Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-09-11
Sheridan's Ride.


Having been an eyewitness of Sheridan's
ride to the front on the morning of October
10th, 1861, | am perhaps in a position to
make some comments on the latter-day his
torians who proclaim that incident of the
war to be merely a romantic fiction. The
battle of Cedar Creek had begun in the early
dawn, aud Sheridan was then at Winchester
on his return to his headquarters, after hay-
ing been summoned to Washington to attend
military consultation, which-as was after
wards deveoped-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.
As is well known on the night of the 18th
Early had started his troops, aud on the
morning of the 10th of October he had
forced our lines aud driven back both the
Eighth and the 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 | was in command of
detachment conveying large ammunition
train from Winchester to Cedar Creek We
had been harrassed by Mosby's cavalry on
our way, who struck us at frequent intervals
between Martinsburg, 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 de-
noted an action at the front Our train was
making tolerably good time, and we were
near Middletown, when, on looking back.
we perceived 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 consequently had
on his uniform of Major-General, 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 in
clined forward, and his soul thrown into the
race against time, with the fortunes of his
army as the stake. AS he drew near to us,
he perceived that our train blocked the road.
and it would require some time to clear it.
He solved the difficulty by cutting through
an open field to our left, aud striking the
road after he had got ahead of us.
lie had outridden almost everybody who
started with him from Winchester The
only officer remember recognizing near him
was Gen. William r. Fessenden, Jr., of
Main, who was some ten or fifteen lengths
In Sherldan's rear, and who afterwards told
me that his own English mare was a present
from his father (Senator Fessenden), and
was noted for speed, but had no chance
alongside of Sheridan and his tremendous
black. After these two came Sheridan's
staff officers, stringing out in 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 mile in the rear, with their horses
considerably blown. | have only written
this much TO demonstrate by one witness, at
least, that Sheridan's ride was an actuality,
aud thatit deserves to be preserved among the
annals of the noblest acts of American sol
diers.-Gen Angus, in Baltimore American.