National Republican., 1885-08-09
GENERAL GRANTS CONFIDENCE IN
GENERAL SHERIDAN.

President Lincoln justly regarded Gen
eral Sheridan us one of the bravest of
! the brave the man for all the world to
| fight under the immediate personal dircc-
| tion of the cool and sagacOus Lieutcnairc.
General Grant, but too dashing and ven
turesome to trust with n large force in II
| distant field. Licutcnunt-General Grant
/ knew him better. In 1861 it was found
impossible to get supplies to General Cur
! lis in Arkansas there were no railroads,
and wagon trains were invariably captured
by the rebels, but the instant that Captain
Sheridan, acting assistant quartcrmastcr,
was placed in charge, the troubles cleared,
and supplies reached General Curtis
| promptly.
Shortly afterward the colonel of the
Second Michigan Cavalry died. and
Governor Blair wrote TO President Lin
coin asking to have West Point officer
appointed to the position; the letter be-
/ ing referred to Maior-Gcncral IIallcck,
he at once recommended Captain Sheri-
dan, who was theregpon promoted to
the colonelcy of W, tecrs, and placed
in command of Il cSpgiry brigade, which
he handled so as to earn promotion to
the rank of brigader-geneml, and an as-
signment to the head of q division of the
army of the Ohio, where lac was particu-
larly distinguished for orbuvery and discre-
40 Int g
River, .Chicamauga, Chattanooga, and
elsewhere, and earned the rank of major
general,
In April, 1864, Lieutcnant-Gcneal
Grant, then preparing to cross the Rapi-
dam coniided to Major-General sheridan
all the cavalry forces of the Army of the
Potomac; and in September of the same
year, after all other generals had failed in
the Shenandoah, selected him to take en-
tire and Independent charge; resorting
with characteristic regard for the feelings
to bring him into the required position
and at the same time quiet the unneces-
sary apprehensions of President Lincoln
and General Halleck.
An order from Lieutenunt-General
Grant directing Major-General Sheridan
TO assume entire control of all forces in
the Shenandoah would most assurcdly
have received the approval of President
Lincoln, though it might have been
given with some reluctance and grave
, apprehension. The fate of the nation
was at stake; the President felt that he
wanted his tried and trusted Lieutenant
, General at City Point and in the Shcnan-
, doah at one and the same time; and did
| not incline to send any one else into what
had thus far been "the valley and the
| shadow of death " to all other Union com
} manders, where the flower of the rebel
= army full forty thousand strong, must be
2 met and fought, and where the Union
. cause might be gained or lost in Il single
battle
Instead, therefore, of sending any one
to the valley, Lieutcnant-General Grant
, detached portion of Shcridan's com,
mand from the forces before Richmond
took it to the Shenandoah, ordered Major.
General Sheridan to report to him in per
!, son at Monocacy Junction, the head
quarters of the valley forces, and shortly
thereafter returned to City Point-trust
ing General Sheridan with sole power
, in the valley to go through the cam
= paign at his discretion, and upon his OWL
plans.
=, On Il subsequent visit to the army o.
, General Sheridan, just before the battle
of Winchester, Licutcnant-Gcncral Grant
planned and wrote in detail II campaign
n necessity, but upon consultation will
Nlaior-Gencal Sheridan, he found tha
:, officer so fully posted, so prepared fol
, every possible contingency, so ready to 20
in at once, that he pockcted his paper
and returned to City Point, leaving Shcri
:, dan TO conduct operations at discretion
and to receive all credit for the success
' which seemed certain to be achieved
"Can you attack the enemy next Tues
= day?' inquired the lieutenant-tcneral
y just before leaving for City Point.
y, 81 can attack them Monday" replie'
!, the alert and prudent Sheridan.
y And attack he did and the first battl,
, Of Winchester passed into history.
Had Northumberland Grant dc
. livcrcd his own plans, and remained TIVE
, days longer at Charlcstown, w. Va, tn
y, country would have given him honor fo
- the successful campaign of the Shenan
doah. But such was his reliance in Gen
> cral Sheridan that he preferred to lcav
IT everything to his discretion and to Civ
him every credit.
Y | have been dealing thus far partl
in unwrittcn history, showing the al
" most unboundcd confidence of Licutcn
" ant-Gcncrl Grant, not only in the bray
- cry, but in the prudence and sagacity G
- General Sheridan confidence that wa
- steadily maintained and ever grey
!, :, stronger, Il confidence, as records prov,
y, in no instance misplaced.
" Two characteristic illustrations of hi
y possession ofthese great qualities, from tn
), papers of theWr Department, may be in
" troduced here. At one time in the Shen
, andoah campaign, when ready to attac
/ thn nnnpny Inon learning from IA SrOut of