Mosby's Rangers

Col. John Singleton Mosby - legendary leader of Virginia's 43rd Battalion, the forerunner of the commandos of today

Against seemingly impossible odds, the 43rd Battalion, Virginia Partisan Rangers, successfully carried out a system of warfare rarely experienced before on the American continent.

Looming larger than life over the 43rd is it's only commander, Colonel John Singleton Mosby. The 43rd was Mosby's brainchild, and he nurtured it from a few men to a regiment before the end of hostilities. His command conducted hit-and-run raids on the rear of Union armies before melting into the countryside. Mosby's Rangers stayed away from well-traveled routes and stole along unmarked paths behind enemy lines. This mysterious manner in which they moved gave them the edge, and this little band of only 800 men performed wonders - forcing thousands of troops to defend against a ghost-like foe, taking Federal officers right out of their beds, capturing valuable stores of food and supplies, and driving off countless Union horses and cattle.

Mosby's entire force was seldom combined and they often operated in small groups, fanning out in different directions, hitting at the Federals weakest points, forcing them to move fighting units to protect the rear. General Lee said of Mosby, "Hurrah for Mosby! I wish I had a hundred like him!"

The area Mosby initially selected for his field of operations was northern Virginia. After 1862, the region was known both as "The Debatable Land," since neither army occupied it, although both moved through it, and "Mosby's Confederacy." This large area was roughly bounded by the Potomac River on the north and east, the Rappahannock River on the south and the Shenandoah Valley on the west. After each operation, Mosby's Rangers withdrew to a zone along the Loudoun-Fauquier County border. The map below shows one of Mosby's favorite routes used to torment the Federals.

* Abstracted from Mosby's Confederacy by Thomas J. Evans and James M. Moyer and 43rd Battalion, Virginia Calvary, Mosby's Command - 2nd Edition by Hugh C. Keen and Horace Mewborn

There were no courts, police, or mail in "The Debatable Land" and not only did Mosby establish military control over the area, he also exercised civil authority. According to John Munson, "The people looked to Mosby to make the necessary laws and to enforce them... He would not permit any man to commit a crime or even a misdemeanor in his domain."

Fauquier Heritage & Preservation Foundation