John S. Mosby Quick Facts

Name Meaning

Hebrew: God is gracious

Vital Stats

Birthday:  December 6th, 1833
Birth Name:  John Singleton Mosby
Birthplace:  Powhatan County, VA
Date of Death:  May 30th, 1916
Place of Death: Washington D.C.
Height: 5’7″
Nationality: American
Ancestry: Scottish and English
Occupation before Civil War: Lawyer
Occupation during Civil War:
Enlisted as cavalryman; organized 43rd
Virginia Batallion of Cavalry (AKA Mosby’s
Rangers) in 1863.
Occupation after Civil War: Lawyer;
various U.S. government positions,
including U.S. Consul to Hong Kong.

Major Battles:

First Bull Run, Peninsula Campaign;
Engaged in raids and guerrilla
operations in northern Virginia with
the Rangers from 1863 to 1865.

Relatives

Father: Alfred D. Mosby (1809-80)
Mother: Virginia McLaurine Mosby (1839-84)
Sister: Cornelia (1832-32)
Sister: Victoria (b. 1835)
Sister: Catherine (b. 1837)
Sister: Louisa (b. 1837)
Sister: Lucy (1839-84)
Sister: Isabella (1841-46)
Brother: Blakely (1843-44)
Brother: William (1845-1913)
Sister: Florence (1849-1927)

Romance

Married:  Pauline Clarke 12/30/1857
(3/30/1837-5/10/1876)

Children

Daughter: May Virginia Mosby (1858-1904)
Daughter: Beverly Clarke Mosby (1860-1946)
Son: John S. Mosby Jr. (1863-1915)
Daughter: Victoria Stuart Mosby (1866-1946)
Daughter: Pauline Virginia Mosby (1869-1951)
Daughter: Ada Clarke Mosby (1871-1937)
Son: George Prentiss Mosby (1873-1874)
Son: Alfred M. Mosby (1876-1876)

Additional Resources

Gray Ghost: The Life of Col. John Singleton Mosby by John A. Ramage
Mosby’s Rangers by Jeffry D. Wert

Tags: colonel, john mosby, stats