The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1884-03-27
SHERIDAN'S RIDE.
A Soldiers Valor and POETS Fame
Linked in the Annals of War.
James y. Murdoch Describes the
Ride from Wine hester and Tells
How Reads Poem Came
to Be Written.


Creek In the war Office at Washington sat
Mr.. Stanton in close conversation with Gen
Phil Sheridan There were some grave ques-
tions being discussed between them. for the
talk lasted long after midnight. Gen. Thomas
L. Eckert, superintendent of military tele
graph lines, was in an adjoining room watch.
ing for sounds Of alarm from the front or i'm
portant kilograms from any of the advancing
armies in the field. A new day was fast ap
proachlng the dawn and the war minister
and the general still continued their earnest
conversation. A click of the instrument
caught Gen. Eckert's ear. Il was Winchester
calling the war office His ;ilei hand
touched the key in ready respo nse and mo-
nlent later the words came:
''There is danger here. Hurry Sheridan to
the front"
Quick rs flash the message wns handed to
the two men in the next room in close con-
sultation about the campaign in tho Shenan
doah valley. Sheridan went t. the nstrl
ment, and there was IA moment Of hurried
talk over the wires between him and his head
quarters when Secretary Stanton gave di
rections to Gen. Eckert to telegraph the rail
road authorities of the Baltimore a. Ohio to
clear the road and to at once provide relays
of special engines to take Sheridan to the
scene of the coming battle rs fast steam
could carry him. Gen. Exert worked the
wire 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 perfectng the train arrangements,
Stanton and Sheridan had few hurried
final words, each countenance bearing the
marks of earnestness, not unminged
with anxiety The train schedule was
do eft ha
office, and was driven to the sta
ton with all possible speed. painting en-
CINE hal just backed in a. 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 II clear ira. 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-
pers Ferry, seventy miles beyond. There
were no Instructions all the way up. Every
moving train had been side trackel and every
other precaution taken to prevent accident
to the on-rishing engine bearing Sheridan
to the camp where his army lay While
this train was making its run n! was anxiety
in the war office. Every telegraph station
\ reported its progress, to Gen Eckett, and he
70 Secretary Stanton, who still linge,0A that
that he might know when Sheridan Aced
his destination.
At HARpER's FERRY.
Three hours passed-dull, anxious hours
TO those waiting, every moment Of which
seemed laden with lead. Harpers Ferry at
last reports Sheridan's arrival, and a fresh
engine stood ready Ia 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 meSen
ger, and, an hour later, word speeds over the
wires SHERIDAN Just reached Winchester"
The run had been made i'll tine 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 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 n beautiful sunshine, it was but
sad reminder of of the once great granary
that for more than three years of conflict had
furnished untold supplies to the Confederate
army. Sheridan had laid il waste He had
clincked with and beaten Early at Winches-
ter, and while he was being carried with all
possible speed back to the scenes Of his opera
tons, the tide of hattie was ebbing and flow
ing upon n 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. When Sheridan
arrived at Winchester tn, roar Of artillery
and the roll Of musketry could be distinctly
heard from the field ot carnage along Cedar
creek. Down the valley came the awful din.
echoing louder and louder through the still
summer air as the battle grew iiercer.
There was but short delay at W iuchester,
the chief town i'll the lower valley. There
Sheridan mounted his favorite war horse Il
large, beautiful, snewy. black charger who
had borne his master through the heat of
many conflicts He is dead now and his
body has been preserved, that men yet to
come may see the animal whose endurance
has been recorded in verse Through the
town and out over the turnpike which leads
up the Shenandoah, Sheridan rode. Who,
knowing the man, aught Of his character,
cannot picture the restless rider urging his
horse TO the best to reach the field where the
fate OF his army was still pending in the
hazard OF wari He had only covered few
miles when the moving mass of debris that
always surges to the rear OF IA battle field
when the conflict is severe and doubtful, met
his trained eye and told more plainly than
words what was going on in front IL WAS
signal OF Distress and none knew it better
than he. The sight fired his heart anew and
Gully added fresh impetus to his foaming
horse He reached the field after a seepless
night and terrific journey, and the battle OF
Cedar Creek was won.