The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1867-09-12

The EARLY Days Of Phil. Sheri-
dan. -
WRITTEN BY al PLAYMATE.


In writingsthe history Of the young
days of Rl1. SHERIDAN, 1 shall give
"a brief account ofslis parents thor
habits, ard the care given the flock
to prepare them to breast the waves
Of the busy world.
L cJohn Sheridam the father of Phil,
was an honest, quiet, very steady
anu rather ,pious and strict chris
tim, Ga Catholic, BY faith, ga hard
working and careful man. j Mrs.
Sheridan, was a quiet, nnpretending
andla very religious woman. She
was very fond, and took great care
of her children, and her habits and
Temperament were, such that they
not Dnly loved but served hcr.above
all Fittings else.ia g cob eleia ilt3
| HereI must tell the reader the
almost universal mode and the care
stakcnlaby parentao in raising and
training their children then. 1t is
in such contrast with the present
training and care of9aou, young
follks,p that I cannot help referring
to- it, All children, in those days,
were compelled to obey, and the pa!
rents, ever watchful over them, they
had scarcely any chance to learn, the
vices 90 common with those who are
lett to run regardless of conscqnen-
ces or of future worth. Il was the
steady habit Of Mrs. Sheridan, in the
absence Of her husband, in day. time
to know,at every moment through.
out the day, tho whereabouts of the
! children. She was ever watchful
and the children well knew the con,
sequences if they went beyond the
Limits allotted for their amusement.
Both Mr.. and Mrs. Sheridan, and III.
deed ali parents il town, would new
er permit their children to leave the
sidewalk, or door-yardI without first
having consent to do SO, and it was
as natural for them to ask, mother
Cor father, may | 60 and play with
MIR. Smiths or Jones children pas il
was for them to ask tor a drink ei
water Being raised next door to the
Sheridan family. and while we were
yet small boys, | remember often
asking Mrs, Sheridan, 4 to permit
Phil to play with me and other chill.
dren. VII E3 taaA ST sst3 3,
At'that period Of time Ohio had
such aflaw as Massachusetts now has,
viz: a militia Faw.'f Many of the rea.
ders,ofs the CouRIER, perhaps, will
recollcet tho law. Every person
over twenty ono years, ofnge- was
subjeetic and had TO do military
duty, and once every year, in every
county, there was "hig muster" and
ans encarnpment.' In Perry coun-
Ity thesc encampfaents were held,
very often, near Somerset, and only a
short distance from the residence of
Mr.. Sheridan. Although children, we
were all deeply impressed, in those
times with military, ideas, and Phil.
particularly seemed to take more de-
light and become more proficient in
tactics than the rest of us. We
would often organize ourselves eve
could muster, " h all the neighbors
children, some six or eight, into a
company" and maneuver, and
march soldier-like to the extent of
our play grounds e4 a 81
"a Twas at this period Of life, / be-
lieve, that Phil. imbibed a military
spirit, and in all my early associa-
tons with him he seemed to want,to
play soldier more than any 9TH
err amusement. \. s#l
In oar eoc'y military organiza-
tons, Wc were always sure to elect
Phil. as "captain, "(although he was
the smallest in statute for he could
recollect better the commands Of the
then "real soldiers" Mich he had
heard, while they would be march
ing by his fathers residence. TIE
beautiful red an; white plumes worn
on the cans Of tho commanding off,
GERS Of the militia, encouraged Phil.
and he would often make paper caps
in the shape, as near as possible, to
these he had SCI h, and then cut pa
per into strips and co'or them red
with pokeberries, in ia, al ioaof the
plumes. Happy daysiof youth
"Oh were yon meier a school boy.
And did Won never train,
And feel the swelling Of that heart,
You n'er i'll feel again.
Thus Phil. Sheridan's early days
were spent; AID thus, when not
over ten years Of age, he made rap
id and manly strides towards a sol
dier's lite. tits true, he did not
make it his only boyish play, but the
larger portion Of his time, when in
company with others was TINS passed.