Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-08-12

MS regimen NJ TO JOIN Soule obner general
Il think Gordon Granger. I knew |
had sent regiment, but not indicated
that of Sheridan, and really did not
wish it to leave. l spoke to Sheridan,
and he said he would rather 60 than
stay, or some such answer, which was
brusque and rough and annoyed me. I
don't think Sheridan could have said
anything to have made worse impress
sion on me. But | watched his career
and saw how much there was in him.
So when came East and took command
[ looked around for a cavalry command
er. | was standing in front of the
White House, talking to Mr. Lincoln
and General Halleck. I said i wanted
the best man I could find for the caval-
ry.' Then said Halleck, why not
take Phil Sheridan p well, I said, I
was just going to say Phil Sheridan.
So Sheridan was sent for, and he came
very much disguised. He was just
about to have corps, and he did not
know why we wanted him East. whether
it was to discipline him" said the Gen.
eral, laughing, ''or not. But he came,
and took the command, and came out of
the war with record that entitled him
to his rank. As a soldier, as COM
mander of troops, as a man capable of
doing all that is possible with any num-
Der Of men, there is no man living great
er than Sheridan. He belongs to the
very first rank of soldiers, not only of
our country. but of the world. No man
ever had such a faculty of finding out
things as Sheridan, of knowing all about
the enemy. He was always the best in
formed man in his command as to the
enemy. Then he had that magnetic
quality of swaying men which | wish ]
had,- "a rare quality. in a general.
don't think any one can give Sheridan
too high praise. When | made him
lieutenant-general there was some critl-
cism. Why not Thomas or Meade
have the utmost respect for those gener
ais, no one has more; but when the tasl
of selection came | could not put any
man ahead of Sheridan. He ranked
Thomas. He had waived his rank K
Meade, and I did not think his magma
nimity in waving rank to Meade shoul(
operate against him when the time CAM
for awarding the higher honors of th'
war. 1t was no desire on my part t
Withhold honor from Thomas or Mead
but to do justice to man whom [ re
garded then, as [ regard him now, no
only as one of the great soldiers of Amer
lea, but as one of the greatest soldier
of the world, worthy to stand in tn
very highest rank
Of the campaign in the Wilderness
concerning which much has been sal
and written. the correspondent says =
"By the way said the general
"there is one point about the campafg
in the Wilderness worth remembering
My critics say that threw away 100,
600 men in that campaign. This ha
been repeated so often that it will 500
be history. Now my total losses wer
about $4,000, all told. Badeau's boo
will have the figures, but these losse
do not mean killed, but the number {
effective men taken from my army b
death, wounds, capture and desertiol
; That movement cost me $4,000 mer
; but do not forget what it cost Lee. RI
member that Lee had to fight as muc
as did. He had the advantage {
being on the defensive, which is alway
an advantage, and I had to attack an
attack, but every blow | struck weaker
ed him, and when at last he was force
into Richmond it was a far diferel
army from that which menaced Wasl
ington and invaded Maryland. 1t wa
no longer an invading army. The Wi
, derness campaign was necessary to IL
. destruction Of the Southern Confeder
cy."