terated and, at times, disastrous failures having
demonstrated the futility of all covert attempts, General Grant, and
later, General Sheridan, felt driven to the adoption of measures that
were destined to entail much suffering and loss on the guiltless and
non-combatant element of Loudoun's population. Under date of August
16, 1864, Grant despatched the following arbitrary order to General
Sheridan:

"If you can possibly spare a division of cavalry, send them
through Loudoun County to destroy and carry off the crops,
animals, negroes, and all men under fifty years of age
capable of bearing arms. In this way you will get many of
Mosby's men. All male citizens under fifty can fairly be
held as prisoners of war, and not as citizen prisoners. If
not already soldiers, they will be made so the moment the
rebel army gets hold of them."

Sheridan straightway ordered all the cavalry of the Eighth Illinois,
then the best regiment of its kind in the Army of the Potomac, to
concentrate at Muddy Branch, preparatory to beginning operations
against Mosby in Loudoun County. In his orders to General Auger he
told that officer to exterminate as many as he could of "Mosby's
gang."

The command broke camp at Muddy Branch August 20, and crossed the
Potomac with 650 men, the special object of the scout being, as stated
in orders to Major Waite, "to break up and exterminate any bands or
parties of Mosby's, White's, or other guerillas which may be met."

Viewed in the light of a communication from Sheridan to Halleck, dated
November 26, 1864, this expedition seems not to have been even
moderately successful. In it he said: "I will soon commence work on
Mosby. Heretofore I have made no attempt to break him up, as I would
have employed ten men to his one, and for the reason that I have made
a scape-goat of him for the destruction of private rights. Now there
is going to be an intense hatred of him in that portion of this
Valley, which is nearly a desert. I will soon commence on Loudoun
County, and let them know there is a God in Israel...."

In his determination to rid himself of his troublesome enemy,
Sheridan, the next day, issued the following orders to Major-General
Merritt, commanding the First Cavalry Division:

"You are hereby directed to proceed to-morrow morning at 7
o'clock with the two brigades of your division now in camp
to the east side of the Blue Ridge via Ashby's Ga