Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-06-07
SHERIDAN'S CAREER.
\ GREAT GENERAL WHO ROSE SOLELY
BY HIS MILITARY GENIUS.

Perry county, u, on Ine Otn OF Marcn,
1881. In 1913 he entered West Point,
graduating in 1853. After graduating
he served in the United States Artillery
in Texas and Oregon. From 1856 until
1861 he was in command of troops
among the Indian tribes. The youthful
officer speedily acquired reputation for
readiness, resource and intrepidity. Al
though an infantry officer he was assign
ed to the command of detachment of
dragons, and the most dangerous and
| difficult expeditions were allotted to him.
THE OUTBREAK OF TIE WAR.
On MAY IA, 1861, he was made Captain
of the Thirteenth Infantry, Chief Quar-
termaster and CommiSSary of the Army
of Southwest Missouri. Shortly after
this he was made Quartermaster to Gen.
Halleck, in the Mississippi campaign of
the spring of 1862. He was almost i'm
mediately afterward made Colonel of
the Second Michigan Cavalry and Quar-
termaSter of the Western Department.
He took part in the pursuit of the Con-
| federates from COrinth, and for gallant
conduct in the engagement at Boone
vile, July l, 1862, was made Brigadier
General of Volunteers. In command OF
the Eleventh division of the Army of
the Ohio he led the advance into Ken
tucky and distinguished himself by his
defense of Louisville. He took an ac-
tive part in the battle of Perryville and
subsequently in the advance to the re-
lief of Nashville.
Assigned to the Army of the Cumber-
land his division was in the campaign
of Tennessee from November, 1862, to
September, 1863. At the battle of Muir
freesboro he won his promotion to Ma
jor General of volunteers.
The gloomy history of the reverse and
desperate fighting in the dark cedarS at
Murfreesboro glOws with the valOr of
Sheridan and his men, who, with cour-
age which was not surpassed on that
field, checked that reverse to the right,
where it was rapidly developing into IT.
retrievable defeat. He was next sent
in to aid the hard-pressed center. With
plucky resistance to assaults and final
charge, he captured men and guns,
cleared his front with the bayonet and
bivouacked on the line he had steadily
maintained Every one of his brigade
commanders was shot dead and % per
cent. of the command was killed or
wounded.
Said Gen. Rousseau, speaking of the
fight in the cedars: 81 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 incarnate and swearing
as if he had fresh indulgence from
Father Tracy every five minutes"
In March of the next year he captured
train and prisoners at Eaglesville and
crossing the Cumberland mountains
took part in the battle of Chickamauga.
In that battle his command fought
splendidly and effectively during the
preliminary movements for position and
upon the first day. On the second,
through no fault of his, his command
| became involved in the disaster which
swept portion of the right from the
field, and his forces were not engaged in
the supreme crisis of the battle. His
division was intact when it halted near
ROSSville.
THE sTORMING OF MISSIONARY RIDGE.
The end and the proud crowning of
his infantry service came at the storm
ing of Missionary Ridge. Who of those
whose eyes were blest with the sight of
that magnificent spectacle, as the Army
of the Cumberland swept forward in
grand assault, will ever forget the scene?
1t was storming army, and every man
in it's lines was hero. But, as zone
star differed from another star in glory,
so it was given to Sheridan t. 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 in its precision was mistaken by
the enemy for review, but ended with
the rush which captured Orchard Knob.
On the last, four divisions of the Army
of the Cumberland lay from morning
till near sundOwn facing the ridge, and
impatiently watching the terrible pendu-
lum swings of the splendid but unsuc-
ceSsful assaults of Sherman'S troops on
its northern extremity, which were plain
ly seen from Orchard Knob, where Grant, |
Thomas and Sheridan stood watching |
the contest hour after hour, with an in |
tensity of interest and growing impa-
tience which were inseparable from the
situation. The sun was nearing the |
western ranges. HoOker's guns had not
been heard on the right, and Sherman
was unable with all his forces to make
further impression on the left. Baird was
hurried to his aid. He then had seven
divisions, or 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 spec
tacular movement began which ended
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 3 a'Glack Ia 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 a distance of mile and quarter
from its base. Johnston held the right,
Sheridan and Wood the center, and
Baird the left. The ground between
them and the ridge was a plain, broken
with shallow streams ana thinly covered
with matches 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, Half way
up the slope was a second line, while the
crest was strengthened with continuous
field-woEka, carrying fifty guns, and de-
tended along the lines of Thomas as
sault by four veteran divisions.
The day had been clear and warm, and !
its scenes such as to raise enthusiasm to |
its height and excite the extreme of