Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1888-08-23
SHERIDAN.


VIM MN" tudt
ten. Sheridan was very profanc man, full
Of lusty swagger and strange oaths; that
he was a typical dragoon, brandishing IA
thirsty blade, aud calling for blood by the
bucketfull, rs the buccaneers of Holland
aud the registers of old England used to do.
The same idea Was popular about Custer,
whereas he WAS II quiet, gentle, blonde
haired man, with white hand, al which he
was very proud, and voice that was never
raised above the tone of ordinary conver-
sation. unless it was needed to inspire
courage or destroy fear. Custer never used
an oath, never drank any liquor. and never
used tobacco in any form. lie tried ia
learn to smoke once, hut this man, to
whom danger never brought dismay. was
"downed" by miled Havana, and took to
his bed for the rest Of the day.
In that remarkable poem. with which We
are al amilar. Buchanan Read describes
Sheridan as riding down the lines with n
terrible oath, which was 80 soul-searching
AS to bring the frightened and running sol
diers at Winchester to u halt and turn
them from sheep into men. The general
once told me that he did not recollct ex.
actly what IA. did say on that occasion
hnt there is no dnubting that he meant
what he said. lie was too mad too much
disr,lsted, and too indignant at what hs
considered - cowarily ret rcat "f men in
whose courage hr had eonii,l-nee. to speal
with his ordinary millness. aud only
remembered that he tried to do Justice a.
the occasion aud bring the frightened mel,
Who surrounded him to understand hir
purposes and assist him in acroinplishin,
them. \ member oi his staff ten. t;eorg,
4. Forsythe, who had ridden the twent \
miles by his side, and may De- considered
good authority, reports that wh"" tn,
general met I lac first group of stragglers IL
full retreat and WAS informed by them thai
the enemy had captured his camp and wa.
sending his troops, as he aiterward sent
Early, "whirling down the valley he oh
served with some emphasis:
We'll sleep in that camp tonight, III
We sheep in hell. and that WAS probabl,
what the author of "Sherian's Ride
referred to.
The stories of the generals profanity
which were So prevalent at that time ere
ate,l, as we have said. the impression that
his tongue was "A mint which WAS constant,
coming imprecations. of II unique AN,
awful pattern. and the hearts oi grea'
many good people were greved that IA maj
whom they had learned to admire and loy,
should tarnish his otherwise brilliant repu
tation by the Use al blasphemy. Many %
them wrote him To express their regret
The letters came from elergymen and moth
cry woIIIsT, wh0 gently TTTII0TIstTIru1f HHJ
begged him to abandon the vicious habit
not only for the sake of his own soul hui
for the benefit of their sons who admire,
him 50 much and were disposed to ilnitat,
the vices as well as the virtues of the grea
soldier.
II is proper that this impression whiel
still exists, should be- corrected, for Gen
Sheridan was not habitually profane ans
he .lespised the practice as heartily as an,
of his critics. lie often said dammit
when he was provoked, but his or,linar,
tonNtfrdthbn WIS Ifff iftiii ~
that Of any gentlenan in the land Whel
he swore. however. and il WAS only ON occa
sions of the greatest provocation--he di'
not use the habi'ual blasph-ny of the ban
room. but COINED phrases of i,ictures'iu
aud striking originality which produced al
| instantaneous effect aud u lasting impress
ion His words fell like the stroke Of
butchers cleaver. Hedid not use them fo
the sake of swearing. nor from the force q
! habit for he seldom used the same oat
twice, but emphasized his utterance 4
supply "a force which the naive tongu
lacks. On some supreme OCCASIONS, at
great crisis or an emergency, when the soul
Of his men were tn be aroused, the ordinar
adjective would strike the soldier with NJ
more force than - falling leaf and tn
phrases of the drawing room would no
reach their ears. So much is true of Sher
dan, that at such times his tongue woul
frame u sermon in single sentence whic
never failed To arrest u panic and inspir
| with courage men who would have lee
deaf to the ordinary tone and manner {
| remonstranee or command.
The battle of Stone River was the secon
appearanee of Sheridan under fire in whic
he had command of any considerable bod
of men. lie had been promoted from III
colonelcy of the I'd Michigan cavalry To tll
command of "a brigade "f infantry, AN
when the rest of the army retreate'l, Il
held his own against overw helming odds ]
one Of the most desperate struggles of III
war. lie kept his men together by reaso
of his own personal courage and stubbor
Iet-rminat ion -s,i,st-fs,sisht with them 1,
men seldom fought before or since unit
Rousseau reinforced him aud saved III
day.
Thought il WAS hell before ! got there,
said Rousseau afterward, but WIS col
WINGED Of it when l saw Little Phil wit
his hat in one hand and his sword in I'll
other, swearing and fighting as il the dev
incarnate and Father Tracy were grantir
him ~ fresh indulgence every five minutes.
Father Tracy was the catholic chaplain u
Rosecrans' headquarters.
When Sheridan led his men ont of tina
fight he left three-fourths of his brigade u
the field and as he marched by Roseeran
his commander, he remarked:
Here are all that are left of us, genera
and every cartridge box il empty.