The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-10-28
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND. 4..
Monday Morning, October 28. 1867.


We remember hearing Emerson say in his
cool, aphoristic sly lie, II like men that can do
things In this ie ,lng a very large number
OF people share. Consequently they receive
''little Phil" with imnleasurable DELIGHT. since
he can do things and has done them accord
ingiy. The Little Corporal" was all very
| wel in his generation, but there is much
doubt if the hero of Lodi and Arcola surpassed
| the hero Of Cedar Creek and Five Forks in
the quality OF exciting entf usiasm. New
England phlegm is hard to overcome and su-
perabnndance Of frost makes New England
| blood a trfle sluggish. Your "Pmitm"-ior
SO oar detractors are wont to call us - is not
given to throwing up his hat and making
noise, unless in behalf Of rare indiyil ual
who has unmistakable claims upon his graft
tude and respect. That man has come, and
since he crossed the New England border the
huzzas-nasal perhaps, but hearty--of our
maligned and evily entreated citizens have
been almost constantly ringing in the air.
There is nobody like your puritan" for en-
thusiasm when you once have him thawed.
Grant experienced something of this, when
he made his triumphal progress through our
region, but hardly more than is accorded to
the man after his own heart, who comes to
us with civil triumphs added to the luster of
his military achievements. nHk
There is nothing forced or Fictitious in all
this. The mans memory is treacherous who
has forgotten how grateful to every patriotic
heart was the news from the valley of the
Shenandoah three years ago the present
month, and how much we needed to hear
such news. For three months Grant had
been encamped before Petersburg; regeated
assaults upon that stronghold had come to
nausht; the explosion of the mine had been
disaster only to our arms the levies of men
at the North to repair the waste of strife were
ELECTED with ever increasing difficulty and ex-
pense the national heart was almost bursting
with impatience for the dawn which it seem
ed would never come. But then came news
from the valley-the Valley OF Humiliation"
whence Fremont, Shields, Banks, Sgel and
Hunter had in turn retired, either from III
fortune or want Of skill, with loss of their
military prestige. And what news! What
victories! Not indecisive struggles like the
battles of the Peninsula and Antietam, but a
smiting of the enemy hip and thigh, and driv-
ing his scattered and decimated forces "whirl-
ing up the Shenandoah AT Manchester, at
Fishers Hill and at Cedar Creek, the Toe
knew for once what it was to bc-m army
parlance-iieked. 1t was IN those days that
we heard how Sheridan, in obedience to the
concise directions OF his great chief, "went
inflow he reported that he had 'ssettled"
the cavalry general, Rosser, who had come up
from Richmond TO rout the Yankee host and
rob its leader of his well earned laurels--how
Sheridan got fatal twist" on Jubal Early,
Lees bad old man." which removed him
from the pleasant land where he had sworn
tions of apple brandy-how on the evening
after the enemy had been clicked out Of his
boots" at Cedar Creek, Custar and Torbs rt
with many others came to Sheridan's tent
shedding tears in their joy that they had "got
back the guns" and hugged their gallant little
chief till he asked for quarter. t''u haa
Sheridan's name is pleasantly associated
with many of the most gratifying episodes of
the war. At its very close it was Sheridan
who, obeying still another laconic direction
from Grant, Hpressed things" while the Con-
federacy was dying. From the very front,
where were also our own brave troops of the
First Cavalry and the Seventeenth Infantry
audi other regiments. we heard of Sheridan
ON those glorious April days of IS. Many
years must elapse before any Of us will for
get the joyful emotions to which the name of
the man who is to be Poltlands guest to-day
gave rise while the nations peril was greatest
and when at length the long agony was over;
and until all these things are forgotten he
will be greeted, whenever he shall come, as
to-day, with warm and heartfelt Welcome
Sheridan i-a -t tltH