St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-06-03
His Charge Up Lookout a
Blazing Star Upon His
Shield.
Twenty Miles Away and the
Glorious Victory at Cedar
Creek.
A Man Of Iron Nerve and s
Courage That Never
Flinched.

much to save. Wherever, beyond
earth'S ouUpOstS, may be the camp and
blyouacS of those great armies which
Tell under the flag that he fought to up
mold, there our hero shall be welcomed.
Even above the universal dread of death
there can but rise shade of envy in
the heart of every veteran at thoughts
OF such meetings as he has to enjoy.
Among our cavalry leaders he stood
pre-emincnt. His infantry service was
brilliant and notable, but his fame will
rest upon his deeds as the daring, alert,
able and successful trooper. Wilson
and Pleasonton might have won equal
popular standing if to them had come
the same chances of prominent, indie
pendent command. But the opportunity
OF the war in the cavalry service was his,
and his abilities rose to the level Of its
requirements.
There was no better example of what
our republican institutions and patriotic
endeavor will do for man than that
afforded by the career of Sheridan.
-
The gloomy history of the reverse
ana desperate fighting in the dark ce-
OARS at MurfreeSboro; gl0ws with the
Valor OF Sheridan and his men, who,
With a courage which was not sur
verse to the right, where it was RAPIDLY
developing into ilretrievable defeat.
He was next sent in to help the hard
pressed center. With plucky resistance
to assaults. and final charge, he cap
tured men and guns, cleared his front
with the bayonet, and bivoucked on the
line he had steadily maintained. Every
one OF OF his brigade commanders was
shot dead, and twenty-five per cent of
the command was killed and wounded.
Said Gen. Rousseau, speaking of the
fight in the cedars: Il knew it was in
fernal in there before L got in, but l
was convinced of it when | saw Phil
Sheridan, with hat in one hand and
sword in the other. fighting as if he
were the devil lncarnate and swearing
as it he had fresh Indulgence from
rather Tracy every five minuteS.'
At Chickamauga his command fought
splendidly and effectively during the
upon the first day. On the second,
through no fault of his, his com
mand became involved in the disaster
which swept portion of the right from
the field, and his forces were not en-
gagged in the supreme crisis of the bat
tie. His division was intact when it
halted near Rossville. If it had been
marched to Thomas it would still
further have rounded an illuStrious ca
reer.
The end and the proud browning Of
his infantry service came at the storm
ing of Missionary Ridge. Who of those
whose eyes were blessed with the sight
Of that magnificent spectacle, as the
army OF the Cumberland swept forward
n e..
the scene? 1t was a Storming army, and
every man in its line was a hero. But
as zone star differed from another star
i'll glory" so it was given to Sheridan
10 shine pre-eminently in that galaxy of
heroes.
1t was the third and last day of the
battle. On the first Thomas had sent
Hooker to the successful assault on
Lookout. On the second Sheridan had
taken brilliant part in movement
which i'll its precision was mistaken by
the enemy for review, but which end
ed with the rush which captured Or
chard Knob. On the last, four divisions
of the army of the Cumberland lay
from morning till near sun down facing
the ridge, and impatiently watching the
terrible pendulum swings of the splen-
did but unsuccessful assaults of Sher-
ity, which were plainly seen from
Orchard Knob, where Grant, Thomas
and Sheridan stood watching the con-
test hour after hour, with an intensity
of interest and growing Impotence
which were inSeparable from the situa-
ton. The sun was nearing the western
ranges, HOOker'S guns had not been
heard Oh the right, and Sherman was
unable with all his forces to make
further impression on the left. Baird
was hurried to his aid. He had then
seven divisions, or over half the Union
army, but there being no room for Baird
to operate, he returned to the center.
and had just formed again on the left of
the army of the Cumberland, when the
grand spectacular movement began
which closed the fight.
1t came from sudden change in the
plan of battle demanded by the exigen-
cies of the field. Thomas was ordered
to move directly against the Ridge. 1t
was o'clock in the afternoon when he
received the order to advance. Four of
his divisions, with front of about two
miles and half, stood facing the ridge
at distance of mile and quarter
from its base. Johnson held the right,
Sheridan and Wood the center, and
Baird the left. The ground between
them and the ridge was plain, broken
with shallow streams and thinly covered
with patches of thicket and forest. The
rebel works along the foot of the hills
could be plainly seen, the ground before
them having been well cleared to give
effective play to the guns. Halfway up
the slope was second line, while the
crest was strengthened with continuous
field works, carrying fifty guns, and de-
Tended along the line of Thomas as
Sault by four veteran divisions.
The day had been clear and warm,
and its scenes such as to raise enthu-
siasm to its height, and excite the eX-
IRENE of Impotence in all disc ngaged
divisions. The flag on Lookout at Sun
rise, the fierce fighting of Sherman, the
play of the heavy guns in the Union
forts, the faSt-worked artillery on Or
chard Knob. and the answering cannon
AIDE from the summit of the ridge,
caused this army, facing it so long in
actively, to chafe under the clay, and
spring forward when Embossed with an
Straint imposed throughout a day of
such inspiring scenes.
AT $50 o'clock, at signal of six guns
from Orchard Knob, 10000 men, in four
lines, swept forward over the plain, de-
ploying somewhat as they advanced so
as to cover three miles of the ridge.
Fifty guns rained shot and shell upon
them as they started, and sprinkled
them with deadly sleet over all the way.
There were many dead and wounded,
but no stragglers, as those magnificent
waves of battle rolled on. In fifteen
minutes they were within range of the
CALLING infantry fire from the lower
line of works; in fifteen more they had
swept over them along their entire
front, and the rebel troops not cap
tured were in full retreat toward their
second line above.