Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-08-27
THE NERO OF CEDAR GREER
Sheridan's Ride No Romancc-Thc Story
Az Told by General Felix Aknus.

Sheridan's Ride No Romance-Thc Story
Az Told by GcneralFelix Aknus.
IFrom the Baltimore American August 16.
Having been an eye witness. of Sheridan's
ride to the front on the morning of October
lie, 1854, I am perhaps in . position to make
some comment on the: latter day historians
who proclaim that incident Of the war to be
merely a romantic. fiction. The hattie of
Cedar Creek had begun in the early dawn
and Sheridan was then at Winchester on
his return to his headquarters, after having
been summoned to Washington to attend a
military consultation which, as vas after
ward developed, settled the work Of Sheri-
dams army in swinging down the valley,
crossing the Rapidan and striking the left
of the Confederate army around Richmond.
AZ is we'll known on the night Of the 18th
Early had started his troops, and on the
morning of October 10 he had forced our
lines and driven back both the eighth and
nineteenth corps. 1t is perfectly true that
early on the morning Of the 10th Sheridan
heard at Winchester of the disaster and
started to rally his troops,
That morning I was in command ola
detachment conveying a large ammunition
train from Winchester to Cedar Creek. We
had been harl Is led by Mosby's cavalry on
our way, who struck us at frequent inter-
walls between Martinsburgh, Bunker Hill and
Winchester. On the 10Th we started from
Winchester before daylight. We were not
more than five miles from the town when
we heard the sharp ~cannonading that demo-
ted an action at the fort. Our train was
making tolerable good time, and We
we're near Middletown,:. when on looking
back, We perceived a cloud of dust in our
rear upon the turnpike. We had no idea
what caused it. until Sheridan came into
view from the surrounding cloud. He had
been down TO Washington. and consequent
ly had or his uniform Of Maj. Gen
eral. which was covered with dust. No
jockey; on the last quarter of . four mile
heat ever rode harder than did Sheridan as
he .thundered down that Virginia pike on
his big black horse. His head was down,
his body slightly inclined forw ard, and his
soul thrown into the race against time, with
he drew near to US he perceived that our
train blocked the road and that it would re-
quire some time to clear it.. He solved the
difficulty by cutting through an open field
to our left and striking the road again after
he had got ahead of US. He had outridden
almost everybody who started with him
from Winchester. The only officer 1 re-
member recognizing near him was General
P. Fessenden, Jr.. of Maine, who
some ten or fifteen lengths in Sheri.
dams rear, and who af;erward told me that
his own English mare was a present from
his father, Senator Fessenden, and was
noted for speed. but had no chance along-
side Of Sheridan and his tremendous black.
After thesetwo came Sheridan's staff off
GERS, stringing out in q long line, and all of
them pretty well tired out with the pace he
had set them since they left Winchester.
The cavalry escort was about half q mile in
the rear, with their horses considerably
blown. Ihave only written this mach to
demonstrate by n witness, at least, that
Sheridan's ride was an actuality, and that
it deserves to be preserved among the an
nails of the noblest acts Of American sol.
dipre t