The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-07-12
SHERIDAN.
How ne stole his Lnurels, and became
a Major General.

In the Martinsburg (Va.) Nep Era,
we find the following sketch, personal
aud historical, of Phil. Sheridan:
In.the entire history OF war there is
probably not another instance to be
found of reputation gained and rapid
promotion secured, upon so slight Il
basis of merit, Take for example the
battle of the 10Th of October. 1864, the
results of which gave him his Major
General:hip. The heavens were made
to ring with the praises of Sheridan, for
his wonderful skill and gallantry in re-
trieving our losses and disasters of the
morning of that day. Scarcely the
rame of another officer was mentioned.
He was the cynOsure of all eyes. Hon
Ors, without measure, were showered
upon him, while the true Hero of that
day, was passed by in silence and neg
lect. Not an officer or soldier, who
witnessed the events of that day, but
knows that to General Wright, who
commanded the immortal 9th Corps,
the noble Sedgwick's old command, be-
lOnged the highest hOnors of that vic
tory. Holding his Corps together with
GOODNESS and courage and skill that
would have honored Napoleon, he fell
back in order, until he reached the pO-
sitiou desired. Here he made his
stand d,-repulsed an attack of Early,
rallied large number of stragglers
from the other commands, formed his
line for charge, and was about to
give the order when the absent Sheri-
dan, fOaming aud frothing, raving aud
swearing, came dashing up and snatched
the laurels from the brow of the heroic
Wright, by taking from his mouth the
word of command. The epicure who
cats the skillfully cooked feast is az
much entitled to the praise due the
cook. as was Sheridan to the honOrs of
that decisive victory. But such was his
luck through the war. In the language
of one of his former commanding Of
iicers! "Mars adopted him as favor
ite, merely to show how he could sport
with all the honored rules Of mOrtals."
And now, this impulsive, passionate,
unjust man, commands with unlimited
power the 9TH Military District, and
holds in his hands the destinies of hun
dreds of thousands of our fellow-citi
zens. Already we see him playing with
his dangerous authority, as Il child with
fire. Governors, Judges, Mayors, Of
icers of all grades are deposed at his
nod. For the sacrednesS of cOnstitu-
tional principles, for rights secuted by
municipal law, for customs of society
made venerable by the practice of
many generations, he has no more rev.
erencc or regard, than had the northern
barbarian in the days of Attila, for the
Christian temple i'll which he stabbed his
horse. Destitute of all the finer sensi
bilities OF Our nature,-devOid of al
most all sense OF Justice, Ambitious for
power, without the intellect wisely to
use it-terrible i'll his preiudices, and
uncomfortable III his passions,-cruel,
and relentless of heart. and profane and
irroligious in life, he is the last officer
of the Army who sh""la have hcch lii-
vested with the power and responsibili-
" ofsuch 81 cOmmand-and we believe
that President Johnson could in no
way advance the work of reconstruc-
ton so much in the 5th Military Dis
trict as by removing Sheridan from its
command.