John W. Mobberly, also known as John Mobley or Morbly, (C. 1844 – April 5, 1865) was a Confederate guerrilla who operated in the Loudoun Valley and Between the Hills region of Loudoun County, Virginia during the American Civil War. He also served as regular soldier in

Elijah V. White Elijah Viers "Lige" White (August 29, 1832 – January 11, 1907) was commander of the partisan 35th Battalion of Virginia Cavalry during the American Civil War. His men became commonly known as "White's Comanches" for their war cries and ...

's 35th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry, nicknamed the "Comanches." Mobberly is sometimes reported as serving under John Mosby, although this is not grounded in fact. His legacy is surrounded in controversy as Federal soldiers and Union sympathizers in Loudoun County accused him of committing war atrocities, including slave-rustling, while pro-Southern Loudoun residents claimed him to be a hero, second only to Mosby in local popularity.

Biography

Mobberly was born near Neersville, Virginia around the year 184

At the start of the American Civil War Mobberly enlisted in Company A of the 35th Battalion at Hillsboro, Loudoun County, Virginia, Hillsboro on September 15, 1862. He saw his first significant combat action at the Battle of Brandy Station on June 9, 1863, where he had a horse shot out from under him. Mobberly, with Mosby's Rangers, fought a May 17, 1864, skirmish with the Loudoun Rangers at Waterford, Mobberly shot a wounded Ranger Charles Stewart several times execution style, drawing ire from Federal sympathizers. Eight days later, he raided Berlin, Maryland (present day Brunswick). On November 10, in what became known as the Halltown Raid, he attacked a supply wagon en route to Halltown from Charles Town. On the 19th, Mobberly led a charge of the 35th against the pro-Union

Swamp Dragoons A swamp is a forested wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevaili ...

in central West Virginia. On January 17, 1865, while serving as a scout, Mobberly led the advance guard in the George's Schoolhouse Raid. His luck ran out on April 5 when Charles Stewart, who survived the wounds inflicted by Mobberly in 1864, and a group of locals and Loudoun Rangers ambushed and killed Mobberly at Luther H. Potterfield's barn outside of Lovettsville. The United States Government gave a $1,000 reward to each of the men who participated in the ambush, which makes Mobberly's death one of the few times the U.S. Government has paid civilians to assassinate an adversary.

References

* Crouch, Richard E. ''Rough-Riding Scout: The Story of John Mobberly, Loudoun's Own Civil War Guerrilla Hero.'' Elden Editions: Arlington, Va., 1994. * 1850 Federal Census * 1860 Federal Census * Confederate Civil War Service Records, Record No. 537: John W. Mobberly. * Joseph Barry, ''The Strange Stories of Harper’s Ferry: with Legends of the Surrounding County, Martinsburg, WV'': Thompson Brothers, 1903. * E.A. Paul, The Recent Capture – Mobley, Payne, and Mackenzie – Promotions – Deaths, New York Times, Feb. 16, 1865. * Stevan Meserve, ''The Civil War in Loudoun County, Virginia: A History of Hard Times''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Mobberly, John 1844 births 1865 deaths American murderers Loudoun County in the American Civil War People of Virginia in the American Civil War Irregular forces of the American Civil War People from Loudoun County, Virginia Confederate States Army soldiers Confederate States of America military personnel killed in the American Civil War War criminals