Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-05-21
Sneridan's Ride.
THE CIRCUNsrANCEs UNDER WHICH READ!
FAMOUS POEM WAS WRITTEN.

! THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH READ :
FAMOUS POEM WAS WRITTEN.
10y Emily T. Bennett in the Cincinuat Cazciie.l
A splendid lyric which has been uni
ycrsallv pronounced one Of the most fer
vcntly patriotic that ever enriched any
language or land was composed in Gin
cinnati on the morning of October 81.
1851 A somewhat trifiing minor crc,Im-
stance which cannot be generally known
was the cause of its production at that
time. How its author might have sung
later its theme Of glory no mortal can
tell
Mr.. Cyrus Garrett. brother-in-law Of
Thomas Buchanan Read, with whom the
artist and his family sometimes reside on
West Eight! street. that morning dis
covered i'll HdYpcr's Weakly spirited
drawing by Thomas Mast. representing
Gen. Philip Henry Sheridan mounted
and tearing madly along the road far
ahead of his escort, to JON his troops
twenty miles away
While at his breakfast .'hc did not
dream of the terrible rout and disaster
lowering that moment over his army.
but as he rode ont of Winchester the vi
brations of the ground, under heavy dis
charges of artillery i'll the distance, gave
him the first intimatiOna of danger. Five
anxious hours the desperate struggle ut
Cedar Creek went on before Sheridan ar
rived upon the field. Encountcrin@, rs
he ncarod it, some of his rctrcating sol
diers, he swung his cap over his head and
shouted, Face the other way. boys face
the other way = As he galloped to the
front, under his quick commands the
broken ranks were reformed, and for tw"
hours more the tired soldiers, who had
eaten nothing since the night previous,
obcycd the inspiration Of his presence.
and that wonderful victory followed. The
first pictured illustration of that famous
ride Mr.. Garrett held before Mr. Reads
eyes.
Look ut this. my boy Isn't there Il
poem in it? There's chance for y"n-
write one
The poets dark eyes ccntcrci ON the
picture. There are moments which time
itself never measures. Perhaps with II
swell Of enthusiasm. II more than poetic
atllatus. the blood of n patriot already
dashimg in his veins. ''faster and faster,
he thus replied To Mr.. Garrett "Ay,
bu. poem is not to be written i'll IL min
ute, nor as easily as ynu can order Il new
coat at Spragucsi" :"
George Gillian had declared that the
secret of Thomas Campbcll's success as q
poet WIS that of enthusiasm sublucd ; Il
requirement for success that is not often
understood. rs the critic adds. II in
Campbeil's case, the same must he true
of many personal experiences and cN-
ploits.
Notwithstanding his prompt allUsion to
the tailor. which, by any other theory
than subdued enthusiasm. would be an
omalous. Mr. Read WAS mt the moment
inspired and as though Mr.. Nast's draw
ing had been camera rejecting the
whole twenty miles of that dashin% ri'lc
in Il movclcss mystery of the poetry of
motion. The witty c:lrcaturist probably
has never fancicd himself 10 have been
the medium" Of immortal verse which
converted the victors wild olive leaves ON
Phil Sheri,lln's brow to flowers of anna
ruth
Mr.. fr;rrf r-rirrrt aIrt wrutv t.,- r----rrr.
Emerging two or three hours later from
his laboratory of thought he read ''Shcri-
dams Ride" to II delighted family circle.
Ii appears that Mr. James +. Murdoch,
II SlltSl Ut MI
and Mr.. Davis, war correspondent "f
Harpcr's. both chauccl To be be present.
Then to Mrs. Read was assigned the
pleasant task of copying the poem III
large text in order that the iragcLiau
might readily mcmorize it for Elat eve
ning's programme at Pixies opera house,
the older structure which twclvcmonth
later, like fairy fabric, departed i'll Il
shower of burning flakes on the streets ui
Cincinnati Leaving Mr. Murdoch vignr-
ously committing the lines with :pprn-
pirate gcsticulation, Mr. Read and Mr..
Davis sauntercl forth to ca.l on various
friends To one of them. as they entered,
the poet, with Il radiant face. exclaimed.
well. - struck oil Il new poem this
morning, It's fresh from the oven =
Naturally, from the nppreciaiivc con-
iiiant, suitable inquiries and congratula-
tions followed, with confession "f
pleased curiosity.
4 grand ovation to Mr. Murdoch, whose
devotion to his country Lad been evinccd
by many labors of love, occurred on that
very evening. The occasion WAS illumn-
atcd with the intellect Of Cincinnati's :
favoriics and the splendor of her fashion.
Mayor Lent lihrTlS advanced 10 III" lb'i-
lights with Mr.. Murdoch, and read Il
tasteful Introductory adlrcss. Mr.. Muir
d"cli'a Response expressed his deep grail
iudr for the honor conferred upon Inn,
and he opened his rcciatons with BY
ron = impassioned lament over Greece,
following it by Reads poem, drifting.
thus casting II dreamy AMI sensuous spell
over the audience. The great iragcdim
then requested permission To read Il poem
which on that mornings dawn was un-
created. Then ''Shcridans Ride, IN
Mr.. Murdoch's grand tones. thrilled the
vast tlronG of listeners. The cr"wninS
feature Of the evening WAS the prcsrnia-
tion of flag by She hero of Lockout
Mountain to the tragcdian. who, on re-
ceiving it, pressed the MARGIN r,Ncr'ntly
To his lips, and made graceful response.
In considering the first meagrr reports
q. the victory of Cedar Creek, which IT Is
declared WAS due Ia the personal rres"nc"
of General Sheridan alone. who 10y thai
desperate ride met the bill"ws Of war in
time to turn them back, We can accord t."
T. buchanan Reads genius the power Of
prophetic light.