Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-11-01
Sheridan.

inc STATE Oapllais anu tO-hOIIOn '"S ~
GERS of our State Government, the Legisia-
tors and citizens and soldiers, JOIN IN giving
him reception, such as has seldom been
given to public man in this State. There
Is no need to answer the question, a. Who Is
Sheridan % The memory of the most bril-
liant single deed of the war, the conversion
of defeat into victory at Winchester by his
simple presence of his other distinguished
services in the war and of his honorable
refusal as District Commander at the
South to aid in making treason honorable,
is all too fresh in every mind to need special
recall. Still a connected view of the more
noticeable points in his career will be of in
terest
Philip II. Sheridan was born at som.
crset. Perry Co., Ohio, inlSSl. and is
now SO years old. He is of Irish descent
and parentage, his family it is said being
too poor to give him even the mere
Ordinary adyants ges of education but he
early showed qualities which attracted the
notice of the member of Congress from his
district, and he received an appointment to
the military academy at West Point. Among
his classmates were Generals Mcpherson,
Schofeld, and the rebel Hood. He gradu-
ated in 1858, and in 1855 he was sent to
San Francisco in charge Of recruits. He
was afterwards ordered to join battalion Of
dragons on an expedition against the In
dams in Oregon, and was noted for gallan-
try in the Battle of the Cascades IN
1856. lie remained on duty in Oregon till
the commencement of the rebellion, which
found him still a Lieu tenant Of infantry.
he was then ordered East. and in May, 1861,
made Captain in the Thirteenth Infantry,
wv. 7. Sherman's regiment.) lie first
served in the army of the Southwest as
Quartermaster and Com,missary and was
afterwards Chief Quartern laster of Halleck's
army. In this position he showed very
marked ability; his knowledge Of every de-
tail in his department, nd his judgment,
tact and energy in getting forward supplies,
was a constant marvel to all about him.
But he craved more active share in the &C
tual fighting, and in May 1852, be took the
field as Colonel of the Second Michigan
Cavalry. His regiment was attacked at
Bonneville, Mississippi, by the rebel Gen.
Chalmers, with a cavalry forc,, of 400 men /;
which after seven hours hard fighting, by
an ingenious maneuvre of Sh eridan's, was
defeated with great loss. For this achieve
ment, on Gen. Grants recomme ndation, be
was made Brigadier General of Volunteers,
and was soon in command of a d vision IN
der Gen. Buell..
At Stone River his fame became national.
His division there formed the lei of the
right wing under McCOok This wing was
attacked By Gen. Bragg very early in the
morning by overwhelming numbers Sheri
dan division, though fercely assaulted
in front and in flank, the rebel bat
teries playing upon it at short mus'Sctry
range, was the only one that with
stood the assault, and by many hours OF des-
perate fighting, saved the rest Of the army
from destruction. giving it time to T efOrm
and advance to victory. In this battle the
division lost one third of ITS numbers, includ-
ing ca officers, and among these all Its
brigade commanders. - knew it must be
internal in there before got in said Gen
Rousseau &" but | wa convinced of it when
saw Phil Sheridan, with hat in one hand
and sword in the other, fighting as if he
were the devil incarna:e, and swearing as if
he had fresh indulgence from Father Tracy
Every five minutes''
For his cOnd uct in this battle, on the re-
cjmmendatio of Gen. Rcsecrans, Sheridan
was made = Major General of Volunteers.
Alter '6ragg's defeat at Stone River, to
SherlG' N was entrusted the task of driving
HIM 0 1t of Tennessee. So rapid was Sheri-
dan : infantry in the pursuit, that 1t reach
Ell the bridge over the Tennessee, at Bridge
y ut, before the cavalry, which had followed
? mother road. Bragg's rear guard fired the
bridge, but Sheridan arrived in time to save
three-fourths of it from destruction.
AT R lsecrans' unfortunate battle of
Chickamaugua, McCook's corps was again
defeated. Sheridan's division on the ex'
IRENE right, was fercely attacked and sepa-
rated from the rest of the army, but by des-
perate fighting, cut its way through and
gained Rossville Gap In very broken con-
dition.
At the battle OF Chattanooga in Novem-
b er 1864, Sheridan again greatly distinguish
ed himself, his successful storming of Mis-
sion Ridge being among the most gallant
achievements of the war. In this desper-
ate assault, he lost one bundred and twenty
three officers from his single division Z; a
greater number of officers than the whole
French Army lost in the battle of Solferino.
He came out unhurt. himself, though his
horse was shot under him, and five Minnie
bullets had pierced his clothes.
General Grant saw in so sturdy fighter
and clear-headed a commander the kind of
man he wanted at his side and when he
YVES assigned to the chief command of our
arnief, he called Sheridan TO him, and gave
him command of the cavalry of the Army Of
the Potomac In the latter part of the sum
mer of 1864, Sheridan was placed in com
mand of our forces IN the Shenandoah VAL
lev. through which gateway Early was
threatening a new invasion of Northern
soil. Tho main incidents of that campaign
up to the final victory Of Cedar Runs, when
Sheridan brought to his relfssting army