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Show THE BULLETIN SUERIDAN'S RIDE A Picture by an Obscure Newspaper Artist Bruckarfi Washington Digest Up from the South at break of day. Bringing to Winchester fresh dis may. The affrighted air with a shud der bore. Like a herald in haste, to the chieftain a door. The terrible grumble, and rum ble, and roar, Telling the battle was on once more. And Sheridan twenty miles away. Inspired Thomas Buchanan Read to Write An American Classic 'Sheridan's Ride' Repeal Bill Would Extend Credit To Belligerents Buying in U. S. Danger of Getting Into Same Mess Over War Debts That Followed World War; Added Authority Given President in Bill Carries Potential Danger. And wider still those billows of war Thundered bar; And louder yet into Winchester rolled The roar of that red sea uncon trolled, Making the blood of the listener cold, As he thought of the stake in that fiery fray, And Sheridan twenty miles away. But there is a road from Winchester town. A good broad highway leading down; And there, through the flush of the morning light, A steed as black as the steeds of night, Was seen to pass, as with eagle flight. As if he knew the terrible need; He stretched away with his utmost speed ; Hills rose and fell; but his heart was gay. With Sheridan fifteen miles away. Still sprung . from those swift hoofs, thundering South, The dust, like smoke from a cannon's mouth; Or the trail of a comet, sweeping faster and faster, Foreboding to traitors the doom of disaster. The heart of the steed, and the heart of the master Were beating like prisoners assaulting their walls, Impatient to be where the battle- field calls; Every nerve of the charger was strained to full play, With Sheridan away. only ten miles SHERIDAN'S RIDE TO THE FRONT From a drawing by Sol Eytinge Jr., which appeared first in Harper's Weekly in 1864 and was reprinted in 1861 with a statement by Thomas Buchanan Read saying that it inspired him to write his famous poem "Sheridan's Ride." ' years ago this month occurred an event familiar to every American "Sheridan's For it was on the morning of October 19, 1864, E SEVENTY-FIV- that Gen. Phil Sheridan, famous cavalry leader in the Union army, was aroused from sleep in a house in Winchester, VaM by a staff officer who reported heavy artillery firing from the direction of Cedar Creek, where his army was stationed. Thereupon "Fighting Phil" it for the poem. coal-blac- and his mount and grimy. Most of the time during his ride he was carrying his cap in his hand because he always had dif ficulty in keeping a hat on his head"! In an"round, bullet-lik- e other respect Eytinge's picture is undoubtedly more accurate his torically than Read s. It shows Sheridan with a full beard, instead of a moustache, and photographs taken during the Civil war confirm Ey tinge a accuracy in this detail, as well as the detail of his wearing a cap instead of a hat for his headgear. If Read was inaccurate as a painter, he was equally careless fleer, Sheridan By ELMO SCOTT WATSON (Released by Wcitera Newspaper Union. I it is quite k mounted his likely that he portrayed that hisscene more accurately than charger, Rienzi, and "rode toric Read, who was an artist as toward the sound of the did well as a poet You will notice guns" to find that his army in Read's painting of "Sheridan's was being routed by a sur- Ride," which is reproduced with prise attack by Gen. Jubal A. Early of the Confederate cavalry. How he checked the flight of his disorganized And were dust-cover- ed gathered up the stragglers, formed a new line of battle and transformed what seemed to be a disastrous defeat into a Union victory is too familiar a story to need retelling here. It was one of the most dra- come dimmed through the passing of the years had it not been for a poet. For, just as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow helped immortalize Paul Revere by writing a poem about his. famous ride at the opening of the Revolution, so did Thomas 'Buchanan Read perform a similar service for Phil Sheridan. But there is another man who should be mentioned along with Read in connection with this famous poem. You probably have never heard of him, for he was a "special artist" for an illustrated weekly newspaper and, although he helped make a pictorial record of the greatest civil war the world had ever known, his name is all but forgotten now. But if you will leaf through the files of Harper's Weekly until you come to the September 14, 1867, issue, you will find reproduced there the picture shown above and with it this statement: "We reproduce on this page the interesting engraving of "Sheridan's Ride to the Front," published three years ago; and in connection with it we give the spirited verses of T. Buchanan Read, now well known and admired throughout the country. It will be seen by the following note from the distinguished author that the poem was inspired by the picture of Mr. Ey tinge: Under his spurning feet the road Like an arrowy Alpine river flowed, And the landscape sped away behind Like an ocean flying before the wind, And the steed, like a bark fed . with furnace ire, Swept on, with his wild eye full of fire. But lo! he is nearing his heart's desire; He is snuffing the smoke of the roaring fray, With Sheridan only five miles away. The first that the General saw were the groups Of stragglers, and then the retreating troops, What was done 7 what to do? a glance told him both, Then striking his spurs, with a terrible oath, He dashed down the line, 'mid a storm of huzzas, And the wave of retreat checked its course there, because The sight of the master compelled