The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1888-07-26
sherldan's Longest Speech.

General Sheridan's attendance at the re-
union Of the veterans Of Southwest Iowa
and northwest Missouri in & estoD Iowa
two wears ago made the occasion meInora.
/ bic. There were at least tn thousand
veteran. present in addition " thousands
of other persons from all part. Of the
country, and a. General Sheridan reviewed
the magnificent procession Of veterans
and citizens from the balcony II the Sum.
init house the ovation he received warmed
the grand old soldiers heart aud he vas
frank and ontspokeu in his appreciation.
Afur the para.c the yets rau- returned ~
Camp Sheridan for dinner aud In the at
terupoh General Sheridan visited the
camp. As the general recognized many
Of the old soldiers Of hi command and
recalled many incidents aud memories of
the war, the enthusiasm increased r
nally the veterans began 10 call on the
general ~ speak lie vas disposed u de-
cline, but at last he took tie platform aud
and made speech which went direct 10
every soldier heaft. II Wa wholly i'm
promptu aud Characteristic. Fortunately
irst=class stenographer vas present.
and thus probably the longest public
speech ever delivered - Phi Sheridan
was taken verbatim
Comrades | came here to-day TO see
you and talk With you and shake hand.
with you, while Colonel Carr and others,
you know. came here u make eloquent ad-
dresses for you TO listen 10. | think be
has been too eulogistic of me in his re
marks. 1t Is true that | have fought in
almost cyerybody's army. from Pea Ridge
TO AppomattOx, and although | fought
with cavalry and infantry and on every
line Of operation, and always had to
Of md lsa
| was very successful. went through
all the grades they had in the volunteer
service, and then | COIN rnenced and went
through all the grades in the regular ser
vice, and the date of every commission
that have is the date of battle. Now
want TO say To you conn ades, this that
am indebted to the private In the ranks
for all this credit that has come to NE.
applause, long and continued lie was
the man who did the fighting, and the
man who carried the musket j. the great
est hero of the war, in my opinion |
was nothing but an agent. | knew how
to take care of men. / knew what a sol
dier was worth, and knew how to study
the country so As to put him in battle
when one occurred, but l was simply the
agent to take care of him and he did the
work. Now, comrades, these are com
mon StuSt IuluBSi duI L eau I say LDtIl III
very howery language; but they are true
nevertheless, and they are true. not OF me
alone but of everybody else. 1t is TO the
common soldier that we are indebted
for any credit that came to Us. Now
am glad to see you here to-day, gentle .
men, and am glad to he with you on this .
occasion. There are many men here to-
day who served in the field with me-, and
it is great pleasure to me to find them
out and they have been very kindly in
their remarks to me. While they were
with me | certainly did all could for
them | often laid awake planning for
their welfare, and never Killed a man
You may kill as many
men as you choose If you give them an
equivalent for the loss. Men do not like
% be killed for nothing; they do not like
% have their heads rammed against a
stone wall unless for some good results
Those are the points | made during the
war, Whenever ! took men into battle
gave them victory a. the result of the
engagement, and that was always salts
factory,