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Show 'hills hills ' ' hil's hils 'hit's hits ' " Meteoric Career Career3d Careersd Careerd 3d ; d by Death Deathof of His Widow WidowImmigrants the North's Norths ' Greatest Leader LeaderWar LeaderWar LeaderWar 1 1 Immigrants , , Sheridan Became Cavalry War and Later Rose Rosa to the Highest Position in m the American Army Army.of Armyof . of His Fame to a Poem That Is Filledwith Filled with Historical Inaccuraciese Inaccuracies e Western Newspaper UnIon r A ATSON TSON ATSONPhilip , Philipn Pluhpn Pluhp Philip n n Wash- Wash Washnot Washlot Wash-not Wash not - not lot onlyof onlyof only onlyof of the thev thev ther v r of a aail ai\ ai aiil 1\ 1 111 ail \ il 11 war warccall warecall warccall ccall ecall toire to tore tore ) re the theIe theto theie Ie to man mane e e For Fordan ForIan Fordan dan Ian is a asuccess asuccess asuccessith success successIth Ith the thecr theer theer cr er how howin howjin m in nor norn norn norn n hlS his hlSIas hisas hisias Ias as the thetUhy thelthy thedthy tUhy lthy oridan or oridan idan It Itweal itwealth itwealthZ weal wealth th thj wealththe j the 57ightmgcry 57 5719hbng 57lghting 19hbngcry lghtingcry 19hbng lghting cry lIt- lIt Iit- Iit lIt1 lit-l lit l Iitl - 1 l in ill the theer ther theer er : r was wasand wasand wasand and ro- ro rollhtary roiilitary ro-nhtary ro nhtary - llhtary iilitary ) - Phil Phi1 " , HIS HISmd Hisend md end his hisattle hisittle attle ittle as asr asr r also alsoiuet alsoduet iuet duet of ofin . t m in that thathan thathan han JUS jusbzi jusx - . , 1 x i bzi bzisr sr srAN x srx ANpoleon's AN pole poleon's poleons on's ons on'sred ' poleon'sred red de- de dezlg dezig - - zlg zig and andchief andchief chief s slly sfly lly fly was wasnemles wasnemies nemlesefore nemiesefore nemles nemies efore a aI ao I o ) thIs issuffered IS ISufTered ufTered suffered , ufTeredses sufferedses ses but butattle butstile attle stile attleaccord stileaccord accord accordhelmer accordheimer helmer heimer , , ' the thenumber thenumber numberrs number rs , the thet t one- one onendan one onerddan - ndan rddan " npetent npetentk k him himcavalry himcavalry m cavalry cavalryIdermg cavalryiderm Idermgr idermr Idermg iderm g r IrODl ironi t4 * ' r ' I Ia a i it /t t / tt tk k t - { , r rf rt rti ! f t tiHr ti Hr > . r ' , 'is is ' . v a aGen Gen PhIl Sheridan and nls 17is Stafl-Ldt Stafl Ldt Staff-Left Staff Left ' - to right Gen Henry 1 C : . DaVles Davies . , Gen DavId 1\1 1 M \ Gregg , General Shendan Sheridan , Gen nesley Wesley nesleyIer IerrItt Merritt ! \ - rItt , Gen James nllson Rilson and Gen Robert S Foster his emplo employer er testified to the fact factthat factthat factthat that he was a faithful worker he healso healso healso also commented upon the fact factthat factthat factthat that what time the boy wasn wasp t tworking tworking working \ orkIng he was 'talkm talkm ' talkm talkin soldlcr soldier soldieror soldlcror soldieror or playm playan playin ' soldier " A Scrappy CadetAt CadetAt Cadet CadetAt At the age of seventeen Sheri Sheridan Sheridan Sheridan dan had the good fortune to secure se secure secure cure an appointment to West WestPOInt WestPoint WestPoint POInt His limited lIrruted educatIon educatIonmade educationmade educationmade made theork the \ work \\ork ork \ there unusually unusuallydIfficult unusuallydifficult unusuallydifficult dIfficult for him but he made a afaIrI afairly afairly faIrI fairly good record at the acade academy academy academy my However , he lived up to hIsscrappy hisscrappy his hisscrappy scrappy reputation rcputatIon by havinga havmgn havmg having n a fight with a fellow cadet wluch which wluchresulted whichresulted whichresulted resulted m in his suspension for ayear a ayear ayear year so instead mstead of being gradu graduated graduated graduated ated in m the class of 1852 as he heshould heshould heshould should have been he was not notgraduated notgraduated notgraduated graduated unt until 1853 