New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-06

Yield From FIRST to last throughout these brilliant
S be Issued such sss
that they no had done aught but what their duty
pageant IN which generals and privates were TO see
how their counrymen admired them, to hurry 10 ircsn
fields of duty and danger.
SEvENTY-SIX BATTLES IN ELEVEN MONTHS.
In these busy eleven months he fought seventy'sx
battles-from Parkers Store, May g, 1864 to Apo
matox Court House, April 0, 1s6o--all fought by tho
troops Of his command and all but thirteen under
his orders. The history OF these bat
Ties is the history Of by far the larger
part Of the cavalry operations OF the war
1t is likewise the history of the greatest of modern
cavalry generals. MIME muskets and raed cannon
had abolished the old functions of cavalry. Tho day
for grand cavalry charges which might decide the fate
Of pitched battles was past, and so high an authority
as General sherman had declared that he had lost
faith in cavalry raids In effect tho cavalry was re-
duccd to the drudgery of furnishing piccts for tho
army. 1t was without esprit de corps, and the men
the target for alternate abuse and racry from
the fighting infantry sheridan's first was to
have his cavalry released from large share of tho
picket duty Ills broken-down horses were then
nurscd into degree of fitness for active service.
tho work before the cavalry of the Army OF the poto
ms he he cur p svs ought apG 10 h %
enemy's cavalry. and our infantry the enemy's In
OF wasting cavalry for the protection OF trains and
the establishment Of cordons around sleeping infantry
part-a part which would be Kept up long as those
best youth Of the country to enlist in their cause
Believing war TO be something more than duel, he
country "Thcse men and women he said "dld
not care how many were killed or MANNED so long as
for 'saRS RasSd
can, by reducing i,s advocates TO poverty, end II
he hat mid no hOne hv
the enemy's cavalry, and what by living of the
n his m, saw rono such
others
PUTTING NEW LIFE INTO THE CAVALRY.
For few days after Grants overland movement
began, Sheridan kept busy guarding the left Of the
army, protecting its trains and feeling its way for 1t out
of the Wilderness to spotisylvania. Then MAY 0,
1864 cutting loose from the Army Of the Potomac
with but hafday's rations Of forage, he started TO
fight the enemy's cavalry7-and get supplies the
James Making wide detour to avoid lee, he next
turned straight for Lees and for Richmond. At
last nc passed the North Anna them launching out
single division In all haste to Beaver Dam Station,
he captured a rich stoc Of supplies. and thence
forth n fear OF what might befall before he could
reach BIS raticns on the James. His horses wcrc
turned toward Richmond The rebel cavalry followed
IN bewIldcrmcnt, and when his purpose d2wned upon
them they bent every energy to intercept him. In this
they cid succeed until his guidons were within six
miles OF Richmond. In this raid against The
Sheridan destroyed the dcpos trains and track at
HEAVIER Dam and Ashland stations, liberated 400
Federal soldiers, defeated the enemy at Yellow Tavern
where their best cavalry leader j. +. B. stuart was
MORALLY WOUNDED and . May 20 , 1gn I'm ~h we
cevalry and made the guarding OF Grants trains an
Easy Mas had 'I n Si n and e
leader and longer doubtful Of their powor 10
compete with equal OK sneIVf forces q, es pe
the ler OF Icc's army destroy the Virginia Central
Railroad lie accomplished his object and then went
IN TreVil Virginia where
routed Wade Hampton on June II. On the following
Gouse. when, advancing toward Gordonsvre. an in
decisive engagement took place Not hearing from
Hunter. who was TO meot him there sheridan WIFE,
drew and rcloned the army on June 10.
THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY DEVASTATED.
On August = 1864, the Middle, West Virginia. Wash
ington and susqachanna Departments were consti-
tutcd the Middle Military Division and Sheridan was
placed In command Many severe cavalry skrmishcs
occurred during August and early in september, but
there was no general engagement although the POSI-
tons OF the two armies such-Early being on
The west bank of Opequan Creek. covering Winchester,
and Sheridan IN front of Beioyvile-that either SIDE
could bring battle at will Defeat to sheridan
would have exposed Maryland and Pennsylvania 10
invasion. Grant, however. saw the need OF having
the unrestricted use of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and he de
terminod TO attack the enemy But before doing so he
visited sheridan september 16. The latter sea
such confidence Of success that Grant gave MIN Only
two words OF Instructions GO In Three days later
Sheridan attacked Early at the crossing OF tho opo.
aud captured 900 men and five guns. Early rallied
his forces at the strong position OF Fishers Hill
heavy loss and pursued to the mountains. Sheridan
devastated the valley his return making unten-
time he was made, at the age of thirty three years
In the regular Io sS army bis 0Os
When Sheridan started on his raid up the Valley
his first orders were:
should SAE Up nS v' s II
provisions forage and stock wanted for the use of your
not desirable that SaaScs should Be
so%a at 50 % obs as az army cam sSbs among them
occurrences these raids must be expected and we are
determined to stop them at all hazards
III his ofic al report after the raid Sheridan sad
Fully eoncd IN S the ,N views y Hnd ssud be- m a.
barren waste stretched the cavalry from the
pue Ridge TO the slope Of the Aneghanies with
as Ssy Rqon al e Garage and a''S Oh al
From the Blue Ridge to North Mountain over 1000
barns, filed with wheat and hay and farming nipple
ments, and seventy mills filed with -four and
whoa; were destroyed, and over 1000 head OF stock
were driven in front Of the army. But the most
positive orders were given against the burning OF
dwellings.
WINCHESTER
Orders were now issued from Washington for
Sheridan to "take position far enough South to
serve as base for further operations upon Gordons
vllo and Charlottesville which position was to be
strongly fortified and provlsioned.' To this plan
he objected and no summoned TO Washington
for consultation. He put his army In order and
FASTENED to the capital, where he spent only six
hours. But that brief absence meant mischief On
the night OF October Is Early and Longstreet moved
their forces stealthly and noiseessy from Fishers
Hill 10 the lcft flank of the Union Army General
Wright, whom Sheridan had left in command, was
apprehensive Of attack only on the right In tho
darkness the rebels crept around the sleeping Union
army, within 600 yards Of the main line Then
through a dim and foggy dawn the best troops OF
the Army Of Northern Virginia charged without warn
Ing and were in the trenches before the Union
soldiers could load their muskets. Fifteen minutes
settled tho busincss-for the time. The Union army
was routed Twenty-fo four pieces OF artillery were
lost and the fugitive troops were soon scattered all
the way to Winchester, twenty miles. 1t was more
than FIVE miles from tho scene Of disaster that Gen
cral Wright endeavorcd 10 stop the flight ana form
n line of defence Then followed the occurrences