The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1888-08-11
SHERIDAN'S RIDE.
A Thrilling War Incident ImmortaIized d
in Verse.

A Thrilling War Incident Immo ortaIized
in Verse.
In the summer Of the fourth campaign
of the civil war, 10000 Confederates un-
der Gen. Early dashed down the She
nandOah Valley and threatened Wash
ington. Being twice defeated by nation
al forces, they next attempted to drive
Sheridan out of the valley. The North
ern soldiers being agaiu-Eictorious,
Sheridan marched through the valley,
and III order to make it untenable to tue
enemy, laid 1t utterly waste, destroying
s20, ,UUuiDO OF property. The federal
army then fell back on Cedar Creek
Va, where on the night of October Is,
1854, they were attacked by Early and
the Confederates, and the next morning
were driven back four miles. Sheridan
himself was then at Winchester, twenty
miles away, but hearing o. the disaster,
galloped to the field just in time to turn
the retreat into victory. The Confed-
crates never again threatened the
UnIted States capital.
1he following poem lmmOrtaiIZing the
famous incident Of the battle of Win
chester, was written by T. Buchanan
Reid:
Up from the South at break of day,
Bringing to Winchester fresh dlsmay,
The airigh hted air with a shuddeT bore
Like hera'd in haste to the Cheftain's door,
The terrible grumble and rumble, and roar,
Telling the battle was once moro,
And sheridan twenty miles Gway.
Aud wider still those billows Of war
Thuniercd along the horizons bar,
And louder yet into Winchester rolled
The rJsr OF that red sea uncontrolled,
Making the blood Of the listener cold
I,1 As ne thought OF tae stake in that fiery fray,
With sheridan twenty miles away.
But there's road from Winchester town,
a good, broad highway leading down;
And there thro' the flash Of the morning light
A sized as black as the steeis of night
W as seen TO pass as with eagle flight:
As II he knew the terrible need,
he stretched away with the utmost speed;
Htlls rose and fell-bnt his heart was gay,
With Sheridan fifteen miles away.
Under his spurning feet the road
Like an arrowy Alpine river flowed,
Ant the landscape flowed away behind
Like an ocean flying before the wind:
And the steed, like bark fed with furnace. Ira
swept on with his wild eyes IN Of fire;
But 10 he Il nearing his hearts desire,
He is snuiing the smoke OF the roaring fray,
With Sheridan only five miles away.
The first that the General saw were the grouus
OF stragglers, and then the retrcating troops
What was done-what to dO-s lsuce told hiu
both
And striking his spurs with a terrible oath.
DE dashed down the lines mid storm of bur
rahs.
And the wave of retreat checked its course there
because
Tie sight of the master compelled il to pause.
With foam aud with dust the black charger wa
gray,
BY the fash Of his eye and hi. nostriTs play
lie seemed 10 the whole great army to say:
II have brought you neridan all the way
From Winch ster town to save the day ?"
Hurrah hurrsh for Sheridan
HUTr Al hurTal for horse and man!
And when their statues are placed on high
Under the dome of the Union sky
The American soldier temple OF fame
There with the glorious Generals name
BE IL said, In Letters both bold and brighl:
Here is the steed that saved the riay
BY carrying Sheridan into the fight
From NlnchesteT, twenty miles away %