it to pause. With foam and with dust the black charger was gray; By the flash of his eye, and the red nostril's play, He seemed to the whole great army to say, "I have brought you Sheridan all the way From Winchester, down to save the day!" SDERIDAN'S RIDE From the painting by Thomas Buchanan Read, author of the famous poem by that name. facts as a writer unless, of course, "poetic license" is sufficient justification for error. In the first place, Sheridan wasn't New York. Aug. 29, 1867. he waves his sword in his right "twenty miles away" as the Ed. Harper's Weekly: Dear Sir: In reply to your question, hand while his charger, Rienzi, poem has it It was only 13 or 14 miles from Winchester to Ceit give me pleasure to acknowledge that seems to be suspenced in midthe spirited picture which you published Creek and Sheridan had his off the all dar feet with four air, of "Sheridan's Ride" Inspired me with the Anal impulse to write ine poem. Very respectfully. T. BUCHANAN HEAD. From this it is evident that Sol Eytinge, of Harper's Jr., who was one Weekly's artists" during the peric deserves some "special Civil war of the cred- - this article, that he shows "Little Phil" impeccably dressed in his general's uniform, with his black hat set firmly on his head as of Hurrah! hurrah for Sheridan! Hurrah! hurrah for horse and man! when their statues are placed on high, Under the dome of the Union sky, The American soldiers' Temple And of Fame; There with the glorious General's name. Be it said, in letters both bold and bright, first view of his disorganized ground. According to the testimony of army at Mill Creek, less than a "Here is the steed that saved the men who saw Sheridan as he mile from Winchester. From day, dashed toward Cedar Creek on there to the actual "front" if By carrying Sheridan Into the arm. October 19, 1864, the reality was there was such a thing on that c From Winchester, twenty miles and quite different from Read's pic- day of tured version of it. Instead of it wasn't much more than away!" of-- nine or ten miles. being a veritable fashion-plat- e Thomas Buchanan Read. near-pnni- near-disast- er WNU Service. National WASHINGTON. Ai the full dress debate of the neutrality bill continues in the senate, numerous phases and angles and incidents have cropped up and demanded attention. It is easy for one side to say that the thing must be accepted by the senate and the house and the country, without so much as a crossed "t" or a dotted "i" and it Is equally easy for the oppositionists to say that we should have none of it at all. The truth is neither side is completely correct, and Mr. John bargo repeal mistakenly assume that substitution of the cash and carry provisions will let us rest in peace. It is perfect they say. Op position sentiment can see only hosts of marching men and ships carrying warriors over seas if there is repeal. Therefore, neither side is giving really serious attention to perfecting the cash and carry pro vision, in event it shall be accepted, eventually, and the bill become law. That is a grave mistake. That lack of consideration of de Q. Public must remember that in tails of this phase is a great mistake forming his own conclusions. can be proved by the shudders of The bill that was reported by the business interests when sharp eyes senate committee on foreign rela- and analytical minds discovered tions, I believe, must be accepted what the section, as written by the as a sincere effort Sixteen of committee, would do to commerce the twenty-thre- e members of the in this part of the world. Protests committee believed It, or believed filed by shipping and air transport it should have a chance to be dis- companies serve as an example. cussed fully and freely. There was Actually, as originally presented. no division along the lines of Demothe cash and carry sections would crats or Republicans; seven sena- have kept many businesses from tors voted against sending the bill dealing further with British and to the senate because they are op- French possessions in the Caribbean posed to repeal of the embargo sea. They would have halted buy against shipments of arms to any ing and selling in some quarters of belligerent powers, while President South America, like the Guianas; Roosevelt and the majority memair lines from the United States bers of the senate committee want could not have stopped there; reguto get rid of the embargo. lar North and South American ship Publication of the text of the bill, schedules would have been disruptWell, the committee made however, shows some provisions ed. that have gone far to load the guns hasty changes, but it remains to be of those who want to kee.i an arms seen whether even these will work embargo in force. Some of the in practice. members of the group opposing reThe trouble Is that no one man or peal were sufficiently wrought up group of men can visualize all of to accuse the administration Mr. the possible contingencies and con Roosevelt, Secretary of State Hull sequences of a piece of and others of having misled the and rigid legislation. None ought country In telling what they think to claim that it has been done, but claims to that effect are being ought to be done, by way of legislation, to keep the country out of advanced and ballyhooed. war. It Is a condition of bad temBe per and it is likely to cause dam- Monroe Doctrine Must around. until all Nevertheless, age Given Consideration the senate committee finished writNow, it might be said that these ing the bill, all of the discussion phases of the problem are matters emwas whether to repeal the arms that concern only "business interbargo; since