The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-15
SHERIDAN'S RIDE.
The Facts About That Famous Incident
How Buchana& Reads Poem Came
To BE Written.

Correspondence Philadelphia Press.
| 1t was the night before the battle of Cedar
Creek. In the war office at Washington sat
| MIR. Stanton in close conversation with Cen
eral Phil, Sheridan. There were some grave
! questions being discussed between them, for
| the talk lasted long past midnight. General
Thomas t. Eckert, superintendent of military
telegraph lines, was in an adjoining room
watching for sounds of alarm from the front
or important kilograms from any of the
armies in the field. A new day was fast APP
preaching the dawn, and the war minister
and the general still continued their earnest
| conversation. A click of the instrument
caught General Eckert's ear. 1t was Win
chester calling the war office. His skilled
hand touched the kew in ready response,
and moment later the words came
There is danger here. Hurry Sheridan
to the front"
Quick as fash the message was handed to
the two men in the next room in close con-
sultation about the campaign IN the Shenan-
doah valley. Sheridan went to the instru-
ment, and there was a moment of hurried
talk over the wires between him and his
headquarters, when Secretary Stanton geve
directions to Gen. Eckert to telegraph the
railroad authorities OF the Baltimore & Ohio
to clear the road and to at once provide re-
lays OF special engines to take Sheridan to
the scene OF the coming battle as fast as steam
could carry him. General Eckert worked
the wires himself, and gave hurried direc-
lions to the railroad officials as to what TO do
in this emergency. While he sat with his
hand on the key, perfecting the train ar
engagements. Stanton and Sheridan had a
few hurried final words ncnh coun-
earnestness, not unmingled with anxiety
The train schedule was soon made, Sheridan
seft the War Office, and was driven to the
station with all possible speed. painting
engine had just backed in as he arrived, and
jumping aboard, the engineer, instructed to
make the Relay House in the shortest possible
time, pulled the starting-bar and away sped
the train 1t had a clear track and reached
its destination thirty miles away, in much
less than an hour Here an engine of the
main line stood waiting to take him to Har
per's Ferry, seventy miles beyond. There
were no Instructions all the way up. Every
moving train had been side-tracked and
every other precaution taken to prevent &C
cident to the on-rushing engine bearing
Sheridan to the camp where his army lay.
While the train was making its run all was
anxiety in the war Office. Every telegraph
station reported its progress to General Eek
ert, and he to Secretary Stanton, who still
fingered that he might know when Sheridan
reached his destination.
Three hours passed-dull, anxious hours
to those waiting, every moment of which
seemed laden with lead. Harper's Ferry at
last reports Sheridan's arrival and fresh
angine stood waiting to take him to Winches-
ter, thirty miles up the valley. Not mo-
ment is lost at the hamlet among the rocks
| when Sheridan boards the waiting messenger
and, an hour later, word speeds over the
wires: sheridan just reached Winchester. !"
| The run had been made in the quickest time
| ever known on the road, and the Worn and
anxious officials at the war office breathed a
sigh of relief as the click of the telegraph an
nounced that the journey had been COM
| pleted.
Eighteen or perhaps twenty miles of turn
| pike stretched away up the charming valley
| that had been made deSOlate by the torch and
| tramp of armies As that charming region,
clad in the garb of summer, lay between the
noun tains, its bright colors reflected in the
rays OF beautiful sunshine, twas but sad
| reminder of the once great granary that for
more than three years of conflict had furn-
ished untold supplies to the confederate
army. Sheridan had laid it waste He had
clinched with and beaten Early at WincheS-
ter, and while he was being carried with all
possible speed back to the scenes of his opera
| tions, the tide of battle was ebbing and flow
| lug upon a new field, and the fate of the day
hung trembling in the balance. For several
weary, doubtful hours the two armies had
|
| rived at Winchester the roar Of artillery and
the roll of musketry could be distinctly
heard from the field of carnage along Cedar
| creek. Down the valley came the awful din,
echoing louder and louder through the still
summer air as the battle grew fiercer.
There was but short delay at Winchester,
the chief town in the lower valley. There
Sheridan mounted his favorte war horse, q
large beautiful, sinewy, black charger, who
had borne his master through the heat oil
many conflicts. He is dead now and his
body has been preserved, that men yet tc
come may see the animal whose endurance
has been recorded in verse. Through the
town and out over the turnpike which leads
up TN Shenandoah Sheridan rode. Who
knowing the man, or aught OF his character
cannot picture the restless rider urging hi'
horse to the best to reach the field where the
fate of his army was still pending in thu
hazard of war? He had only covered a few
miles when the moving mass of debris tina
always surges to the rear off battlefield
when the conflict is severe and doubtful
met his trained eye and told more plainly
than words what was going on in front |
was a signal of distress, and none knew i
better than be. The sight fired his hear
anew and only added fresh impetus TO hi
foaming horse He reached the field after
, seepless night and terrific journey, ant
the battle of Cedar Creek was won.
This is the true story of Sherdan's ride
might almost say official story. If he die
not stop to gather the stragslers, "a a poet
license has pictured, he did carry back tn
tide that was floating To the rear, because hi
presence had given fresh stamina to som
wavering battaions. The manner of tn
man, his dash and courage, his reputation
and successes, all combined to give heart t.