the rebel yell was raised,
and the squadron dashed at the Federals, scattering them in every
direction, and capturing the officers with their glasses still in their
hands. Turning abruptly to the left, the Rangers charged along the road,
riding over company after company of infantry until checked by a volley
from the advance-guard. At the same time another squadron had struck the
turnpike immediately in front of their first position, and turning to
the right, had ridden down everything between them and the rear-guard.
Then, with one howitzer playing upon the advance and the other upon the
rear-guard, the Rangers rapidly collected their prisoners, unhitched the
teams, and burned the wagons. When reinforcements reached the Federals
they deployed their skirmishers and advanced in line of battle, only to
see the Rangers riding over the hills in the distance, taking with them
three hundred prisoners, seven hundred mules and horses, and two hundred
and thirty beef-cattle. But the rejoicing of the Rangers was almost
turned into chagrin when they learned from the Northern papers that one
of the wagons from which they had taken the mules was loaded with an
iron safe containing one million dollars to pay off the army. Upon
reading it, Mosby dropped the paper with a sigh, exclaiming, "There's a
cool million gone after it was fairly earned! What other man could
sustain such losses with so little embarrassment?"

But this failure of the Rangers to secure their "earnings" did not
always attend them. Shortly after that they collected a sufficient
amount of "dues" to enable them to determine upon greenbacks as the
future currency of their Confederacy. It happened in this wise. Taking
with him seventy-five men, Mosby crossed, at an early hour of the night,
in rear of Sheridan's army, and struck the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
above Harper's Ferry, near Duffield Station. Here they prized up one
side of the track to a height of four feet, placing a secure foundation
under it. Soon the night express came rushing along. The engine upset,
and the train came to a stand without serious injury to the passengers.
Immediately the cars were boarded, and every one in Federal uniform
captured. Among the prisoners were two paymasters, Majors Moore and
Ruggles, who had in a satchel and tin box $168,000, in greenbacks, to
pay off the troops stationed along the road. Securing this rich booty,
the Rangers burned the cars and repassed Sheridan's pickets b