Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-08-16
SHERIDAN IN THE EAST.

SENATOR PLUM's RECOLLECTIONS OF A
CONVERSATION WITH THE GENERAL.
Washington dispatch, August 6.
Senator Plumb said: Il always think
of Sheridan in connection with one con-
versation I had with him. General 1
said, You were in the West before you
came East. What was your opinion of
the Army of the Potomac? You remem-
Der it was criticised about that time as
not doing its share of the work
"'Oh, the Army of the Potomac was
all right said Sheridan; the trouble
was the commanders never went out to
lick anybody, but always thought first
of keeping from getting licked
SHERIDAN" continued the Senator,
'came East when the cavalry of the
Potomac was not in good condition, and
Grant gave him the task of recognizing
it and raising its efficiency. He had
worked away some time when Meade
sent him over the Rappahannock on a
reconnaissance. Sheridan came back,
and in making his verbal report alluded
to a brush he had with Stuart's cavalry.
Never mind Stuart said Meade, inter
rupting. He will do about as he pleases
anyhow. Go on and tell me what you
discovered about Lees forces
THAT made Sheridan mad, and he re-
torted, Damn Stuart; l can thrash hell
out of him any day Those were times,
you know, when mems utterances, like
their deeds, were not fashioned upon
the models of these days of peace
Well, Meade repeated the remark to
Grant, who queried, why didn't you
tell him to do it?'
''Not long after, sure enough, Sheri-
dan got an order to cross the river, en-
gage Stuart, and clean him out. 4
knew l could whip him. said Sheridan,
If l could get him where he could not
fall back on Lees infantry. So | thought
the matter over, and, to draw him on,
started straight for Richmond. We
moved fast, and Stuart dogged us right
at our heels. We kept on second day
straight for Richmond, and the next
morning found Stuart in front of us, just
where we wanted him. He had march
ed all night and got around us. Then l
rode him down. l smashed his COM
mand and broke up his disvisions and
regiments and brigades, and the poor
fellow himself was killed there. Right
there, Senator, 1 resisted thegreatest temp
tation of my life. There lay Richmond
before us, and there was nothing to keep
US from going in. 1t would have cost five
six hundred lives, and l could not have
held the place, of course. But | knew
the moment it was learned in the North
that Union army was in Richmond
then every bell would ring and should
have been the hero of the hour. l could
have gone in and burned and killed
right and left. But l had learned this
thing, that our men knew what they
were about. had seen them come out
of fight in which only handful were
killed, discontented, mad clear through,
because they knew an opportunity had
been lost, or sacrifice, small as it was
had been needlessly made; and l had
seen them come out good natured, en-
thusiastic, and spelling for more, when
they had left the ground so thickly COW
cred with dead that you could have
crossed portions of the field on the bodies
alone. They realized that notwithstand-
ing the terrible sacrifice the object gain
ed had been worth it. They would have
followed me, but they would have known
as well as l that the sacrifice was for no
permanent advantage
THAT" said Senator Plumb, exhibits
II II
ed to keep the confidence of his men, and
did it. He fought for results, and not
for glory"