John W. Mobberly

John W. Mobberly (HM1PQQ)

Location: Purcellville, VA 20132 Loudoun County
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Country: United States of America
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N 39° 13.892', W 77° 43.986'

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Inscription

Between-the-Hills Partisan Leader

During the war, this valley southeast of the Federal base at Harpers Ferry between the Blue Ridge and Short Hill was known as "Between the Hills." The much-feared Confederate partisan leader Pvt. ("Captain") John W. Mobberly roamed here from 1863 to 1865. Born five miles north of hear, Mobberly was a hero to some, a sadistic outlaw to others. He and his "gang" raided Federal outposts and Unionists in this valley as far south as Hillsboro, north to Harpers Ferry and beyond, and east over Short Hill toward Lovettsville.While Mobberly occasionally rode with Confederate Lt. Col. Elijah V. White's 35th Battalion Virginia Cavalry and was also associated with Col. John S. Mosby's 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry, he and his men often acted on their own. They erected barricades here along the Hlllsboro and Harpers Ferry Turnpike to ambush Union cavalry lured from Harpers Ferry. Mobberly's comrade Magnus Thompson, who wrote that "Mobberly ... was reckless beyond all reason and fearless of danger; ... he courted it," also claimed that Mobberly had killed more "Yankees" than any other man in Lee's army.Mobberly vowed not to be taken alive. Three Loudoun civilians paid $1,000 each and, escorted by three Unionist Loudoun Rangers, ambushed and killed him west of Lovettsville on April 5, 1865. Union Gen. John D. Stevenson, having called Mobberly the leader of "a gang of murderers," displayed his body in front of Stevenson's Harpers Ferry headquarters. Days later, with the war ending, Mobberly was buried at Salem Church, just south of here off the turnpike.(Sidebar):Epitaph on back of Mobberly's tombstone:God bless thee brave soldierThy life's dream is o'erFor country and freedomThou wilt battle no moreTo the land of the blessedThou hast gone to departWith a smile on they faceAnd a joy in thy heartThrice hallowed the green spotWhere our hero is laidHis deeds from our memoryShall nevermore fadeThe stranger will say,As he lingers around'Tis the grave of a hero'Tis liberty's mound
Details
HM NumberHM1PQQ
Series This marker is part of the Virginia Civil War Trails series
Tags
Year Placed2014
Placed ByVirginia Civil War Trails
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, December 2nd, 2015 at 1:01pm PST -08:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 264091 N 4346030
Decimal Degrees39.23153333, -77.73310000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 13.892', W 77° 43.986'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 13' 53.52" N, 77° 43' 59.16" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)703, 540
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling East
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 36699-36767 Breaux Vineyards Ln, Purcellville VA 20132, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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