Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-08-28
lGll about PhIi. sherIdan i.

Philip Sheridan was born at the city
of Albany. State of New York, in Feb
rusrE, 1881. His parents are natives
| of Ireland, County of Kerry. Their
eldest child. Patrick, was also born In
Ireland. About the, year 1929, John
Sheridan and wife, with their first born,
bid farewelrto their 'nztive land aud
came to America. their adopted and
chosen home. They first located at
Albany, New York, where, as before
stated, Phil. Sheridan was borne
They resided there about i've years
While Phil. was Feryyoung his parents
removed to SomeTset, Perry county,
Ohio. The parents were in quite limi-
ted circumstances, and Phil.'s early
experience was that of other boyssimis
larly situated. When the turnpike
was being built through Somerset,
Phl-,s father used to own and drive a
cart. Men of Phil-'s age tell US that
they have often seen him hanging on
his fathers cart, and once IN a while,
when he would get 20 drive he would
be highly delighted. Phil. must have
been regarded as g very honest boy,
for while very } oung in years. he was'
taken by John Talbot, q hardware
merchant, TO servein his store. He
served Mr.. Talbot satisfactorily for two
years. We visited this old store-room.
It is two story brick, in good state
of preservation, and is now used as
tin and stove store. After leaving Mr..
Talbot, the subject of our sketch went
to stand in the store of d. Whitehead,
q dry goods merchant of Somerset
Here we believe he remained until he
was appointed cadet at West Point.
General Thomas Ritchey, farmer liV-
ing FIVE miles east of Somerset had
been elected to Congress for the dis.
trict composed of the counties of Per-
ry, Morgan and Washington. Mr..
Richie was good judge of character.
He was acquainted with Sheridan, took
a fancy to him, and proposed to send
him TO West Point TO educate him as a
military man at the expense of the
Government. Young Sheridan was
willing, and his parents agreed TO it,
The lawyer who drew up the papers in
the case told me they were not very
sanguine that he would be accepted,
an account of his size. He was very
small of his age. But he was duly ac-
cepted, and took his place as humble
student at this great military school.
In due course of time he graduated,
receiving an appointment, and was
placed on duty west of the Rocky
Mountains. Here, in some encounter
with the Indians, he won and received
his first promotion. There was not
much opportunity to achieve military
distinction there; but ct length the
war came on, and his subsequent mill
tary career is well known. An Incl
dent'is related by friend that viii
give some little insight into his charac-
ter as q boy. A travelling book-ssl-
ler WIS stopping, with his books, at a
hotelin Somerset. Phil. Sheridan, then
about nine or ten years Of age, stepped
up, and in loud, clear, yet respectful
tone, inquired "Haye you any thing
on the human voice?" The man had
not the kind Of book desired, but the
inquiry was q little unusual for a boy
Of that age. We asked men of about the
same age as Phil, and who knew him
in Somerset Whena boy, what they re.
member of him, and the general reply
is, that they remember him as short
legged little boy, who could run or
jump in the. dust or mud equal to any
boy Of the town; that he was manly
little fellow, an inveterate talker, and
as ''shaTp IS there was any use off,
The talking part, as We all know, Phil. |
has left Oh. He must have said it
nearly all when he was 9 boy. -
Your correspondent was in Somer-
set about seventeen years ago, while
Phil. was yet a student at West Point.
At the time he was at home on fur
Tough, we remember seeing him in his
cadet uniform, in his slippers and white
socks, stepping about town and calling
upon his friends. He had an inde- |
pendent, satisfied air, and seemed |
greatly at peace with himself and the
world. We met him at large, social
dance. He chose partner and went
through q cotillion or two in a sort of |
distracted careless way, and there were |
many young blooods there that alto
gether out shone him in the "giddy
dance" Your correspondent, with
others, thought q young man being
educated at public expense for the
trade of war, in country that would
be at peace for the next fifty years,
was no very great shakes after ali.
General Sheridan was at home, for a
day or two at time, twice during the
when he was transferred
from the West to the East, and on one
other occasion. He was literally be-
sieged at a hotel in GAINESVILLE, and
were being made for some
kind of a great demonstration. But
the General, by the aid of a friend,
made his escape out the back way, and /
was far on the road to Somerset before
it was known that he had left the city.
The people Of Somerset also thought
they must make regular demonstrs-
tion in honor of the distinguished SOL
der. They marched in regular pro-
cession to the suburban residence of
the Sheridan family, and a citizen was
to perpetrate written ad-