and then he hestood hestood hestood stood No 34 in a class of 52FolloWIng 52Following 62 52 62Following Following his graduation graduatlon and andappoIntment andappointment andappointment appoIntment as a second lIeu heuten heutenant heutenant ten tenant ant m in the infantry mfantry , Shendan Sheridan Shendanspent Sheridanspent Sheridanspent spent the next eight years incomparative In IncomparatIve incomparative comparatIve obscurity He was wasdetailed wasdetailed wasdetailed detailed to the frontier and saw sawservice sawservice sawservice service against the Indians m in mOregon inOregon mOregon Oregon and Washington Washmgton This not notonly notonly notonly only afforded him good traInIng trainingwith trainingwith with \ Ith the dragoons for his future futurecareer futurecareer futurecareer career as a ca cap cavalryman , alryman but also alsogave alsogave alsogave gave him h1m hum an insight mSlght into mto the In IndIan Indian Indian dIan character which was to beparticularly be bepartlcularly beparticularly partlcularly particularly valuable during the thePlaIDS thePlains thePlains PlaIDS Plains wars after the conflict of of1861G5 of1861-65 of1861 65 of186165The 1861-65 1861 65 1861-G5 G5 - - - 186165The 1861G5The The outbreak of the Civil Clvll war warhowever , however , gave Sheridan Shendan h hischance 1 f s schance schance chance to display his Ius real gemus genius gemusas geniusas geniusas as a cavalry leader DetaIled DetaIledfirst Detailedfirst Detailedfirst first on the ! . Mad .taff taff Mall of General Hal Halleck Halleek Halleek leck leek at St Louis he soon attraded at attracted attracted tracted capacityfor attention by his capacIty for detail his energy and his un unfaIlIng unfailing unfailing faIlIng devotion to duty , and andthese andthese andthese these qualities resulted m in his ap- ap appomtment appointment ap appointment - - pointment pomtment as colonel of the Sec Second Secand Second ond and Michigan cavalry Only a afew afew afew few feweehs \ weeks \\eehs eehs later he was ele\ated ele ated eIeated elevatedto eleatedto eIeatedto \ { to the grade of brigadier bngadler general generalof of the United Umted States VolunteersThat Volunteers VolunteersThat VolunteersThat That was in 1862 and by the theend theend end of the year he had been beenplaced beenplaced beenplaced placed m In command of a divIsion divIsionand divisionand and given his commission of ma maJar major malor Jar jor general And all aU of this had _ - - . . . , , a ' " ae e\ e e1 et \ I 1 t " < . . : lo 0 : 0t 0r t r a ah aIuv o Iuv IuvCharger h I Charger on Which SherIdan Made MadeJis Madethis Jis this [ ramous RIde hIS tel fel telchIefly felchiefly chIefly chIeflyand chieflyand and one oneIcnl oneical Icnl ical In ine e son of ofheCldan ofheridan heCldan heridan , i ) Amer- Amer Amerboyhood - . boyhood boyhoodU1 boyhoodin U1 in Per Perworked Perworked worked workedor workedfor for { or the the1though thethough \1though 1though \ ! though I happened when he was but thir tlur- tlur tlurty thirty thirty - ty two years of age ageSheridan I . thefirst thfirst Sheridan s record during the th e first three years of tlie the war Wolr w.ir wir . was wa s wasbrilliant wabrilliant brIllIant enough , with his part In Inthe i ithe n the inthe StoneRiver StonRiver battles at Perryvillc PerryvlI1e Perryville , . , Stone Ston e RIver , , Chickamauga and Chattanooga Chatta Chattanooga . nooga heightsin but he rose to the heIghts heIghtsm heightsin m in 1864 when he was made chIef chIefof chic chicof chiefof 1 of Armyof the cavalry corps of the Army Y of the Potomac and started upon upo n uponhis upohis theShenandoah thShenandoah hIs famous campaign in the th e VirginiaThere VlrgInaaThere Shenandoah valley of VlrgInaa Virginia There his problem was to check . I mate another brilliant cavalry cavalryleader cavalryleader . leader . , Gen Jubal A Early of ofI ofthe ofthe ofthe I the Confederate Contederate army , , and to todevastate todevastate todevastate