The National tribune., 1883-12-27
SHERIDAN RIDE.
The True Story of the Event and the
Poem.
fFfanh A. Burr, in Philadelphia Pres,.l

Creek. In the War Office at Washington sat
Mr. Stanton in close conversation with General
Phil Sheridan. There were some grave ques-
tions being discussed between them, for the
talk lasted long past midnight. General
Thomas I. 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 approaching the
dawn, and the War Minister and the General
still continued their earnest conversation
click of the instrument caught General Eek
ert's ear. 1t was Winchester calling the War
Office. His skilled hand touched the key in
ready response, and moment later the words
came:
There is danger here Hurry Sheridan to
the front"
Quick as flash the message was handed to
the two men in the next room in close consul
tation about the campaign in the Shenandoah
Valley. Sheridan went to the instrument, and
there was moment of hurried talk over the
wires between him and his headquarters,
when Secretary Stanton gave directions to
General Eckert to telegraph the railroad au-
thorities of the Baltimore and Ohio to clear the
road and to at once provide relays of special
engines to take Sheridan to the scene of the
coming battle as fast as steam could carry him.
General Eekert worked the wires himself, and
gave hurried directions to the railroad officials
as to what to do in this emergency. While he
| sat with his hand on the key perfeeting the
| train arrangements, Stanton and Sheridan had
few hurried final words, each countenance
| bearing the marks of earnestness not unmin-
| gled with anxiety. The train schedule was
| soon made, Sheridan left the War Office, and
was driven to the station with all possible
speed A painting engine had just backed in
as he arrived, and, jumping aboard, the engi-
neer, instructed to make the Relay House in
the shortest possible time, pulled the start
| inn har o.1d fho fraiT had n
| 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 Harper's Ferry, seventy miles be-
yond. There were no distractions all the way
/ up. Every. moving train had been side-tracked,
and every other precaution taken to prevent
! accident to the on-rus1ing engine bearing
| Sheridan to the camp where his army lay.
| While this train was making Its run all was
| anxiety In the War Office. Every telegraph
station reported its progress to General Eckert,
and he to Secretary Stanton, who still fingered
| that he might know when Sheridan reached
! his destination,
AT HARPER's FERRY.
Three hours passed-dul, anxious hours to
those waiting, every moment of which seemed
| laden with lead. Harper's Ferry at last re-
ports Sheridans arrival, and a fresh engine
stood waiting to take him to Winchester thirty
miles up the valley. Not a moment 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 end anxious officials at the
War Office breathed sigh of relief as the
click of the telegraph announced that the
journey had been completed.
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
mountains, its bright colors reflected in the rays
of beautiful sunshine. it was bat a sad reminder
of the once great granary that for more than
three years of conflict had furnished untold
supplies to the Confederate army. Sheridan had
laid it waste. He had clinched with and beaten
Early at Winchester, and while he was being
carried with all possible speed back to the
scene of his operations, the tide of battle was
ebbing and flowing upon new field, and the
fate of the day hung trembling IN the balance
For several weary, doubtful hours the two
armies had been In deadly conflict. Wher
Sheridan arrived at Winchester the roar O
artillery and the roll of musketry could BIZ
distinctly heard from the field of carnage along
Cedar Creek. Down the valley came the awful
din, echoing louder and louder through tht
still summer air as the battle grew fercer
There was but short delay at Winchester, th,
chief town in the lower valley. There Sheri
dan mounted his fayorite war horse, large
! beautiful, sinewy, black charger, who had
, borne his master through the heat of many
, conflicts. He Is dead now and his body ha
been preserved, that men yet to come may SCI
the animal whose endurance has been recorded
In verse. Through the town and out over tn,
turnpike which leads up the Shenandoah
Sheridan rode. Who, knowing the man, o
aught of his character, cannot picture tn
restless rider urging his horse TO the best t.
reach the field where the fate of his army wa
still pending in the hazard of war? He has
only covered a few miles when the moving
, mass Of debris that always surges to the rear 0
battlefield when the conflict is severe an,
doubtful, met his trained eye and told NOR
plainly than words what was going on in front
1t was a signal of distress, and none knew i
better than he. Tbs sight fred his hear
anew and only edded fresh impetus to hi
foaming horse. He reached the field after
sleepless night and terrific journey, and tn
battle of Cedar Creek was won.
MR. MURDocHs LETTER.
This is the true story of Sheridan's ride
might almost say official story. If he did no
stop to gather the stragglers, as poets licens
has pictured, he did carry back the tide tina
was floating TO the rear, because his presenc
had given fresh stamina TO some Wavering bal
| talions. The manner of the man, his dash an
| courage, ms reputation ana successes, all com
bined TO give heart TO those who had drifte
| back, believing the battle had been lost.
/ have been sitting face to face to-day, tn
whole afternoon, with the man who youehe
for the above written words. He is a strons
positive character, just passing three score an
ten, years crowded with wonderful experience
As he told this story he warmed with the FIR
Of the event and his blood was hot with indie
nation, for re had just read statement tina
Sheridan got drunk at Winchester and did nc
go to the battlefield, where the poets pen ha
pictured him.
"Ah, but I'll put an end to all cavil abou
this story said he What have told you
got directly from General Eckert himself, VIII
sat with his hand on the key, arranged an
watched every stage of Sheridan's ride froI
Washington to Cedar Creek. He now manage
the Western Union Telegraph Company, an
will bear witness to these facts But have
letter from Sheridan. He and / were thel
and are now, friends. When I heard of til
ride, wrote to ask him about it and to inquil
If had not ridden the same horse that ca
ried him up the valley while with him at Cha
tanooga. Mr.. Murdoch soon found among b
papers theidentical letter which General Sher
fdgn wrote in reply. 1t la as follows:
sHENANDcAH VALLEY,
NEwTowN, Nov. -. 1854
NY Dear MURDoch:
thank you for your kind note to me. If Il
horse you rode at Chattanooga large and j
black, it is the one who made the run from VII
chester to Cedar Creek. How much am indebte