The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-06-09
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"Pn!r shcsfdssss-
(SsuEske Dayton (0tasy So.n.ay "
Ws-Asse - sAlsrr@sic js1ruira,in Sr
''Phil." Sher;dao-Brigsfer General =. II.
Sheridan. We heard oS him frse ut CDR.
iashr Mss~ Hs had been csmus.,si.n;;lss /:
cavalry under RAssrrsps-wfsse estimate
ef soldiers carries weight. He delighted to
tsR more of ~Phil" Sherid ~ tbsf, Asr any
man IN the army-GeneraI George Hs
Pfsotsas excepted OF him he always
spoke revereutfaITy-a man who reminded
him OF Washington. Rosecrans admired
Sheridan's curt. decisive way of3doing
things Phil" he ssdi. ehss no sur.s
plusAge He doe. things !" and The Gen.
eral Was happy in. describing the grim ip-.
sinuatirg pleasantly with which Sheritsrrsi'
outwitej the enemy or hung a spy. Ian.
guage can't expr IS il because it lacks the
essentials of voice; apdr manner ..Ssidf
Phil Sheridan on an expedition" he was
wont to say, "and he. will accomplish It II
it is in the power zofpanan-he is ready.
fertile in -resources,= with large executive
facnsty nd Ne ''hgh ts,, FfGnrs.!a as you
know whit tAat meanss G ssA9
Fighting wasi,is forte. and vet he is the
"mildest hammered man. that 'ever slashed'
srebel7 7crpwnwith saben NIt Il selxtei sof
him that he fpught hiso waynthtoush west
Points and utmost fought his way bOurf
We have his dwii confession that during
his last year he had only "fivso pe1nas.st5
make to be'permitted tt sretiy,s fwittout the
hencrsoiof the institution 1.-THE rusaases
rnent of those fiss pointsnj swas adsfBcuk
and . deiicats nperationbis Neve rtheless. he
graduatedrwith distinction and WIS ensoof
the most ,Popular;meniof of the. Academy. .nsi,
-oYnor first view of him disappo;nts syou
little. u Tmsginationd9 aisvays' npfsys Gsthe
"siachief w ahs your estimate OF a hero
whom Won have mt een--her6ic ns stass
"se'' Handsome face commanding spresenee,
all seem assnciated with sheroes. Sheridan
isasquiet, why. strong little man, not over
five feet seven. or half inch more, but
with broad shoulders and strongly buiIt
frame weighing perhaps, one hundred and
forty or a trifle wore. short wiry black
hair. compact head medium forehead, shafp'
gray eyes, composed and firm counr.-
tenance. with smoewhat Milesian features.
and brownish COMPLEXION, shaded With
closely cropped whiskers. at D. neifsits "a
Heis only thirty-two, but his weather.
beaten face .dvertises at least Ave Years
more But his stature IS soon forgotten In
his presence. He grows wonderfully on d
horse, and especially on the field. On the
dreadful morning of Stone river when he
emerged with his mangled division in solid
phalanx from the frightful ceda-s, he loom.
ed up like very giant. He was grave, but
firm, strong, and as Rosecrans dashed up to
him in the tumult Of battle, his department
seemed to express, ''You see General, it
was not'the fault of MY division that we did
not stay" He had lost his hat and fought
bare headed until trooper handed him a
hat picked M in the field-a dead soldiers
no doubt Sunday morning afterwards-
the enemy had gone then-Sheridan. sit
ting on an old stump, at general headquar-
ters, told the story quietly, but eraphicalr.
General, I lost 1,7s6 men. seventy of them
were officers, with my three briga ie,, CON-
manders." " ~ 80 anoa - ed
These were noble SIN, Roberts and SheafYer
than whom more gallant soldiers never
fought under the flag Stone river made
Sheridan major general, aud they always
said in the Army of the Cumberland "Phil
Sheridan is the rising man Of this army"
When Grant put HIM in command of the
cavalry on the Pstomsc those who knew
him rscognized the right MIN in the right
place. s7e@a' 10 fTo~ 81 ~ 90 qH . e,3s -
At the beginning ofthe war, General sher-'
idan was lieutenant Of infanty. Governor
Blair, Of Michigan 'comissiensd him as
colonel Of q regiment Of Michigan scavalry;
and he vas actively engdgedin Tennessee
ard Mississippi. doing valuable service and
hard fighting antif He Was protnoted 20
brigadier general, soon amer which he vas
assigned 70 the command of q division IN
McCook's GRIPS, Where he remained ontil
assigned to his present p,sitacr. His pa.
rents are natives IT freaxna; But Re is ma
tive of Somerset, Perry county, Ohio.