Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-04-13
DAILY LEADER.
THURSDAY APRIL IS, 1855.
SHERIDAN.
sketch Of one Of Grants Field Mar.
sbaIs.
From the Cincinnati Commercial, 9Th ]
MAJOR aENERAL sHER1nIN


MAJOR GENERAL SHERIDAN.
General Phil Sheridan, among Grant,
Field Msrshals, seems to have carried of
the honors Of the terrible bsttles about Pc
tersburg. His capture of 5000 prisoners
In the second days fght was planned with
his usual notion Of forcing the fighting, and
was executed with no less precision than
audacity. His military career exhibits q
remarkable series of great successes on the
the battlefield; some of them vrung from
defeat, under circumstances which would
have overwhelmed less fiery soldier. In
1861, then Colonel of cavalry, he routed
Chalmers. At Murfreesboro, It was his
division, brought to the about-fsce, that
stayed the furious charge on RosGcrans'
right At Chickamsugs, af er his division
had been crushed, as it moved by the flank,
In obedience 10 orders, to take q position
further to the left, ne regsthered the frsg-
ments OF the whole righI wing and took
them straight to The undaunted Thomas
At Mission Ridge, his division was in the
storming column that carried the noun
tain, and Phil led it. The history of his
Valley campaign is fresh in the minds of
our readers. Close upon its heels follows
his late ruinous raid, and almost before we
are done reading it. we find him giving the
coup jNste 10 the enemy In the most decis-
i've and, perhaps, most glorious victory of
the war.
General Sheridan is 8 perfect soldier.
He loves his profession with passion that
has swallowed up all other ambitions.
About year ago, he received a leave of
absence for twenty dsys-the first in
eleven years. He was back with his d.
vision at the end of fifteen, not because any
emergency had arisen, but time lung heavy
on his hands and he was lost away from
his oattalions. But il would be q very
mistaken idea to suppose that his manner
ssvors Of martial fire and impetuosity, or
that he has the nervous, ssnguine traits
which are presumed TO De salient in the
presence and carriage of a great General.
He is quite undemonstrative, and very cour-
teous TO all, from officers OF equal rank to
his enlisted men. He is q keen OBJ
server Of men, but a very quiet one.
He is apt 10 be aroused, however,
when his men are imposed upon. The
writer witnessed him take q stalwart
newsmonger by the ears one day, in a
railway train, and thwsck his head against
tue sioe cl the car, Though he stood on
tiPtoe to do it, until it seemed likely that
or other would give way very
shortly. The newsmonger had been sell |
ing his papers st ten cents 10 the soldiers, |
in violation Of an express contract TO re-.
sall them for five. BIS troops adore him,
and when they fight under his eye they
sre irresistible.
General Sheridan's idea of fighting q
battle is to go straight at the enemy, get
IS near to him as possible, and TO settle the /
lay with sharp turn. He believes and
demonstrates that the sssaultIng column
oses fewer men than the assaulted, and
he process is vastly mora exhilersting, and
he result, st least in his experience, more
'greeable. His success in the great bat
les near Petersburg is the croWning tri-
lmph of his career, and places him, II he
vas not there already, among the greatest
Ienerals ofany age.