Organization of Mosby's Rangers

In Dec. 1862, Confederate Lt. John S. Mosby received permission from Maj. Gen. J. E. B. Stuart to form a cavalry detachment and raid Union outposts and supply lines in northern Virginia. Mosby's success early in 1863 attracted recruits to his unit and won him promotions to captain and major. In March, Gen. Robert E. Lee authorized him to muster a company of partisan rangers. Here at Atoka (Rector's Cross Roads), on 10 June 1863, Mosby formally organized Co. A of what became the 43d Battalion Virginia Cavalry. He selected four officers and presented them to the men for election. The command then left for a raid on Seneca Mills, Maryland. This area is at the heart of Mosby’s Confederacy.

Department of Historic Resources, 2018