devastate this rich country so sothat sothat sothat that it could no longer feed the theConfederate theConfederate theConfederate Confederate armyIt armyIt army armyIt It \ was as during this tlus campaIgn campaig campaIgnthat campaigthat campaignthat n that the incident mCldent occurred whIch whIchmsplred whic whicinspired whichinspired h msplred inspired Read Rend s famous poem poemand poemand poc pocand m hm and gave rise to one of those po poular pop popular . ho ular legends so dear to the hcart hear hcartof hearof heartof of AmerIcans-and AmerIcans and Americans - and usually so sofilled s sfilled sofilled o filled with inaccuracies maccuracles as to hIs hIstorlcal historical histoncal torlcal torical fact facti ! That legend tells tellshow tell tellhow tellshow s how Sheridan at Wmchester Winchester Winchesterhearing , , hearing heavy firing in m the dIrec dIrectlon direction direction ss tlon tion of Cedar Creek where his hisarmy hi hiarmy hisarmy s army was stationed suspected suspects suspectedsomethmg suspectssomething suspectedsomething somethmg something was wrong sprang to tothe t tthe tothe the back of ot his coal black charg charger charger charger er Rienzi Rlenzl and made a mad mId : dash dashot das dasof dashof h ot of 20 miles to find his army be bemg being being mg ing routed by Early s surprIse surprIseattack surpriseattack surpriseattack surpriseattackThen attack attackThen Then according accordmg to the school schoolbook schoolbook schoolbook book histories Swinging 'SWIngIng ' his hat hathe hathe , he dashed along the line hne of bat battIe battie battie tIe shouting Never mind , , boys boyswell boyswe we well 11 II whip them yet et ' The boys boysresponded boys'responded boysresponded ' responded by throwing up theIr theIrcaps theircaps theircaps caps and hurrahing hurrahmg with thelld the \\lld lld wild wildest \ wildest lldest \ est JOY ] oy Before night mght set in they theydroe theydrove theydro ValleyAnother dro\e dro e dro \ { a Early out of the Valley ValleyAnother Another legendhas version of the legend d has him h1m shouting shoutmg 'Turn Turn ' Turn boys boysturn boysturni , turnl turn ! We re going back backl ! How However However However ever , , a reference to SherIdan's'Personal Sheridan's Sheridans Sheridan ' s sPersonal Personal 'Personal ' Memoirs ' and other otherstandard othe othestandard otherstandard r standard authorities authontIes will demon demonstrate demonstrata demonstrate strate strata that these legends need needcorrectIon nee neecorrection needcorrection d correctIon in 10 several respectsIn respects respectsIn In the first place Shendan Sherida Shendanwasn Sheridawasp Sheridanwasn n wasn wasp t ' * twenty t\\enty t enty \ miles away " as asthe asthe a athe s the poet has it It was only 13 or14 or 0 r 14 miles from Winchester Wmchester to Ce Cedar Cedar Cedar dar Creek and Sheridan had hIS hISfirst hi hifirst hisfirst s first view of his dlsorgamzed disorganize dlsorgamzedarmy disorganizedarmy disorganizearmy d army at Mill creek less thanmile than a amale amile male mile from Winchester From Fromthere Fro Frothere Fromthere there to the actual ' ' frontIf front- front frontthere front ' -If If - Ifthere ifthere there was such a thing thmg on that thatdaYIt thatday tha thadayit t daY-It daY It daYItasn - it \ yasn \\asn asn wasn t much more than thanmne tha thanine thannine n mne nine or ten miles milesHis mIlesHas milesHis His Has ride was not made alone alonenor alonenor alonenor e speedHe nor was it covered at top speed He Heas \ was \\as as accompanied accompamed by two of ofhIS 0 0his ofhis f GeorgeA GeorgA hIS aides de camp-MaJ camp MaJ camp - - Ma ] George Georg e A Forsythe later ( ( later famous famolls as an anIndian a aIndian anIndian n Indian fighter in the West ) and andCapt an anCapt andCapt d Capt Joseph 0 O Keefe At places placesalong placesalong placesalong s along the route he was forced to toleave t tleave toleave o leave the road and make detoursthrough detours detour