Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-02-06
SHERIDAN'S SADDLE.
An Historic Piece of Harness that p
Daddy Didn't Want.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer.l

An Historic Piece of Harness that
Daddy Didn't Want.
from the Cincinnati Enquirer.I
eff anybody supposes the Sheridan
family much inflated over 'Dasbing Phil
Sheridan's great military success they
are very much mistaken, assure you,
said Capt. Henry @. Greiner, the great
hawk-scalper from Perry County, the
other day.
Let me tell you little anecdote of his
brother and father that will illustrate
the indifference to the homage and hon
ors bestowed upon Gen. Sheridan. AS
you know the Sheridans are my neigh
bors, down at Somerset, where Phil was
born, and have been my friends politi-
caily and otherwise for many years.
When I was making my first campaign
for representative [ was riding past John
Sheridan's house one morning horse
back, when I heard him come out and
call me.
"That's a very poor saddle you have,
captain, said he, "and I suppose you
are going to do good deal of riding be-
tween now and the election ?"
eyes, SIR" I replied, wondering a
good deal at his question.
s'WeIl, there's a better one out at the
stable you can have if you want it.
Fathers out there now; go out and tell
him to get it for you. It is the saddle
Phil sent home with the black mare he
rode at Cedar Greek"
why, John, 1 would like to have
that saddle mighty we'll, but I don't
want to rob you of such valuable
relic"
"On, that's ali right" said Phils
younger brother, as he went back into
the house. eco and see father"
OF course [ lost no time in going to
the stable. found the old gyntleman
busy about his chores.
"Good morning. Mr.. Sheridan. John
says there's a saddle out here [ can
have. It's the one Phil had on his fam
Gus ride from Winchester.
The old gentleman went into the barn
and after some search brought out
strong, well-made military saddle, with
one of the holsters (Which had evidently
been cut Off and one of the stirrups
missing. 1t was covered with dust and
looked as if it might not have been dis
turbed for months. The thought struck
me that the missing holster might have
been carried off by some stroiling relic
hunter, so [ asked:
'sMr. Sheridan, where is the other
stirrup and that holster ?"
ooh. the stirrup is about somewhere!
The strap got broke and I never had it
sewed on. I cut the holster off myself
to make holder for my curry-combs.
Come in here and I will show it to
you"
We went into the stable, and there,
sure enough, tackled securely against
the weather boarding, was the missing
part. A queer use, however convenient,
for relic like that-for one of the hol-
ster's that had carried the gallant cavaI-
nv officers pistols on his dashing ride in
to the decisive battle of Cedar Greek.
The old man had cut the end of the hol-
ster off, nailed it firmly against the side
of the stable, where it answered the pur-
pose he intended it for quite admirably.
It was lost past redemption, though /
did not indeed, care to disturb it.
The whole circumstance was such a
great surprise to me that, though l was
anxious enough TO get possession of the
saddle. [ could not imagine how any
one. much less the hero's father, would
willingly purt with such relic. This
was evidently his intention, so said to
him:
clock here, Mr.. Sheridan, I don't
see hos you can give this saddle up. It
seems to me that if one of my boys had
played such a great part in the war, and
had made such a famous ride on this
saddle as Phil did, no money would buy
it of me.
well, captain, I'll tell you how that
is, said the old gentleman, quickly and
proudly enough. 'I did feel mighty
proud and glad when I heard that my
Phil was doing his duty SO nobly. But
[ never cared about his promotions, nor
about any of the fine stories or that poem
about his ride. It would have hurt me
terribly to have known that my boy had
skulked or played the coward, or
stunned any duty, but it never mat
tered to me whether people lionized him
or not. As for his old hats and clothes
and swords and that old saddle, don't
care anything about them. The black
mare was a good animal as long as she
lasted; but If you want her old saddle,
why just take 1t along. You're welcome
to it.
''This Is the way" concluded Capt.
Griener, g that I came into possession
of Gen. Sheridan's saddle, and is the &C
cIdent that led to its eventually getting
into the flag and relic-room In the state
house. Perhaps 1t isn't there now, for I
saw it again this summer over at the G.
A. r. reunion at GAINESVILLE. But [
shouldered the old saddle and marched
off. I couldn't help but think that, after
all, the old man was right. The only
concern that any soldiers friends ever
ought to have is as to whether he is
doing his whole duty. The tinsel and
fame amount to nothing"