The Irish standard., 1888-12-08
sHERIDAN's FRIGHT.
When the Great Cavalry aoner-
ally Was Really Afraid.
In . County Full Of Raiders He walked
Across "a High Trestlo ON Dark NlGht
without Knowing 1.-THE Story
Told by Himself.

Told by Himself
! One night just before the Chicago fire
! General Sheridan was entertaining COM
| rade of the Army Of the Cumberland, says
the Chicago Times. The night was stormy.
After good dinner they were enjoying
post prandial cigar. Just then Sheridan
said: CHOW, in answer to your questions,
In answer to the first: EN- confident no
man in his right mind goes into battle
without a feeling of dread-a something
that can not be described, only experienced
This feeling will vary according to the
peculiar nervous organization Of the iudi-
vidual. In it are involved all the questions
Of moral responsibility and Its effect on the
individual, the future, etc. know that 1T
has it's effects on me, but there comes duty,
which is above every thing. In doing your
duty outsiders lose sight Of this, and in that
way some men get the credit % being with
| out fear.
CHOW, as to the question Of ascare. Show
me the man who has not been scared and he
will be a phenomenon. After the Tulahoma
campaign, with its fights Of Hoover's and
Liberty Gaps, with Bragg forced beyond
| the Tennessee river, we went into camp.
My division consisted Of three brigades.
Two were stationed at Deckard, on the
Nashville & Chattanooga railroad. The
| third brigade was at the terminus of g
branch railroad which ran to some coal
mines some ten or Gfteen miles away. This
road ran through some rich valleys called
coves in that part Of the country. in which
some splendid plan tations were situated.
Zone day, just before we began the move
that eliminated in the battle Of Chickamau-
| ga, went up to the end OF the road to in
spect my brigade stationed at that point.
took staff officer with me. We drove up
the mountain in an ambulance and left Or
ders for a hand-car with a detail Of men to
be at the terminus at six o'clock p. m. to
take {. look at the junction and main camp
ct Deckard. I inspected my brigade and
waited until seven, but no car came. I
then took my staff officer and started down
I the track, expecting every moment to meet
the car. We walked until twilight and no
car came Seeing light at ashort distance
from the road, but still near enough to
hear the car if 1t came we went up aud
requested supper. The proprietor of the
plantation was q courty old gentleman,
| whom thought received us rather ooidly,
and seemed i'll at ease. He gave US a. nice
supper, but noticed every thing was hur-
rie<i. also noticed a commotion among the
negroes.
"Aftsr supper the old man approached ME
and said: 4 see by your uniform you are
Major General in the Union army, and
must entez nay solemn protest against you
being here il the position you gre without
a proper guard or escort. You we'll know
these mountains are full OF ignorant, ia
natical men, ignorant of the laws OF war
Ia fact, but little better than Indians. They
| would deem it a patriotic act TO murder
you. say murder, for it would be murder.
Since you arrived I have put every safe
guard around you have sent my
negroes in every direction to watch
ana to give warning at the first in
timation Of danger. AS said these
men are ignorant, aud, { am sorry
to say, beyond my control. I could
not protect you for one instant, aud beg
of you for Gods sake 60, and pray you may
safely reach camp. And permit nue. the
privilege OF an old nan and let me beg of
you never expose yourself to such risks
again. You well know the punishment that
fell on the community when General Nc
Cook was murdered in his ambulance. The
innocent and guilty alike suffered, I shall
pray for your safe return to camp, for
should any thing befan you God help this
community. You do not realize what
your safety liz to US. don't want to appear
lnhospitabie, but for Gods sake go. I want
you to come and dine with me, but with
proper escort Then will feel free from
all responsibility and will be happy to see
you
ST hurried away, appreciating the old
mans fears, although frankly admit had
never thought Of it before or of my personal
danger or it's effects on any one in case of
any accident to myself. AS walked away
/ must say grew anxious The force OF
the old mans fears and words grew on me.
Not that I feared for myself, but if an acct
dent should happen to me, could, in my
Imagination, see my division taking a terri
BILE revenge. So I burned on, hoping to
meet the hand-car before we came to the big
trestle-work, some seventy feet high and
over one hundred and fifty feet long--a spi-
derry affair, with nothing but ties to walk on,
dreaded this more than any thing else, for
l always get dizzy trying to walk at any
great height After walking for about an
! hour {the darkness being intense) I heard
the welcome rattle of the car, and stopped
for it to come up. The sergeant said mis-
take had been made, and that they had been
sent down the main line to the tunnel Not
| finding me, they came back to the junction,
and had hurried on, hoping to find me-.
81 got on the Car and remarked: Thank
God you met me any way before came to
the big trestle over the ravine. That could
not have crossed The big trestle,' said
the Sergeant, why, you walked that over
mile back The car soon brought US to
camp. Thinking of the risk of walk over
q trestle-work seventy feet or more in
height-walked by stepping from tie to tie
| in the dark-and that without knowing it,