Mosby Monument Memorial Ceremony to be Held in Front Royal on September 23rd

On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 6 p.m., the Col. John S. Mosby Camp #1237 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) will hold its annual Mosby Monument Memorial Ceremony at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Front Royal. The event honors seven of Mosby’s Rangers who were executed without trial during the Civil War.

“The Sons of Confederate Veterans is, of course, what it says—descendants of Confederate veterans,” said camp commander Dwayne Mauck. “We offer membership to gentlemen who have direct descendants, or they could also have collateral descendants, like an uncle who happened to serve.”

Mauck stressed that the group is focused on history. “We are a totally apolitical organization. Politics are not welcome in our meetings. We are here to preserve and protect and defend history as it happened, not as folks would like to say it happened.”

The ceremony marks events that took place on September 23, 1864. “The Union Army was in Front Royal, and the bane of their existence in the Valley was Mosby’s Confederacy,” Mauck explained. “They caught seven of Mosby’s men in the area, and they were hanged or put to death in other ways without trial.”

One of them, Albert Gallatin Willis, was executed near Chester Gap. “Many local folks will recognize that last name because at the foot of the mountain on the other side of Chester Gap is Willis Chapel Methodist Church, named after Albert Gallatin Willis,” Mauck said.

Another was Henry Rhodes, believed to be about 16 years old. “He was captured by two Union troopers. They tied him to the saddle horns between two horses and then ran them down Chester Street, basically dragging him to death,” Mauck said.

The monument at Prospect Hill Cemetery was erected in the late 19th century by surviving members of Mosby’s command. “Every year since then, there’s been a commemoration on the 23rd of September to remember these men and the sacrifice that they made,” Mauck said.

Mosby Monument in Prospect Hill Cemetery. Courtesy photo.

This year’s speaker will be James Diehl, the newly elected Commander of the Fourth Brigade for the SCV in Virginia. Mauck called him “extraordinarily interesting to listen to” and said his talk, For the Last Time? A Challenge for Today is sure to spark reflection.

The public is welcome to attend. “It’s free, open to everyone,” Mauck said. “We’ll have chairs. We will make it as comfortable for everyone as possible, and I think that you’ll leave there having learned something and been enriched by the experience.”

Mauck acknowledged that the group sometimes faces criticism. “When the person is open to it, we’ll sit down. I’ve had many discussions,” he said. “I’m willing to learn from them, and I hope they’re willing to learn from me.”

He pointed to the SCV’s community work, including cemetery restoration, living history demonstrations, and education programs. “We do so many things throughout the community,” he said. “We try our best to educate and to learn. It’s not a one-way street.”

Above all, Mauck emphasized the group’s mission to preserve history. “This is history. This is what we’re talking about. “We just want to remember those people who fought on both sides and bring out the sacrifices that were made on both sides that bring us to the place we are today.”