The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-01-13
A MILITARY BUBBLE


some spurious hero upon the muse of
history, and his name in consequence
finds place in the chronicles of the
nations: while poets and novelists,
lacking historical data to work upon,
invent mythical exploits to which they
marry his name-nOt d ring to use
that Of any one who has carved out an
honorable fame with his sword. know
ing that detection of their imposture
would be curtain-the people catch up
the song or story, it becomes popular,
and after awhile is accepted as veri-
table history. Thus base fables, in
time, pass curren for genuine fact.
These heroes of the minnesingers and
storytellers are lucky dogs, in that
they earn their chaplets so easily.
The histories of the old world are full
Of such characters, and, since the col
lapse of our own civil war, American
history can parade right goodly share.
Notorious among these-indeed his
name may safely be placed at the head
of the LISTS General Phil. II. SHEER
IDAN, who has won himself longer and
more jingling spurs than any carpet
knight of them all. How? Simply
by winning and DINING into the ears of
g not overly conscientious newspaper
correspondent fabulous story of an
imaginary ride "where danger hung
I the murky air, and death 'buscaded
the way" The story was published as
fact in the New York Herald, when it
caught the eye of the pOet-painter, the
late BUCHANAN READ, who at once
seized pen and pencil, wrots one of the
most stirring ballads of the war and
painted picture that made him yet
more famous, and SHERIDAN was the
hero of both. And yet that break
neck ride through the Shenandoah
Valley, "on to Winchester town,
while the legions of SToNEwALL JACK
SON were a-march on every road never
occurred. Not bit Of it-not bit Of
it; no more than our excellent friend,
Judge GREGORY, mounted a streak Of
creased lightning yesterday, and rode
to Beaver Dam in the twinkling of an
eye! And yet, were we to publish so
preposterous a statement as fact, we
would not miss the truth q hairs
breadth more than the poet did when
he heroised Pull. SHERIDAN. We
tchanced to know something about
SHERIDAN during the late war. We
know he was sent out to ''PAP''
THOMAS bearing Instructions from the
War Department to the latter, and
those instructions were to put "LyrTLE
PHIL" in command of the cavalry
corps attached to the Army of the
Cumberland. The grizzly old hero Of
Rossvjlle Gap, whose iron legions
stemmed and turned back the tile Of
disaster to the Federal arms that set
in on Chicamauga's fearful field, obeyed
his instructions to the letter, and turned
over the cavalry to the famous rider.
The consequence was, that in six weeks
time the cavalry of the Cumberland
was the most disorderly, disciplineless
mob that ever essayed to wear sabel
and carbine. THOMAS would not stand
that sort of thing, and SHERIDAN wal
hustled back to the eastward fastel
than he came, for those gentlemen
from the army Of the Potomac WERE
slow travellers when their faces were
set to the southwest. There was a
deal of hard fighting down there, YOU
see. If SHERIDAN was ever guilty o
an exploit, brilliant, or even moderate
ly so, during the war, it has entirely
escaped the eyes of impartial histO
rians.
But he has performed a couple o
brilliant deeds since the war--deed'
that will wed his name to infamy 81
long as the world shall stand. HI
burned up smallpox hospital tina
contained score or more of helples
Indian patients, down with that fright
full scourge. And the other day, a
New Orleans, he caused subordinate
to enter the legislative halls of Louis
lana, while the House was in session
and remove therefrom six members
whose only offense was-they wer'
Democrats. And he did not stol
there, but he called upon the Presi
dent to proclaim the white people o
that long-sufering and terribly abused
State "banditti," and give him fire.
rein to ride them down as he pleases
We hope that the next time the Presi
, dent gets drunk he will comply will
SHERIDAN's request. Then we wOulC
have +b;s ,,;I;torv hubble nricked I,