The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-08-09

| gresham or MS district MADE nina, III
1913, cadet at West Point. He gradu-
ated at West Point in 1858, served In
Texas in 1915, and on the Pacific Coast
till May IA, 1861, when he was made
Captain of the Thirteenth Infantry, Chief
Quartermaster and Commissary of the
Army of Southwestern Missouri, and
subsequently Quartermaster to General
HalleCk in the Mississippi campaign of
the Spring of 1869. On May 25, 1869 he
was made Colonel of the Second Michi-
gan Cavalry, aud took part in the pur-
suit Of Cnnfederates from Corinth, May
80 to June 10, and in the engagement at
Bonneville, July l, when he was made
Brigadier General of Volunteers. In
command of the Eleventh Division of
the Army of the Ohio he led the advance
into Kentucky, and was In the Battle of
Perryville, October s, and in the subse-
quent march to the relief of Nashville.
Assigned to the Army of the Cumber-
land. his division was in the campaign
of Tennessee from November, 1869, to
September, 1868, taking active part in
the Battle of MurfreesbOro, when he was
made Major General of Volunteers. He
captured train and prisoners at Eagle.
vile in March; crossed the Cumberland
Mountain and Tennessee River in Aug
ust; took part in the Battle of Chlcka-
manga September 1920, and in the OPP
erations about Chattanooga, including
the Battle of Missionary Ridge, Novem-
Der 1895; and was subsequently en-
gagged in East Tennessee till March, 1864.
From April TO August he was in COM
mand of the Cavalry Corps of the Army
at lNn t..tf hi
men, was actively employed in opera
tions in the Wilderness, and between it
and Richmond, in May, June aud July
| While mainly employed in recommending
and in protecting the flank Of the army,
his corps made several vigorous raids,
cutting off railway connections and cap
turing or destroying stores, was more
than twenty times engaged with the
Confederate Cavalry, and took an i'm
portant part in the actions in and about
Cold Harbor. On August 4 he was APP
pointed TO the command of the Army of
the Shenandoah, and on the 7th to that
Of the Middle Military Division. He de-
feated Early on the Opequan, September
49,, for which he was made Brigadier
General IN the United States Army at
| Fishers Hill, September % and at Cedar
Creek October 10, where he turned a rout
into a brilliant victory, for which he re
ceived the thanks of Congress. On No
vember he was made Major General
From February 81 to March "a, 1865, he
was engaged in the raid from Winches
ter to Petersburg, during which he de-
stroyed the James River and Kanawha
Canal, cut important railway connec-
! TONS destroyed military and commits
sary stores and bad numerous skirmishes
with the enemy. From March 25 TO
April lie was in the Richmond cam
paign. On April he gained the Battle
of Five Forks, which insured the aban-
donment by the Confederates of Peters.
burg and Richmond and he led in the
pursuit Of Lee, and was present at his
capitulatiUn, April 8. He was appointed
to the command of the Military Division
of the Southwest, June 3, and the Mill.
tary Division of the Gulf, June II; of
the Department of the Gulf, August is,
1866; of the Fifth Military District, IN
Guiding Louisiana and Texas, March IL,
1867 and of the Department of the
Missouri, with headquarters at Fort
| Leavenwor Lh, September ~. On March
A. 1869, he was promoted to the rank Of
Lieutenant General. and soon after as
sumed command of the Division of the
Missouri, During the Franco-German
War Of 1901 he visited Europe and
was present as a spectator at several ia
nous engagements/On On, November /,
1888, by command of President Arthur,
he assumed command of the United
States Army with headquarters at Wash
inglon, in place of General Sherman,
who was relieved by request preparatory
to retirement in the Spring of 1884. GEN
eral SheTidan's recent election by Con
gYess to the highest title possible IN the
service, viz, General of the Army, was
the browning honor of his great career.
After the war General Sheridan was
only third in the list of the nations he
roes and had taken rank in history as
one of the most brilliant fighters in the
world. Wherever he went he was
greeted with the most enthusiastic dem
onstrations of applause. State after
State invited him and millions gathered
to do him homage. His visit to Mont
pelier as the guest of the Legislature and
his attendance at the reunion of the
Vermont officers will never he forgotten
by any who were present. He was able
to greet many of the officers by name
and he was cordial to every one. AS he
sat at the banquet an officer asked for
his autograph, saying 1.-The baby died,
General, but we named the puppy Phil
ip," whereupon he replied g 1t is an
honor to have anything named for me in
Vermont" In the brief public remarks
that he made he highly commended the
Vermont soldiers and did it elsewhere as
well as there.
One of the Vermont officers referred
to (Col. Clarke pays this tribute to the
memory of the Gallant Phil .:
Next to Grant, he was the most il
lustrious OF the commanders of the Civil
War who have yet died, unless it be
thought that General Lee, who com
manded on the wrong side, was more il.
lustrIous.
There was certain quality Of ia
miliarity in Sheridan's character which,
while it did not abate anything from his
proper dignity, always made him seem
little nearer to his subordiDates and to
the great army of untitled heroes than
any OF tho othor generals OF high rank
Hence he will be mourned by thousands
who survive with a sense of personal
loss.
He had become so much part of
our national life that il is difficult to re-
alIze that we shall see him no more on
earth. The busy throng will move on,
devoting few minutes to his obituary
and perhaps day to his funeral, and
will take his loss as matter of course
and think no more about it,
"But many will remember how there
were emergencies during the war when
his death would have been national
calamity and when itwould have brought
tears TO the eyes Of millions. In almost
constant danger, from which he never
shrank, he seemed TO bear a charmed
life TO borrow a well worn expression),
and it was reserved for him to pass away
amid peaceful scenes, when bis life was
no longer a necessity to the country, but
while the lauIels of his country's graf
itude were still fresh and plaudits greet.
ed him where'er he went.
Though dying twenty.three years
after the war. he has lost his life for his
country just as much as though he he'd
fallen at Cedar Creek or Five Forks, The
great strain upon his system. caused by
the dangers, excitPmtnts, exposures.
hardships and responsibilities of those
terrible days and years caused the lesion
that has increased and finally carried
him away. Thousands of others, appar-
emily well are suffering in the same way.
And many have gone before him In
deed, he has gone to join the majority.
The thought is full of sad 7ess, but
il fills our hearts with an impressive
sense of the neaTness of all the celestial
host, For to famous men all the world
is sepulchre, SAID Pericles mot
wherein they lie buried, so much as
whore their virtues are gathered up. 10