The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1879-05-29
PHIL SHERIDAN'S RIDE.
Sheridan's Famous Ride and its Marvellous
Efect---CuSter's Impetuous Charge.

Major w. H. Spera in t: :e Phila.. Weekly Times
On the morning of October II, 1864, |
was ordered to report with my command,
consisting of "a detachment of 200 men Of
the Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry to
General Sheridan who had arrived at
Martinsburg, Va, the day previous
from Washington received orders ID
escort the General and several members
of his staff to the front About a. M.
the General, i'll company with Colonel
Thorn and Alexander and Major Forsyth,
left Martinsburg, arriving ut Winchester
about p. IN. Sheridan and staff stopping
for the night at post headquarters, Colo
mel Edwards Crhirty-seventh Massachu-
setts}, commanding the escort, was order
ed to encamp for the night at Millcreek,
one mile south If Winchester, with or
ders to be in readiness to move at five
o'clock. on the following morning.
Early on the morning of the
18th brisk artillery firing was heard in
the direction OF tle:, front-it was reported
at post headquarters by the infantry
officer of the picket and was attributed
to an intended reconnaissance that had
been ordered for that morning. About
s a. ny. General sheridan came riding
leisurely along, inquiring OF us
whether we had !leard firing in the di-
rection of ths front. We re
piled that we hal, as early as \. NJ.
He replied that il was doubtless from
reconnaissance that had been ordered for
that morning The escort was formed
with advance and rear guard and tlankers.
After moving aboslt half a mile the head
of train was encountered whipping to
the rear, as also II number of fugitives
from the front-@lving a different inter
pretation to the firing of the morning.
All trains coming from and going to the
front were ordered into the park at Mill
creek. General Sheridan ordered me to
take twenty of my:best men and horses
and follow him, as he intended "to move
to the front lively. The remainder of the
escort was ordered to report to Coloncls
Thorn and Alexander to do ''What they
could in stemmiEg the torrent OF fugi-
tives." The Genc:al then struck out at Il
brisk gallop towa;d the scene of action.
AT times the pike was SO much crowded
with troops and wagons that the General
and escort were obliged to take to the
fields, over fences, stone walls and bitches.
He spoke to lew, occasionally swinging
his cap, saying. Face the other way,
boys. Face the other way. You shall
all be in your old camps before night"
''Men halted by the waysde as he passed,
and on several occasions the General was
cheered by groups Of soldiers, who seeing
Immediately retraced their steps a
chaplain, mounted on mule, desiring to
speak to the General, beckoncd him to
stop. The General told him he had no
time to spare, that lie should face about
and ride along with him if he had any
thing to say, Chaplain and mule We're
left behind in Il twinkling with the
story untold. 5.a".a
UNDER WHIP AND SPUR.
The race was headlong. the horses be
ing put to their full speed, and never did
General and escort go over sixteen miles
In less time. Arriving on the field the
General Immediately went to General
Wright's headquarters, eagerly inqurng
after the situation, and received for an
answer from one of his staff: ssGeneral,
| fear the battle is going against us. I
suppose General Early intends driving
claimed Sheridan, Early drive me out
of tie Valley! Whip three corps of my
infantry and all of my cavalry! he cant
do it; Eli lick him like--beforc night
I'll give him the worst licking he ever
had.' After short consultation with
several of his staff he rode along the.
skirmish line. The men. seeing him,
cried: Sheridan has come" and shout
after shout went up. Boys" said he,
"This never would have happened if |
could have been here Well get the
t1ghtest twist on them they ever saw.
Wen get ell those camps and cannon
back. The men were wild with cnthusi-
asm as he rode along the lines Never
before did so much seemingly depend
upon one man; ali seemed confident of
success as soon as they heard of Slier-
dams arrival, and. indeed, with him
alone rested the safety of thousands of
lives and the preservation Of his army.
He Immediately began reforming
lus lines, transferring Clusters cav
airy division to the right, Mcrritts re-
naming on the left. and the infantry
lines were re-estabishcd on Gctty's line. |
By this time a formidable body of men
stood ready to dispute the advance of
vlctory-flushed foe. For over two hours
there was lull in the battle -strugelers
were rapidly returning to their commands. |
While the lines were thus being re-cstab- |
hshed, and temporary breastworks of
ialis, logs, &c, thrown up, it was evident
that the enemy was preparing for an at
tack on Sheridan's lines. Two divisions |
OF the Sixth Corps being to the right and
rear or Getty, as also part of the Nine
teenth Corps, which was still further to
the ref, Were ordered up. Sheridan
being very anxious TO have these troops
up befores the enemy would attack Getty.
started out one staff officer after another
to hurry up those troops: finally he went