camps,
he soon reached the road leading from Fairfax Station to the Court
House. Moving now with perfect confidence, as no pickets along this
route would suspect the character of such a cavalcade several miles
inside our lines, about two o'clock in the morning he entered the
village and began operations. The first thing was to capture the pickets
stationed along the streets in a quiet manner, so as to arouse no one
from their slumbers, and this was easily accomplished. The way was now
fully open to the Confederate band. Divided into parties, each with its
work assigned, they quickly accomplished the mischief they desired.

Mosby, with a small band, proceeded to General Stoughton's headquarters,
in the house of a Dr. Gunnel. Dismounting, he soon stood knocking at the
door. A voice from an open window above demanded their business at such
an unseasonable hour. "Despatches for General Stoughton," responded
Mosby. The door was quickly unlocked, and the guerilla chief stood by
the bedside of the sleeping general, who had but a few moments before
retired from a dancing and convivial party. Fancy now the reenactment of
the scene in old Ticonderoga fort, when Ethan Allen, by stratagem, stood
in the presence of His Majesty's sleeping commander.

Stoughton was soon apprised of the character of his nightly visitors,
and quickly making his toilet, he was hurried away with a portion of his
escort, and several other prisoners, including Captain Augustus Barker,
of the Fifth New York Cavalry. Fifty-eight of the finest horses from the
officers' stables were also captured; and Mosby retraced his sinuous
route through our lines of pickets so rapidly, that he escaped all his
pursuers.

The morning light of the ninth of March revealed the boldness and
success of the raiders, and no little excitement prevailed. Several
parties of cavalry were ordered out in pursuit of the flying partisans,
but all returned at night unsuccessful. This was an occasion for great
humiliation on the part of our troops, stationed about the Court House,
while in Washington and throughout the nation not a little humor was
drawn from the remark made by the President when some one told him of
the loss we had sustained; "Yes," he characteristically replied, "that
of the horses _is_ bad; but I can make another general in five minutes."

Suspicious that Rebel citizens within our lines were more or less
implicated in this and other raids, quite a number of arrests wer