The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-08-15

at his heels. he spurred Al q gallOp for
the front. Every rod the panie-siricken
troops grew thicker Bat he did not re-
! prOaeh them. He greeted each group
with a smile ami shout Of confidence
I that turned them back again, after him,
TO the battlefield Wright was forming
( his line Of defence when Sheriden dash
( Ell up, and At sight OF trusted commander
the men fell more swiftly and more de-
/ teminedly into their places. sheridan
F rode up and down the lines. cheering his
( men and animating them with his own
! indomitabie spirit We're going back
TO camp" was the burden Of his speech
I 10 all we're going to have onr camps
and cannon back AMI well get the
tighest twist on those fellows that ever
you saw" And he made the men be-
lieve it.
At o'clock the storm burst. The first
onset Of the enemy was repulsed. Thank
God for that said sheridan. Now
If they attack again, 20 afer them" ~
O'Clock this order was obeyed. Wright's
line Of desperate defence became Sheri-
dams line Of confident advance The
rebels held their ground firmly, behind
breastworks Of stone and timber. But
Sheridan ordered charge Of McWil-
Jams brigade against the angle in the
hostile lines formed by an attempt b
flank him Clusters calvalry followed in
its track ike thanderbolt. and in scarce
Is the time required to tell i; the entire
rebel army was demoraiized, routel and
fleeing In utter confusion Through the
depening twilight Of the evening the
Union c1lvalry charged again aad again
upon the fugitives, wherever enough
rebels were found together 70 deserve
charge the camps and cannon We're re-
taken and nearly all the rebel transport
tation with them; prisoners came in in
droyes; and Early's army was a thing
Of the past This splendid finale 10 the
Shenandoah campaign set the loyal
North wild with delight. Il stamps
Sheridan said General Grant, what I
always thought him, one of the noblest
of our generals -; a judgement which
Secretary stanton indorsed and publish
ed to tine world. And when General
Mcclellan scon after resigned his com
mission. sheridan was appointed, Noyem-
Der 5, to ill the vacancy, ,-and the soldier
who had in lS6l said modestly, Perhaps
l may get to be major" was now major
general of the Regular Army.
THE CIRCLE OF THIS urST.
Sheridan was now master Of ali the
country north Of Richmond. and deter
mined-acting upon his own responsible .
ity-to march past the rebel capital and
Join the Union army before Petersburg
This was a perilous proceeding and fail
ure would have meant not only defeat
but disgrace, for he was venturing TO act
contrary to the plans Of his superior Of
icer But he displayed q strategic power
surprising even the dashing audacity Of
his earlier exploits. Straight toward
Richmond he marched, until within less
than a dozen miles Of that city. There
he held Longstreet at bay with single
brigade, while the rest Of his army mGy-
ed on to the White House, and the great
manpuvre was accomplished without a
hitch Richmond was cut or from the
rich countries of the southwest, the roads
to the north were blocked, and all was
ready for the final closing in Of the Ma
tional armies upon the city and its des-
perate defenders. Ga this marcn Sheri-
dan also inflicted inealculable losses upon
the ConiederLcy by the seizure and de-
struction Of supplies. Half n million
rounds Of rife ammuniti N, thousands
Of tents, harnesses and small arms. hun
dre,ls Of loaded wagons, droves Of horses,
mules and beeves, provisions, clothing
in fact, everything that could be Of ser
vice to the enemy, in enormous quanti-
ties. fell into his hands and he destroy
ell many miles Of telegraph AMI railroad
lines. and cut in several places the i'm
por.ant James River and Kan1wha Ca
nal. He had left on his line Of march
no enemy, and nothing that colld give
the enemy comfort or support
The end began on AIIrch %, 1865. At
nightfall Of that day sheridan Camped at
DinwidIie Court House Push round
the enemy, if you can, and get on his
right rear. feel Ike ending the matter
before going back were the orders he
had received from Grant, from whom
alone ne now took orders. Through mud
and rain next dag he moved on toward
Five Forks, where ne found himself con-
fronted by an oyerwhelmin. forre-P.ck-
EFT. Wise, Fitzhugh Lee. Rlsscr. and "
II. T. Lee. His army was cut in two and
a portion Of it put in danger of destruc-
ton Bu. while the rebels were in hot
pursuit Of one portion Of his force, with
the other portion he fell flrioasly upon
their flank and rear, and afler a desper-
ate fight the unequal combatants rested
on their arms, during a night OF suspense.
But Sheridan rested little. lie sent 70
Grant: This force j. too strong for me.
| will hold out until am compelled %
leave Grant at midnight promised re-
Inducements But morning came with
out them. The rebels, however, fell back
through fear Of rear assault, and Sheri-
dan remained master Of the field Of Din
widdie.
That day. with increased forces. he
followed the enemy to Five Forks, where
the greatest Of the closing battles OF the
war was to be fought. lie now mad about
$4,000 men to the enemy's 1900. He az
ranged his forces with consumHe skill,
planning not only the defeat bus the cap
ture Of the foe, and throughout the en-
gagement that followed his pugnacity
and his strategy were equally displayed.
At four O'Clock on April ] the struggle
began. Several Union regiments wavered
and broke. Sheridan rallied them in
person, galloping to the front with his
headquarters flag in his band. Warren's
line swept around the rear Of the enemy
and s;ormed the breastwOrks there, the
cavalry charged in from the soalh, and
the fight was cone Five thousand Of the
rebels surrendered on the spot, and the
others were captured faraad wide, where