FAIRFAX COURT HOUSE RAID AND CAPTURE OF GENERAL STOUGHTON
As detailed accounts of this famous raid have been so often published I will not repeat the story here. A little incident connected with it, however, may be new to some of my readers:
In October, 1906, there was a reunion of the old-time Telegraphers’ and Historical Association held in Washington, D. C. From a special dispatch to the Baltimore Sun of October 11th, I take the following:
“Another interesting war-time telegrapher attending the Convention is R. F. Weitbrec, now a wealthy contractor of Denver. In March, 1863, he was operator for General Stoughton, whose headquarters were at Fairfax Court House, with several thousand men.
“‘Hooker had more than 100,000 men between us and Lee’s army,’ he said to-day, ‘and we felt as safe as if we were in Boston. My office and living quarters were in a tent in the yard of the General’s headquarters. About three o’clock one rainy night I was rudely awakened by some one playing “ride a cock horse” on my stomach. There had been several gay young lieutenants around my camp who made a practice of coming to my tent at unseemly hours and having fun with me.
“‘In the darkness I mistook the person on my stomach for one of these, and tried to throw him off. Instantly my throat was clutched and I felt a cold muzzle against my temple.[L] That moment a light flared up and my intruders were two Confederate cavalrymen, who told me they were Mosby’s men, who had gobbled up a General with a lot of horses and prisoners. One of them whittled my telegraph instrument into junk. I was taken out, mounted on a horse and taken on one of the wildest rides ever experienced by a human being. There were only a dozen or two of the cavalrymen. They had nearly 100 horses and prisoners. Besides, they were surrounded by thousands of our soldiers and didn’t stop for sentries, except to grab and take them along. By daybreak they had us outside the Federal lines, and breakfast didn’t come for anybody in the party until late that evening. I spent several months in prison, and when exchanged went West, where Indian hunting proved tamer than pastoral life in Virginia during the war?’”
THE GUNNELL HOUSE, FAIRFAX COURT HOUSE
General Stoughton’s Headquarters
In “Historic Records of the Fifth New York Cavalry,” by Rev. Louis N. Boudrye, Chaplain of the Regiment, I find the following:
“March 9th.—About 3 o’clock A.M. Mosby and his gang, led by Sergeant James F. Ames, formerly of Company L, of this regiment, having safely passed the pickets, entered Fairfax Court House. Without scarcely firing a shot they captured 50 fine horses and about 30 prisoners, including Brigadier-General Stoughton and Captain Barker of the Fifth New York Cavalry. The brigade was sent in pursuit of the dashing party, each regiment taking different routes, but they returned at night unsuccessful, the Fifth New York having gone to Herndon Station. Such a raid, five or six miles within our lines, resulting in such a heavy loss to us, reflects very uncreditably upon some of our military leaders, while it shows how wily a foe we have to contend with.”
When Company F, Mosby’s Battalion, was organized, James F. Ames, usually spoken of as “Big Yankee,” was chosen as second lieutenant. He was killed October 9th, 1864, at Mrs. Shacklett’s gate on the road to Piedmont (now called Delaplane) by a Federal scout who came out with one of the parties from Rectortown that morning, and while this scout was rifling the corpse, he was killed by one of Mosby’s men, Lud. Lake.