off as an anti-secessionist, but with a long history of standing up to bullies, he felt his mission was to stand up to Federal power! He earned himself a reputation for intelligence gathering in the “Virginia Volunteers” mounted infantry, and was promoted to commander of the 43rd Battalion (“Mosby’s Rangers”) in 1863! Responsible for conducting raids on Union supply lines, Mosby became known as the “Gray Ghost” because he had a talent for getting his raiding parties in, out, and gone before anyone could retaliate. Most famously, when his rangers captured Union Brigadier General Edward Stoughton’s camp, Mosby woke the sleeping general from his slumber asking if General Stoughton had heard of Mosby. “Yes! Have you got the rascal?” replied the bewildered general. “No,” said Mosby. “He’s got you!” Of all the surprises at the end of the War, Mosby received parole from General Ulysses S. Grant and went on to become his campaign manager, Consul to Hong Kong, and Attorney General! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| How do I find it? | Listed Directions: Rte. 50, 0.36 miles west of Rte. 657 Chantilly, VA 20151 Annotations: From Appomattox: ~164mi (264km) — 2.8hrs |
| When should I go? | Whenever the mood strikes you! |