The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-05-29
4LITTLB PHIL' AND THE VETS.
Full Text of the Longest Speech Generl
Sheridan Ever Delivered.

Full Text of the Longest Speech Genera
Sheridan Ever Delivered.
CHICAGO, May 2S.-The longest speech
ever delivered by General Sheridan is
printed in the Times, giving it, so far as
known, the first publication other than
a merely local one. The speech was
made at the Creston reunion of the vet,
Grams OF Southwest Iowa and Northwest
Missouri. There were ut least ten thou.
sand veterans present, in addition to
thousands OF other persons.
The enthusiasm for Sheridan was
overwhelming and, contrary to custom,
he at last yielded to the opportunities OF
the veterans and made n speech that
went direct to every old soldiers heart.
1t was wholly impromptu, aud Charac-
teristic. Fortunately firSt-class stenog-
rapher was present and took down YER
batim as follows the words OF Little
Phil:"
"CoMRADEs:-I came here to-day to
sec you and talk with you, and shake
hands with you, while Col. Carr and
Others, you know, came here to make
eloquent addresses for you to listen to.
l think he has been too eulogistic OF me
in his remarks. 1t is true that fought
in almost eserybody's army, from Pea
Ridge to AppamattOx, ard although l
fought with cavalry and infantry, and
on every line OF operation, and always
had to change and take new men on new
lines, l was very successful. went
through all the grades they had IN the
volunteer service, and then commenced
and went through all the grades in the
regular service, and the date OF every
commission have is the date OF battle.
Now, l want to say to you comrades,
that l am indebted to the pri-
vate. in the ranks for all this credit
that has come to me. Applause long
and continued.1 He was the man who
did the fighting, and the man who car
ried the musket is the greatest hero of
the war, in my opinion. was nothing
but an agent. knew how to take care Of
men. l knew what a soldier was worth,
and knew how to study the country SO
rs to put him in right. l knew how to
put him in battle when one occurred,
! was simply the agent to take care of
him, and he did the work. Now, COM
rades, these are common sense things,
and | can't say them in very flowery
language, but they are true, neverthe-
less, and they are true, not Of me alone,
but OF everybody else. 1t is to the COM
mon soldier that We are indebted to any
credit that came to us.
Now, am glad to see you here to-day,
gentlemen, and am glad to be with
you on this occasion. There are many
men here to-day who served in the field
with me, and it is a great pleasure TO
me to find them out, and they have
been very kindly in their remarks to
me. While they were with me l GER
tainly did all could for them. ! often
laid awake planning for their welfare,
and I never killed man unnecessarily.
One great trouble with men who com
mand troops is that they kill men un-
necessarily. You may killas many men
as you choose, il you give them an
equivalent for the loss. Men do not
like to be killed for nothing; they do
not like to have their heads rammed
against stone wall, unless for some
good results; those arc the points 1
made during the war. Whenever took
men into u battle gave them victory
as the result Of the engagement, and
it was always satisfactory"