The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-11-08

i Ties Oh the young Fonefaiy WHO WIS Dut
| thirty-two years Of sge, and naturally sus-
pected of rashness by the staid old directors of
the Nations military affairs at that time. Here,
when the Union right was doubled mp and
wiped out, by Braggs starting out to fight his
OWE battle according 10 his own plan and not
that of Rosecrans, Sheridan formed his division
| in two sides Of a square, and took the brunt of
the attack of the whole rebel army. Rosecrans,
seeing chance TO still win the battle if Sheri
dan could hold ON till he reformed his lines
sent word to him TO stick. He need not have told
/ him TO Gght, but he did not know him then SO
well IS Grant knew him afterwards. However,
| Sheridan saved the Union army from utter de-
struction, not Withdrawing till the new line in
4 his rear was ready TO fight. His loss was fear
| full in this deadly struggle, his three brigade
commanders being killed. Roseerans in his
report gave him the credit Of what he had done.
he was made a major general Of volunteers TO
| date from this battle.
At Chickamauga he fought with his old gal
lantry, making a wide detour and rescuing his
| division from a perilous situation when ii was
apparently about to be crushed.
MISSIONARY RIDGE.
After the battle at Chickamauga Sheridan led
| the charge up Missionary Ridge. he had re-
eeived an order TO take the rifle pits at the
foot of the hill and advanced fighting till
an open space of several hundred yards at
! the base of the ridge was reached. He was
met by CALLING fire from the batteries on the
crest and half way up there were other rifle
pits as well as those at the bottom. He was in
| doubt what his order meant. He told the men
TO stop and rest, and sent back word to know
| whether he was TO take only the rifle pits at
! the foot of the ridge He thought he coufd
! take the ridge itself. The answer was so long
coming that he decided not to lie still under
such an annoying fire, and, giving the word of
command, he led the charge in person across
he 4f,a 10 -,-4. nj TNat YIN
the hill after the rebels, who had fed to another
line further on, over this and to the batteries
on the crest sweeping the enemy clear of the
/ heights. When he was nearly at the top the
answer TO the question came, 10 the effect that
! he might try the ridge if he Thought he could
take it.
He went next on the march TO Knoxville to
release Burnside, who was e1fectually bottled
up within its defenses.
/ In March, 1864, Sheridan's fortunes led him
to wider field of action. Grant applied for
his transfer TO the Army of the Potomac, and
made him chief Of cavalry. His activity was
a new experience TO Lee and "Jeb" Stuart.
! his first duty was upon the TANKS during all
/ the battles Of the Wilderness, which occupied
him till May Of that year, when his force was
withdrawn, and the next morning he was off
on his famous expedition to Richmond cutting
loose from his base of supplies and infantry
support for nearly three weeks. He destroyed
railroads depots, trains aud lines of commune
! cation Of vital importance to the Confederates,
liberated 400 prisoners, actually took the outer
works of Richmond, defeating the rebels at
Yellow Tavern, where J. z. B. Stuart was NOR
! tally wounded. He could not carry the inner
line Of works, they being too strong for assault;
So getting no help from the other side Of the
city from Butler, who was stopped on the
James, he withdrew. He rebuilt Meadow
+ Bridge under fire and crossed the Chicka-
] In 4 hnr cd Inv
way Of White House and Hanover Court
House. This expedition was in such force and
| moved SO swiftly that it resulted in withdraw
ing all the rebel cavalry from the vicinity Of
I Grants transportation, about which it had
been lowering with Hishful demonstrations.
Resuming the advance Of the army, Sheridan
/ fought the battle Of Hawe's Shop May > and
occupied Cold Harbor ON the 3lst, where he
held the position till the infantry arrived,
when he again moved on, the pioneer Of Grants
army.
ANOTHER FLANK MOVEMENT.
On the 9TH of June he again boldly detached
| twOdivisiOns from the army and started around
/ Lees left. His object was the destruction of
the enemy's communications by way of the
| Virginia Central and the Fredericksburg Rail-
roads. which he accomplished for miles, en-
countering and defeating Wade Hampton at
Louisa Court House. He confronted Hamp-
ton again, near Gordonsville, but would not be
coaZed TO fight, SO the Confederates claimed it
as victory for them. The fact was that Sheri-
dan had done so much fighting his ammunition
was running low, and he dared not expend it all
and leave himself defenseless in the heart Of
| an enemys territory, cut off from supply.
/ Again, Hampton had been re-enforced by in
fantTy since his drubbng at Louisa Court
House, and Sheridan had only cavalry.
He rejoined the army June 49,
His advance, in the estimation of his supe-
riors and the country, had been steady, and,
though still a young man, he was placed IN
command, temporarily, of the middle military
division, which was constituted, Angus z,
from the middle department and the depart
ments of Washington, West Virginia and the
Susquehanna. He was still considered too
young an officer TO place in such q responsible
position definitely, but the experiment was
made 10 see If ne could handle ii.
He had orders not to risk battle, because
Early, who confronted him now in his new
command, was believed to be about 10000
strong. Again, the mission of Sheridan on the
Shenandoah was primarily TO see that the reb-
els did not take advantage of Grants cam
paign against Richmond to invade the North
and capture Washington or Philadelphia
Should Sheridan risk battle and be worsted
the National Capital would be at the mercy OF
the enemy and the siege of Richmond would
be raised once more. Early, however, was en-.
sconsed too far down the valley to suit the pur-
poses Of General Grant, who wanted 10 use the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the canal, Sc
he visited Sheridan, who induced him to Be-
ieye he could safely take the initiative Sher-
idan had learned that Early, believing that be
did not mean TO attack him, had sent away
division and he wanted 10 fight him while he
was thus weakened.
Grant simply said, "Go in :" and he says in
his report that he never found it necessary af
terward TO visit Sheridan before giving him
orders.
IN THE VALLEY
This interview and Grants laconic order led
TO the battle at Opequon Creek, September 10
1864, where Early was utterly defeated and
gathered his routed forces in a strongly forti.
fed position at Fishers HILL further up the
valley. 1t seems that Sheridan here fought
, EaTly's entire army, for the troops detached
had been brought hack before the battle II
this engagement 3, 900 Confederates were taken
, prisoners.
Three days later Sheridan, by a piece of STRAIT
egy not unlike his affair two years before al
Bonneville, drove Early from Fishers Hill and
chased his army up the valley The rebel!
were so demoralized that everything that could
be thrown away was left TO accelerate their
escape, for Sheridan, after whipping an enemy
always followed him as Ear as he could see 3
coat-tsil in front. For this he was appointed :
brigadier- general Of the Regular army. and
placed in permanent command of the division
The Shenandoah Valley had, from the first
been the granary Of the Confederate army in
Virginia, and General Grant felt the necessity
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