Third Thursdays: Mosby’s Command in the Newspapers

Col. John S. Mosby's 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry undertook significant operations in the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War. Historian C.W. Whitehair's presentation will focus on Mosby's encounters with Union forces through the newspapers' perspective and eyewitness accounts. National and local newspapers remain among the few primary sources available to historians and history enthusiasts for exploring the battles and skirmishes of the war. They also provide insight into civilians and the challenges they faced. Like today, newspapers shape the narrative, sway public opinion, and occasionally disseminate propaganda to fulfill specific goals.