The Osceola times., 1886-10-02

NIat nc knew ana with the trOops
he had already led But he was too
. good soldier to betray dissatisfaction
ana he went without murmuring To the
theater where he was to become so re-
no"ned' and TO the chief with whose
Iane his own was to be forever associ-
} ated. From that time | can testify to
the confidence, the chivalrous admira-
uon' the commendation Grant bestowed
on ms cavalry commander In the VII
derhe's campaign the Young General
(he was only thirty-two) was constantly
gwen the most difficult and dangerous
tasks. When he was sent off on dis
tant expedition his formal orders went
through Meade, but Grant always saw
nm IN person and added verbal nstruc-
tons, explaining his views, defining his
ann but leaving all details OF execution
10 the subordinate. They easily under
stood each other, they had SO much in
common.
When Early advanced upon Washing.
ton Grant selected Sheridan TO oppose
MN, against the wish of the Govern
mene which thought him too Young
ana inexperienced for the post. But
the avalanche of success crushed out all
crluclSm OF the choice. Grant wrote
me on this subject from the Hague in
1878:
DEAR GENER&:-Your letter Of the 12th
| WIN lnclosure, was received before my de.
| Pafture from Paris. But had no time TO do
/ more tnan read your letter before leaving, so
| brought the whole here 10 examine and an.
| prove or otherwise. | have made marginal
/ uoics IN pencil Of all have to say ! do not
.hink there i any thing to strike out, or any
mug 10 add except What you can get from
I inc notes referred to, You may recoil ilect that
Mhtn had visited Shoritan az Charleston /
had p IAN OF battle with me TO give him. But
ltound nm so ready TO mOve-plan and all
lhAt | gave him no order whatever eNcept the
| authority to move. lie ia entitled 10 all the
credlt or hrs great victory. and IL established
MN IN the confidence of the President ana
the secretary of War as commander 10 be
tru ted with the fullest discretion IN the man.
ng'meut OF all the roOps under him Before
thdt, while they ghly appreciated him a.
COMMANDER TO execute, they felt y little nerg-
ou- about giving him too much discretion.
l shall never forget Grants delight
over the kilograms he received from
sheridan during the campaign. They
were handed TO him usually as we sat
around the campfire at City Point wait
ing for news often till late into the
night, during that long and dreary
autumn Of 1864. No success had cheer
ed rs at the East for months. Lee still
held of Grant in front of Richmond,
and Hood had compelled sherman to
retrace his steps from Atlanta; poliEical
hOstll ty NJ the rear made the situation
at the front still darker even than il
was, and the first CLEANS Of light came
from sheridan victories n the Valley.
As Grant read out the ringing dispatches
"Nc sent them whirling through VIM
chester;' They were followed on the
jump twcnty-siX;' 81 thought it best to
delay here one day and settle this new
cavalry Gencral;' his voice BETRAYED
how welcome was the news. keep
on, he replied, "aud your good work
will cause the fall of Richmond The
of these successes and the
encouragement they gave to Grant were
the germ Of one OF the most beautiful
friendships inhistory.
From that time he relied on Sheridan
as completely 81, on Sherman. The I.
final movement against Petersburg had
no success for several days. One of
those whose judgment Grant often
needed advised him TO return. lie
himself was gloomy; not dcspondent, .
for that ! never saw him in the field.
but profoundly anxious. But one dark .
and rainy morning Sheridan came rid .
ing into camp, and talked so chccrly, .
80 conf 'nU'.r, 20 intelligcntIv Of what .
he couli do. that his mood was couta- .
gious. Grant was in his tent so that .
Sheridan first me, the staff The officers
were struck with his temper and tone;
they knew the estimate Grant put upon .
his Judgment, and were anxious for .
to say what he thought to the .
chief. They took the great trooper /
into Grant, and when Grant perceived .
the spirit of sheridan, be felt that the .
time had come. He gave him the task |
h. sa 4 he could perform, the orders he /
asked for, and the result waS-the bat /
tie of Five Forks.
That battle Grant always acknowl- /
edged made possible the final assault on
petersbua, and opened the way for the /
campaign, in which Sheri- /
dan led the terrible pursuit, fought |
Sailors Creek, and outmarched Lee. /
In all these movements he sent back |
daily, almost hourly, to /.
Grant. every one of which Grant ac- |
,epted | some times think that with /
out Sheridan Grants closing triumph /.
might have been less complete, for it |
was Sheridan, who, by his rapid |
and inccssant blows, secured |
he enyeloping, and thus the surrender,
Of Lee. THIS can be said without de- /
tracing one leaf from the laurels of |
Grant. The most skiliui workman re- |
1u res tools of finest edge; the greatest |
can not win without troops 1
and subordinates Of mettle like his |
own.
After this Grant loved Sheridan. Tho |
affection was founded on admiration; |
the intimacy grew out of achievement. |
II was the strange, rich fruit OF battle, f.
waterod by blood and ripened 10y pat |
rotism into a close and tender regard. |
| was an inmate of Grant house when /
he was believed 10 be dying, and Shcri- !
dan wrote me letter to present TO the /
family when the dreaded hour should
come He added line which | venture 4
10 repeat because { shows the peculiar |
and delicate nature of the feeling be- I
tween the soldiers: at is unnecessary /.
for me. =" said Sheridan, ''to use words
to express my attachment to General
Grant and lis family. | have not gone |
10 see him as | could only bring addi-
tionaI distress to them, and ! want To !
remember him as | knew him in good .
health. Adam Badcdu IN NJ Y. ITt- !
buHe