publication of the ests," and big business interests, at reis not bill, it is shown that only that Such, unfortunately, is not the peal of the embargo sought, but per- case. Since every one of those mission would be given for extenof difficulty lie in the west-er- a sion of credit to those belligerent points consideration must hemisphere, nations that want to buy here. be given to the application of the Monroe Doctrine. Our trade with Many Object to Giving nations and possessions in the west-ePresident Extreme Power hemisphere, therefore, is conAnother section of the bill that siderably different than with Great was not well advertised in advance Britain and France, themselves. is a section giving President Roose Yet with all of the close commervelt additional authority during cial ties with those possessions, with threats of war. It allows the Presi due recollection of the principles of dent to define "combat areas," and the Monroe Doctrine, there remains to forbid American ships and Amer- the fact that congress, under the ican citizens from going into those urge of the administration, is seekzones. That provision is highly pro- ing to legislate neutrality, a neutralvocative. For there are many who ity that works one way with the believe no Chief Executive ought to parent nation and another way with be clothed with such extreme power. the colonies the children of the I doubt that it ever will be misused belligerent nation. It is quite evident, or abused, yet it has that possible indeed, that whatever law is finally danger within it Having such po- enacted will contain many imperfectential danger, the section is being tions, some loopholes and some dan vigorously opposed by men just as gerous principles. anxious to keep the nation out of It should be said to President war as those who say that only re- Roosevelt's credit that, thus far, he peal of the arms embargo will keep has not openly put the pressure us from being embroiled in Europe's on his congressional leaders for mess. passage of the bill without changes. Debate has made it appear, thus Membership of the two parties in far at least that the original "cash congress is widely split Perhaps and carry" sections constitute a that is why White House force can strong bulwark against our entan- not be used effectively. True, some Demo glement But there surely is ground of the for objection to that part which was crats have predicted that the Presiadded that part which will give dent will get both feet into the situa ich to tion before action is had, but that buying nations 00 days in to has not happened, yet come can nation A buying pay. our shores, load down many ships Conference and go away with the cargoes withWorth-While end: at Does the Job a in 80 days and say "We have not the money to pay." While all of these things have Of course, it will not be as raw as been going on in Washington, the that The purchasers did that dur- sessions of the conference at Pan ing the World war, also, and we are ama City ought not be overlooked. still waiting for those nations to The representatives of our own and pay more than $12,000,000,000 on our neighbor republics did a good those debts. I am the only corre- job in arranging for spondent to report every one of the action to keep the war away from conferences with foreign nations our shores and in Europe, where it when the United States tried to get started. It always Is possible for some tangible basis of payment best intentions to go haywire, but worked out and since that time I surely there is credit due to Mr. have had little faith in any of their Roosevelt and the department of promises. The "cash and carry" state for the leadership exerted in section of the current bill, with its getting all of the South and Central y provision, therefore, strikes American folks around a single me as nothing more nor less than a table. If nothing more happened breaking down of the law that Sena- than a free discussion of the potentor Johnson of California forced tial dangers that exist the meeting through the congress some years would have been wortn while. More ago. The Californian fought until did happen, however, and the unhe got a statute that barred any na derstandings that were reached, tion from getting new credit here if stripped of highsounding words, It still owed on its World war debt mean that active governments in the western hemisphere are going Neutrality Bill to work and act together. Further, Shows Mistakes Can Be Made the conferences can be said to have It probably is an impossibility to produced a feeling mat none of the re"legislate" a nation into being neu- smaller republics and tral. It is like legislating people publics need fear any of the others. In the meantime, however, it is into being good. If they want to be good, or if they want to be bad, distressing to witness newspapers important they probably will be just that way, everywhere relegating regardless of what kind of a law domestic news, facts about our the brain trusters in a legislative home folks and home problems, to body put together. And, In the in- inside pages. One of the Washington papers the other day had seven neu stance at hand the trality bill there is ample evidence columns of war news on its front of mistakes that can be, and are pages. That scorns to me to be bringing the war here when we being, made. Friends of the program of em don't wanl it m troops, matic incidents of the War Between the States but it is not improbable that the memory of Sheridan's exploit might have be- By WILLIAM BRUCKART Press Bldg., Washington, D. C. along the horizon's Pan-Americ- So-Call- ed an |