Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-08-08
The Future Hero of Winchester as a
Snowman and DrillmaSter.

The Future Hero of Winchester as Pin
Snowman and Drillmaster.
Phil Sheridan as a bow had but few
opportunities. The family was poor
and his school days were few. He was
always leader among his associates,
however. His time, when not at school
or engaged IN doing chores, was largely
devoted to the juve nile show
business. where a charge of from
three to five pins constituted
the admission fee. Phil was invariably
the "slack-rope performer" and if a
menagerie was attached he acted the
feat of going into the Lions den, +"
which was a large box with wooden
Stats nailed on the front side, and gen
orally contained two or three dogs and
a number of cats. He also took great
fancy to drilling and had company Of
eighteen or twenty of his playmates.
An old resident of Somerset tells
this story of Phil's early days:
''Phil was little bit of fellow, but
guess he whipped every fighting lad in
Somerset. He became early IN life a
most daring horseback rider. His first
experience as cavalryman was on the
bare back of an ugly beast without a
strap of leather anywhere about him.
The critter started into a terrible run
and did not halt until he came to a
tavern some ten miles away. There he
ran in the stable-shed. Sheridan hung
on like an Indian and did not seem to
be in the least frightened. When
asked how he had managed to stick the
5-year-old answered: I'D been told
how to do it. I just hugged his neck
and stuck my knees in his side. No
one had ever be ore succeeded in cling
ing to the horses back"
Before Phil was 10 he received a sur
render. This was from the old school
master, Patrick McNally, who was a
right good schoolmaster, buta Gaerciless
disciplinarian, not to say despot. For
once Sheridan, who had Jared Ill with
the teacher, came to school earlier than
the rest. He made his promptness count
by arranging bucket of ice-cold water
over the door in such way that the next
conner, who was sure to be Mr.. McNally,
was cruelty doused. After the enraged
teacher had shaken salts actory evidence
of innocence out of all the pupils as they
entered the school-room, a judgment of
conviction was passed on the only one
vet to appear, the little Sheridan boy.
The judgment was not wiped out until
the master had chased Phil all the way
nome anu There ndU D06u Ill TURN CI1dSeO
up an apple tree by the bad boys
big Newfoundland dog. After five min
utes of negotiation and dickering the
shivering and chattering master made
an unconditional surrender, and the
boy called off the dutiful dog. Sheridan
afterwards said that McNally kept his
word with him strictly, but he had
thenceforth to take two whippings for
every offense committed ia that school.
At the age of u Phil had to go to
work He found employment in hard
ware store in the village kept by John
Talbot, with whom he remained four
months, He then obtained place as a
clerk for Fink & Dittoe in the dry goods
business, remaining with them I'M
til 1S47. He seemed pretty we'll salts
fed with mercantile pursuits until he
read one day of a vacancy at West
Point, which half the fathers
of the district were begging Gen.
Richie, the congressman, to fill with
their boys. Phil sat right down and
wrote Gen. Richie STRAIGHTFORWARD ap-
plication, without anybody's indorse-
ment or even advice. Richie knew
who the Sheridans were, the Irish were
becoming quite numerous among his
constituents, and he thought it would be
a happy idea to let it 60 abroad that he
had appointed one of the race to the
military school. The appointment was
Quickly made and widely announced