Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-08-07


o'clock tonight.
MoNQUIT, Mass, Aug, 5.-Genersl
Sheridan died of his old heart trouble.
Death was very sudden. No particu
lars have yet been given out by the
physicians.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
Phil Sheridan's boyhood was one Of
rude freedom, plenty Of plain food and
not little adventure; but it was cer-
tainly not one Of culture or luxury, for
his parents were of the plsinest of
plain Irish workers, who had come TO
America without means and "held
their own we'll" Indeed the father
remained working man almost to
the close Of his life, and the mother,
who still lives, is Of the most muscular
Irish stock; but they were persons OF
high character aud some influence, as
was shown at the time their son ap.
piled for a cadetship at W st point.
Little Phil was d ,idedly "toughn-
in both the meanings OF the word In
the west. He was, so his mother and
early companions say, extremely
tough in fiber las healthy rs pine
knot" 1t is not probable that be ever
cost his parents S. in medicine. But
he was also t..fie "tough" in the
slang meaning Of the word, fighter
and prone to mischevious pranks.
Few can recall any foreshsdowing
of future greatness IN his boyish sc.
tions. He wss simply merry. healthy
boy, fond OF activity and quick Of ap-
prehension. An old r. lent who had
known him from infancy, when APP
pealed TO for some "reminiscences that
would show the future man in the boy
pondered q while and finally said:
"Well, he was mighty fond of horses,
and not afraid Of the widest And
there is philosophy in the remark, for
the saddle is the true seat of empire;
the equestrian datIons are the conquer
ORE; riding is good training for ruling;
and did not Homer mean IL for his
highest compliment when he called
his hero "horse riding Hector?n So
the follow ny story current about
Sheridan's boyhood has the air OF
truth.
When he was about 5years old some
older boys pursuaded him to mount
horse in the pasture without saddle or
bride. The frightened animal dashed
madly away, jumped the fence and
soon disappeared on the road, the lit
tie fellow clinging TO his name. Nor
did he stop till he reached the shed
of tavern ten miles away, where he
had often been fed. The curious
crowd at the tavern asked the boy:
"Who taught you TO ride ?"
"Nowbody." was the answer.
"Did no body ever tell you how to
alt ou horse?"
"Oh, yes, Bill Seymour told me how
to hold on with my knees, and l did"
This was Little Phil's" first cavalry
charge, and the comment of the horse
men who knew the vicious character
OF the animal WAS, That boy has
pluck enough for an Indian fighter"
His time when not at school or en-
gagged In doing chores. was largely de.
voted to the juvenile show business,
where a charge OF from three to five
pins constituted the admission fee.
SHERIDAN's FIRST RIDE.
Phil was invariably the "slack rope
performer" and 1. meuagerie was
attached he performed the feat Of go
ing into the "Lions den," which was
a large box with wooden slats nailed
on the front eide and generally con-
tanned two or three dogs and number
of cats. He also took great fancy TO
drilling and had n company Of eigh.
teen OF twenty Of his playmates. His
old playmstes aud the older people
generally say he had mania for
riding vicious horses, and, although
young, and small for his age, he never
found horse that he could not man
age. Phil WAS known ~ a good dlspo-
sitloned, manly boy, but was ~ Wild
n any of them, and stood ready TO as-
sert his boyhood at any time with
bare knuckles II necessary, though he
was by no means quarrelsome, Aud
this disposition evidently stuck In
him some time, for while TAT West
Point he was put back year for whip
ping a merber of higher class. and
was thus Ave years Ia tho course. Still
he graduated at -.
Sheridan entered the Military Acsd-
emy at West Point 10 lsis, when he