The weekly union record., 1864-06-25
7HE union RECORD.
General Phil" Sheridan.

General Phil" Sheridan.
We have an enthusiast tic admir- alton for Phil"
sheIidan-B Brigadier General P. H. Sheridan. We
heard Of him first a. Corinth. Miss. He had been
commanding cavalry under RosecTars-whose es-
innate Of soldiers arries weight He delighted to
talk more Of Phil Sheridan than Of any nan in
the army-General George II. Thomas exeepte.;
OF him be always spoke reTerenfially-a man who
reminded him of Washington. Rosecrans admired
Sheridan's curt, decisive way Of doing things.
"Phil." he said. has no suTpIasage. He Goes
things : and the General Was happy in desc-ib-
ing the grim. insinnating pleasantly with viii ch
Sheridan outwitted the enemy. or hung a spy
Language can't express it, because il lacks the e.
sentials of voice and manner. Send Pill. Sheri-
dan on an expedition, he was wont to say land
be will accomplish it if it is in the power OF man
he is ready, fertile in resources with large exc
cutive faculty, and he fights, fights do you
know what that means -
Fighting was his forte, and yet he is the mild
est hammered man that ever slashed rebel
crown with saber. II is related OF him that he
fought his way through West Point and almost
fought his way ont. We have his own confession
that during his last year be had only five points
TO make to be permitted to retire without the hon
ors Of the Institution. The management Of those
"fFe points was difficult and delicate opera
tion. Nevertheless he graduated with distinction,
and was one of the most popular men Of the
academy.
Your first view Of him disappoints you little.
Imagination always plays the mischief with your
estimate of hero whom yoa have not seen-he-
roic stature, handsome face. commanding pres
ence, all seem associated with heroes. Sheridan is
quiet, wiry, strong little man, not over five feet
seven or a alf inch more, but with broad shoul-
ders and strongly built frame, weighing, perhaps,
one hundred and forty trife more short, wiry
black hair, compact head and medium forehead,
sharp gray eyes, composed and firm countenance.
with somewhat Milesian features. and brownish
complexion. shaded with closely cropped whis-
kers
He is only thrty-two, but his weather-beaten
face adveriises at least five years more. But his
stature is soon forgotten in his presence. He
grows wonderfully horse, and especially on
the bait le-ield. On the dreadful morning of Stone
river, when he emerged with his mangled division
in solid phalanx from the frightfdl cedars 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 ex-
press, You see, General, it was not the fault of
my division that we did not stay He had lost
his hat and fought bareheaded until trooper han
ded him hat picked up in the feld-a dead SOL
dier's no doubt. Sunday morning afterwards-the
enemy had gone then-Sheridan sitting on an old
stump at general headquarters, told the story
quietly, but graphically: General, lost l796
men, sew enty of them were officers, with my three
brigade comm anders.'
These the noble Sill, Roberts and Shaeffer
than whom more gallant soldiers never fought
under the flag. Stone river made Sheridan ma
jorgeneral, and 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 Potomac those who knew
him reco gnized the right man in the right place.
AT the beginning of the war, General Sheridan
was lieutenant of infantry. Governor Blair of
Michigan, commissioned him as a colonel of a reg
ment Of Michigan cavalry, and be was actively en-
gagged in Tennessee and Mississippi, doing valuable
service aud hard fighting until be was promoted to
brig gadiergeneral, soon after which he was assign
ed TO the command of division in McCook's corps
where he remained until assigned to his present
position. His parents natives of Ireland, but
he is a native Of Somerset, Perry county, Ohio
clayton (ohio) Journal.