detoursthrough detourthrough s through the fields and he stopped stoppe d stoppedfrequently stoppefrequently frequently to give orders to of offlcers officers flcers cers about rallying their mrn mpn mrnWs mPnIlls Ws Ills Greatest Service ServiceAlthough ServiceAlthough Although Sheridan is known hnO\\'D hnO 'D D \ ' to tomore t tmore tomore o more Americans because of tlus tlusmCldent thi thiincident thisincident s mCldent incident than any other in his hiscareer hi hicareer hiscareer s career , his victory at CedarCreek Cedar Ceda CedarCreek CedaCreek r Creek \ was as among the less not notable notable notable able of ot the many which he won wo woduring n wonduring wondunng dunng during the war Much more 1m Ira 1mport Iraportant 1mportant harassingdashes harassmgdashes port portant ant w \ were ere his harassmg harassin harassindashes g dashes against agamst the Conrederate Confederat Conrederateforces Confederatforces Confederateforces e forces in 111 northern Virginia VIrgmla dur durlUg du durag during r lUg rag the last days of ot the w \ warwhen ar a awhen rr r , when he finally wore out the Can Canfederate Co Cofederate Confederate n federate cavalry , inferior m In num nu bers numbers nubers andbroke , , mounts and equipment , , and an anbroke nat broke the morale of the Conled Conlederate Confe Confeerate Confedcrate erate infantry mfantry By doing that th thhe at he thathe theforces contributed greatly to the th thforces atr forces \ which Iuch led to the surrender surrende surrendeof surrenderof r of General Lee at Appamattox AppamattoxAfter AppamattoxAfter ats atn After the Civil war SherIdan's SherIdans Sheridan SherIdan'scaleer Sheridan'scaicer Sheridanscaicer ' caleer career was distinguished by his hisservIce hi hiservice hisservice s servIce on the Mexican border inthe In Inthe i ithe n the days when the MaxImilian Maximilia MaxImilianmCldent Maximiliaincident Maximilianincident mCldent incident was a threat to our ourpeaceful 0 0peaceful ourpeaceful peaceful relations with Iuropean Europea Iuropeancountnes Europeacountries : Europeancountries n countnes countries , , and by his work dur du duing r ing durIng the Indian wars on the plains plainswhen plai plaiwhen plainswhen ns when he was in 111 command of the theoperatlOns th thoperations theoperations nse e operatlOns operations which finally brought broughtabout broug broughtabout ht about the subjugation of the war wa htr r like warlike tribes He was guest observer ob observer o b Wilham server on the stafl staff stall of - King I-illIg I illIg lung W 1 ham Liam during durmg the Franco Prusslan Prussia Prusslanwar Prussiawar Prussianwar n war and became bccame commander In Inchief i ichief inchief n chief of the United States army armyarter arm armyafter y ShermanSheridan ShermanShPrIdan arter after the retirement of Sherman Sharma I ShPrIdan Sh'ridsn Shridsn ' died m In 1883 1888 at the age a a ot of ageof ageot fifty fIlty seven years with the rank rankof ra rankof nk whichhad whichad of full general , a grade whIch whic h had congressthat :5that been restored by congress congre :5 5 : that year in his favor I ( Just as Henry Wadsworth WadsworthLongfellow WadsworttiLongfellow . Longfellow helped immortalIze immortalIzePaul immortalizePaul immortalizePaul Paul Revere by writing a poem poemabout poemabout poemabout about his famous ride so did didI didThomas didThomas didThomas I Thomas Buchanan Read who wasa was wasa ' n a painter pamter as well as a poet per perform perform : form a similar service tor for Gen GenPhil GenPhil ' PhIl Sheridan No doubt you have haveseen haveseen haveseen seen reproductions of his paInting paintingof paintingof haveI I of Sheridan 'SherIdan ' s Ride " It showsLittle shows dressed1in ' , Little Phil ' ' impeccably dressed1 dressed dressedin dressed.in dressedin . in his general s uniform , with hIs hIsblack hisblack hisblack black hat set firmly on his head as ashe ashe I Ihe he waves wavcs his sword in his righthand rIght rIghthand |