The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-11-23
GEN. SHERIDAN'S0ATH,
MS RIDE no WINCHESTER.
His own Account of What He said and Did
When lie Was "Twenty Miles Away .
How tho Famous Poem Happened
to be Written.
NY W, K. CURTIS.
Copyrighted 1885,,

lCopyTlRntel lbaol'
An impression has always PREVAILED
among those who do not know Genera
Sheridan, that he Is very protsne man
This idea wA encouraged by the writers
Of army anecdotes and pcEsoual sketches
during the war, who represented him Al
being full Of luaty swsgger and strange
oathai as type OF the ancient drRgoon
brandishing q bloody blade, and calling
for blood by the buckeIiul, like the old
buccaneers and roystereIs Of shakespeare
time.
This same idea was prevalent about
General Custer, whereas he Wus gentle
quiet, hlonds'halred man, with a small
white hand that he kept with care, aud a
musical voice that was never raised above
the tone Of ordinary conversation, unless
1t was needed to inspire CouTsge or dispel
fear. Custer never used an oath, never
drank liquor, and did not use tobacco in
any form, lie once tiled to learn to
smoke, but the man to whom danger
never brought dismsy, and who enjoyed 9
battle more than a ball, WAS "downed"
by mild Havana cigar, and after spend
ing the rest OF the day in bed, unCondl'
tionsIly surrendered and never attempted
II again,
In that remarkable poem with which
We are familiar, Buchanan Read describes
Sheridan "a riding down the lines with
"a terrible OATH" which WAS go soul
stirring sa to bring the dsmoralized sense
OF tho responsibility Of the occasion and to
turn them from sheep to men. The Gem
erGl does not reCOlleCt exactly what he
did say then, but has NO doubt that he
used language appropriate to the clrcum'
stances, and meant precisely what he said.
Ca some other occasions during the war
ue found the ordinary vocabulary Of con.
Vprssti0n inadequate to his thoughts, and
nsdt use Of Language that could not be
misunderstood but the yarns about his
profanity which were so widely quoted al
the time haV0 caused him much annoy
ance.
The impression that his tongue was a
mint that was constantly coming lmpreca'
lions OF y unique and awful pattern was
quite general, aud 1t grieved the hcarts Of
i great many good people that man they
had learned TO admire and love should
tarniHh his otherwise brilliant reputation
by tho use Of blasphemy, Many Of them
wrote him to express their regret The
letters came from Ciergymen and mothers
OF boys, who gently demonstrated and
begged him 10 abandon tho vicious habit,
not only for the sake Of his own soul, but
lUr lne Dvnt ilt ul ineis cons, who admired
him go much and were inclined to initiate
aVav, tho uipaa nf n ora at EnlHinF
It is due 10 General Sheridan that this
false impression should DO corrected, for
he is not hSbitually protane and never
swears except upon rare occasions Of ex-
traordinETy proVoCation: Then no does
not use the vulgar blasphemy oil the bar:
room, but coins phrases Of picturesque and
striking originality, which produces en- IN.
Simultaneous effect and lasting impress
sion, His words fall like pile driver.
lie does not use them for tue sake Of
swearing, nor from force OF habit, and
never utlsTs the same oath twIce, but to
EN- phasiSe bis language and to supply AI
force which the poverty Of Lis native
tongue lacks.
On come supreme occasions, Of great
crisis or an emergency, when the p0lls Of
his men were to be arou1ed, the ordinary
adjective would strike tho colder with 10
more force thun o falling leaf, and the
phTuges Of the drawing room would not
even reach their ears, s9 much Is truo OF
Sheridan, that at such times his tongue
would frame a sermon in aslngle sentence
That never failed to arrest panic and iu-
spire with courage wsp who would have
been deal TO the ordinary tone and man.
neF Of rtmonstranCa or command.
The retreat 81 Winchester was one Of
these occasions. A member oil BILE staff.
General George A. ForSy!he, or SANDY"
as he Yves better known who rode the IN.
nous twenty miles by Sheridan's side,
but did not yet into tho immortal poem,
made DO considered pretty good authority.
He told mG that when the General met
iho Grst group OF stragglers, In full re.
treat. ard Vas informed by them that the
enemy had captured bis camp, during bis
absence, DO turned white with rage and
notification, and exclaimed in 8 tone
that was not to be misunderstood.
"Boyp, those Of you who are not cow
ardg, follow me; for I'll sleep in that camp
tonight, or I'll sleep in help
That was the "toTrible psth" the author
of Hshoridan's RideH referred 10, and II
had tho effect that was intended. The
soldiers knew that "Littls Phil" was
friVhliully in earnest, and there wasn't q
man in all the shattered army who
wouldn't spare his bed.
Iasked General Sheridan the other day
II he knew the author Of the poem.
ayes" hO replied, II know him we'll,
first met Mr.. Read at the headquarters
Of General Rosecrans, just before the
battle Of Stone River. He was gueet oil
the General, and remained in camp quite
a while, go that We all got 10 know him."
"Do you know how he came 10 write the
poem2
him tell about 1t several times, There
haye been number Of stories published
about the origin Of The poem, but ] will
tell you tho true one, just 90 Mr.. Read
told It TO mo. Do you know that James
E. Murdoch suggested the idea2"
"MurdoOh, the eloCutionist? ~
"rhB very man. He was all actor at
ono OF the Cincinnati theatres at the time,
where ] had known him. Murdoch has
always been q great friend Of mine, and l
am Rlhu 10 kuUW Tue Olu Luhu hIGpn GU Nolls
see that ho was alb 10 to appear st the
memorial services in honor oil Chief JUS
tico Chase the other day. He lost a son at
thO battle Of Missionary Ridge-MurdoCh
did-thO boy was in my command, and
the old man came down to get the body,
don't you know2 The enemy occupied the
place where the boy wss buried, and Mr..
Murdoch remained q guest Of my head
quarters until we recovered the ground.
aO used to ride the lines with me every
day, and always used my black horse
'RIen2l--the one that was attnrwsEd
called Winchester, and the same that ]
had under me on that twenty.mile Canter.
No man ever Btiaddled better animal,
and Old Murdoch became very fond Of
him. lie wasa horse that y was nm homo!
To mount, you see, Bnd In that poem Read
gave him good serd.o6.
"Well, things we're very exciting down
around ChRttinooga those days, and Mr.,
Murdoch saw good deal Of war GA