The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-12-05
GEN. SHERIDAN.
A Record to Compare with That of
Wellington or Butcher.
a soldier of More Experience Than
Any Commander OF the Old
WOrId---TIme's Perfect
y~indIcation.

["Gath' in Cincinnati Enquirer.1
Gen. Grant attributes TO Sheridan the two
great pieces of advice he finally accepted
hrstr TO let him make an odensive war against
Early in the valley; and second, to let him
pursue Leo with all the violence Of war on
his retreat from Petersburg. Sheridan, by
his impassioned nature, intuition and pos
tive grasp of the great possibilities OF war,
thus managed in the very close Of events TO
mingle on such a vast scale into the termina-
ton Of tho rebellion that he pushed his name
and character up beside the old veterans OF
the conflict He was like a race horse who
mas often won a match for a short dtstaAce,
and suddenly astonlshss the world by enter
Ing at the last moment for the long race and
coming In first at the pole. The lesson be
teaches to soldiers Is that While there Is war
there Is still a great chance left
No man could nave carried out tho policy
Of Sheridan who did not possess great bold
ness of mind. intelligence in council and force
OF viii over more experienced and cautious
men. His record bears comparison with that Of
Wellington or Bluoher in the long cam
paigus with Napoleon. Neither of those men
figured very prominently In the earlier and
creator stages OF the continental wars. Well
ington made bis principal impression in the
SpanIsh peninsula, remote from tho great
theatre Of war, as Sheridan made bis in the
valley Of Virginia, where he seemed to be a
moro commander of bservation-like a dozen
ruined men who had preceded him. But he
reasoned that perhaps the key of the position
was right where he stood-just as tho spot
from which Europe was revived against Ma
poleon was In the far-off Iberian peninsula.
The success Of Sheridan IN the valley reused
the army Of the Potomac and the army OF
tho southwest to emulation. They saw the
genius which could conceive and execute
from a distant spot the great whirllng move
ments, strategical rather than tactical Thus
the little nan from tho valley brought his
army Town TO Grant, almost in contradiction
Of orders, before Sherman had made his con-
nection with Grants army. The battle Of
Sheridan In pursuit of Lee was The last In the
war of any consequence, n closed 1t with
q perfect blaze Of fireworks. Fierce, aggres-
sive warfare Of that kind had not previously
been seen by tho rebel army in Virginia.
Late in the war, when Sheridan had extir-
pated Early, he was made a brigndier general
in tho regular army, thereby i%nsuring him
against going back to his nero captaincy. 1t
was after he became brigadior general that
he conceived and executed the remarkable
deeds which got him his lieutenant geporalcy.
Gen. Sheridan has today more experience
in battle probably than any military COM
mander in Europe. Tho only cases anal
agous to his are those OF the Prussian corps
commanders who were engaged in two very
brief wars-one in 1866, called the seven
weeks war, and another five years later,
which occupied for the whole term Of its
transaction not n fifth of the time Sheridan
was in battle Another case is that Of Sir
Garnet Wolseley, who has conducted two
raids very much Of the character Of Sheri-
1oTFs t.af..kas arn,n1 Inn Tut AI,..f,Eo
and Dahomey.
Whatever may be the result of the pend
ing elections in the United States, the men
who did their duty by the flag of their Union
rave all reaped the substantial rewards
Of their fidelity. Grant has sur
vived most Of his great military
opponents in the south, and is on
excellent terms with the remnant He has
had two terms of the presidency like Wash
ington. His private affairs in the metropolis
OF the Union are believed to be in respectable
condition, and he is as useful a man In for
warding matters OF civil ization on this con-
tincnt as Gen. Washington was after he laid
the presidency down. Sherman has lived to
see u general vindication, not only of his
genius but of his plain common sense. 1t Is
pleasant near tho close Of life to learn from
all the fools that one is not n fool. Thomas
lAA7%A ~ AA9 d1NpAiAbf hANA AAoa Jul III a.
banks of the Hudson; but his statue in ever
lasting brass rises near TO the shores Of his
native Virginia-in action, as he stool on
the rock OF Chicamauga and saved the rem
mint of the western army.
Schofield, who WINS by Lyon when he died,
Is one of the major generals in the army.
Hancock, one of the most beautiful spirits mt
Gettysburg, commands with respect and
affection the great metropolis Of the country,
and has nearly been president OF the United
states. General Pope-who was called into
great prominence by the personal confidence
Of Abraham Lincoln, and became the victim
Of to defend the capital and ex-
tricate McClallan's army-is also one OF the
major generals in the service, and probably
has his years yet TO live to let men under
stand him better. The young Mcpherson,
who never lived to civil employment, stands
among the shade-trees of Washington, one Of
the great figures OF that stormy time In
which his life was sacrificed.
All In all, time has worked its perfect
vindication. No shade OF bitterness should
prevail In any portion Of this country that
the reversal OF the vessel hos brought to the
top some who were at the bottom, but who
played their part on the new surface of
things with that force Of character which is
the greatest Of the riches Of our republic.