New York Tribune – April 20th, 1863 Reported Cavalry Expedition Under Gen. Stahel. It is reported in the City today that the Rebel cavalry force which has been hovering around the Bull Run Mountains and Culpepper has been surrounded by an expedition sent out by Gen. Stahel and is or will be captured.
This was the famous "owl raid", accounts of which are amusing to say the least.
After Mosby's continued success against the Army of the Potomac, General Stahel was dispatched with a ton of cavalry to "capture" the miscreants who were making life so miserable for the Yankees. Stahel and his men rode around Mosby's Confederacy, sleeping at night without fires, their men holding to the reins of their still-saddled mounts and discharging cannons into various wooded areas. Mosby pointed out that he killed a lot of bats and owls, but never came near a Ranger.
However, one morning Stahel came very close to his goal! Mosby and Fount Beattie had gone to bed in the home of a local supporter one night and woke up the next morning to find themselves surrounded by Stahel's cavalry! Stahel, of course, had no idea that his target of interest was anywhere in the area, so the two men quickly dressed and departed before it got too light. Thus, General Stahel had no idea that he had been so close to fulfilling the promise printed in the above news dispatch.
In writing about the event later after being asked why he, Mosby, did not respond differently to the operation, the little Partisan declared that there was no reason why he should have thought at the time that the Union would put an idiot in charge of a large cavalry contingent!
