The neighborhood of Mosby Woods, named after Confederate Col. John S. Mosby, was designed and built around a Civil War theme. The theme extended from the house plans to the street names. These range from the names of people and battle sites to general military terms.
Here’s a list of all the streets in Mosby Woods and what they mean.
- Antietam – Battle of Antietam (also called the Battle of Sharpsburg) in Maryland, fought September 17, 1862; a technical stalemate, but often seen as a Union victory because it stopped the northern progression of Confederate troops.
- Armory – A place where arms and military equipment are stored.
- Atlanta – Battle of Atlanta in Georgia, fought July 22, 1864, a Union victory.
- Blue Coat – Name for a Union soldier. Similarly, Confederate soldiers were called “Gray Coats.”
- Brigade – A large body of troops.
- Cavalry – An army component mounted on horseback. Confederate Colonel John S. Mosby led the 43rd Battalion in the Virginia Cavalry.
- Confederate – Adjective form of the Confederate States of America.
- Flintlock – A firearm fitted with a flintlock, a lock having a flint in the hammer for striking a spark to ignite the charge. When newer equipment became sparse, many Union and Confederate soldiers resorted to using outdated flintlock firearms.
- Jessie – Named after Jessie Spielman, who owned some of the land that eventually would become part of Mosby Woods. The street name is unrelated to the Civil War-theme of the neighborhood.
- Musket – Heavy large-caliber muzzle-loading shoulder firearm commonly used by Union and Confederate soldiers.
- Plantation – An agricultural estate usually worked by slaves.
- Raider – A soldier specially trained for close-range fighting. “Raiders” was one nickname for Confederate Colonel John S. Mosby’s 43rd Battalion (“Mosby’s Raiders”).
- Ranger – A soldier specially trained in close-range fighting and in raiding tactics. “Rangers” was another nickname for Confederate Colonel John S. Mosby’s 43rd Battalion (“Mosby’s Rangers”). The group was organized under the Partisan Ranger Act passed by the Confederate Congress.
- Reb – Short for “Johnny Reb,” a nickname for Confederate soldiers. Confederate soldiers were also called “rebels.”
- Saber – A cavalry sword with a curved blade, thick back, and guard worn by commanding officers of both sides primarily for ceremonial and directive purposes.
- Scarlet – Color of uniform accents worn by artillery members in the Union and Confederate armies.
- Scout – A person sent to obtain information, especially a soldier sent out in war to reconnoiter. Both the Union and Confederate armies used scouts.
- Sherman – Union General William T. Sherman.
- Shiloh – Battle of Shiloh (also called the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) in Tennessee, fought April 6-7, 1862, a Union victory.
- Singleton – Middle name of Confederate Colonel John S. Mosby.
- Tecumseh – Middle name of Union General William T. Sherman.
- Traveler – Name of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s horse.
Mosby Woods 