The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1879-04-29

Inc physician iei1 MS purse anu MS
.rt was dose sasve,s IL said /; ..bu,
we will save him.
PHIL sHERIDAN's RIDE
Story of Man Who was With Him
.-HOw Defeat was Transformed
into Victory i'm the Valley--Sheri-
dams Famous Ride and Its Marve-
lOus Effect--CuSter'S InIDctuOuS
Charge---RejOicings over the
Great Victory.
Major W. Fl. Spera in the Phila. Weekly
Times.)
Ou the morning OF Oct ,ber Is, 1854. l
was ordered to report with my command,
consisting OF a detachment of 200 men
of the Se7en,eentb Pcnnsylvania CaSal-
ry, to General Sheridan, who had arrived
|at Martinsburg, Va, the day previous
from Washington. / received orders to
escort the General and several members
of his staff to the front. About 9a. m.
the General. in company with Colonies
Thorn and Alexander and Major Forsyth,
lett Martinsburg, arriving at Winchester
about 8 r. n. Sheridan and staff stop
ping for the night at post quarters,
Colonel Edwards Thirty seventh Massa- !
chusetts), commanding the escort, was
ordered to encamp for the night at Mill
creek, one mile south OF Winchester,
with orders to be in readiness to move at
Eve o'clock on the following morning.
Early on the morning of the 18Th brisk
artillery firing was heard in the direction
of the front-it was reported at posi-
head quarters by the in'antry officer OF
the picket and was attributed TO an inten-
ded Reconnaissance that had been order
ed for that mornin.. Alb ut s a. m.
General Sheridan came riding leisurely
along, ilqliring of US whether We had
heard firing in the direction OF the front.
! We replied that we had,as early as 4 Q. m.
He replied that 1t was doubtless from q
reconnaissance, that had been ordered
for that morning. The escort was form
ed with advance and rear guard and fan
kers. Afler moving about half m le
the head of train was encountered
whipping TO liIe ssa-, az als9 anura'zsr-..
fugitivcs from the front-giving a, differ
ent Interpretation to the firing OF the
morning. All trains coming from and
going to the front we're ordered into park
at Millcreek. 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 re.
mainder of the escort was ordered to rt
poit TO Colonels Thorn and AL. xander te
| do "what they could in stemming the tor.
rent of fugitives." The General ther
struck out a. brisk gall'p toward the
scene of action. At times the pike was
so much crowded with troops and wsg,
ons that the General and escort were
obliged to take to the fields, over fences
stone walls and bitches. He spoke to few
occasionally swinging his cap, ssying
Face the other way! You shall all bt
in your old camps before night" Mer
halted by the wayside rs be passed. and
on several occasions the General was
cheered by groups Of soldiers. who, sec
| ing the great haste with which he was
going, Immediately retraced their steps
A chaplain, mounted on mule. desiring
to speak to the General. beckoned him to
stop. The General told him he had no
time to spare, that be should face abou
and rlde along with him if be had any
thing TO say. Chaplain and mule were
left behind in lwinkling with the stor!
untold.
T. UNDER WHIP AND SPUR
The race was headlong, the horses be
/ ing put to their full speed, and never die
General and escort go over sixteen miles
in less time arriving on The field, th'
Genefal Immediately went to Genera
Wrigh,'s headquarters, eagerly inqairins
after the situation, and received for 81
answer from one of his staff: General
/ fear the hattie is going against ue.
suppose General Early intends driving
/ you out Of the Valley" What! ex
j claimed Sheridan, early drive me ou
lot the Valley Whip three corpse OF my
infantry ana all OF my cavalry! h
can't do il; LII lick him like--befor'
night. I'll give him the worst licking b,
ever had" After short consul -atloI
with several of his staff he rode along th
skirmish line. The men, seeing him, cri
ed: .Sheridan has come!" and shout a.
ter shout went ur. Boys" said he, 'lhi
never would have happened if l coul'
have been here. We II get the tiehtes
twist on n.them they ever saw. Well ge
all those camps and cannon back" Th
linen were wild with enthusiasm as h
4 rode along the lines. Never before di'
40 much etminsly depend upon on
man: all seemed confident of success a
: soon as they heard cf Sheridan's arrival
and, indeed. with him alone rested lh
safety of thousands of lives and the pre-
servation OF his army. He immediaiel
hegan ref iming his lines, trans'errin
Custer's cavalry division to the righ
, Merritt's rem aiming on the left, and th
: infantry lines were established o
8 Getty's line BY this time form;dsb'
body of men stood ready 10 dispute til
advance of victory flushed foe. F
r over two hours there was hull in the ba
D ,le-straeglels were rapidly returning
their commands While the lines wei
T thus being re-rstablshed and temporar
b breastworks of rails, logs, &C., throw
4 up, it was evident that tue enemy ws
:. preparing for an attack on Sheridan
It lines. Two divisions of the SIKH Corr
d being to the right and rear of Getty. I
also part of the Nineteenth Corps, whit
d was still further to the rear, we were o
a dered up. Sheridan being very anxiol
to have these troops up before the enem
r. would attack Getty, started out one sta
+, officer after another to hurry up th'