A Tour Guide and Histroy of Col. John S. Mosby's Combat Operations in Fairfax County, Virginia

One and a half years into the Civil War, John Singleton Mosby was given a small group of rangers from his former commander, General JEB Stuart to conduct independent partisan operations into Northern Virginia. These rangers would eventually become the Forty-third Battalion, Virginia Cavalry and would grow from nine to over 2,000 men. Mosby’s mission was to attack and harass as many Union outposts, camps, and supply points he could find operating in Northern Virginia. By successfully raiding behind enemy lines Mosby would keep large numbers of Union soldiers guarding the city of Washington, thus denying federal forces in the field from fighting against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate army. Mosby is considered by military historians as the most successful leader of such partisan guerilla activities. This updated and expanded book is your tour guide to over 90 locations in Fairfax County where Colonel John Singleton Mosby conducted his raids during the Civil War. It is also a guide to the locations of the historical markers dedicated to those raids, and the locations of the graves of Mosby’s Rangers who are buried in Fairfax County. It includes a map and the history associated with each raid, his men, and all the locations in the county associated with the Grey Ghost, Colonel John S. Mosby. This book contains 176 pages with 202 illustrations including tour maps and an extensive index.