Wichita eagle., 1888-06-10


Blair was now nearly thirty miles away and
there was no time to be lost. Gen. Granger
called an orderly, had Capt. Ayers horse
fed and insisted on his taking his morning
meal with him. During breakfast the sub
ject Of Capt Sheridans appointment was
earnestly discussed Before they had fin
ished the meal Lieut.. Frank E. Walbridge,
quartermaster of the Second Michigan cav
airy, rode up. Capt. Alger asked permits
SIGN to take him for his interview
with Governor Blair. Gen. Granger as
sented and the two officers prepared
for the journey. 1t was perhaps half
past in the morning when, armed with an
earnest request for Sheridan's appointment,
they left the front of the Federal lines and
rode swiftly to Pittsburg Landing, and it
lacked but half an hour of the steamers de-
parture with Governor Blair on board when
the two officers reached him. The condition
Of the regiment was presented by Capt. Alger
in a few words and both he and Lieut.. Wal
bridge strongly urged the force of Gen.
Changers recommendation. The governor
yielded and directed his adjutant general,
Gen. John Robertson, to write the order. He
seized half sheet of paper and wrote:
PIrTsBURG LANDING, May 25, 1862.
Capt. Philip II. Sheridan is hereby APP
pointed colonel of the Second Michigan cav
airy He is directed to take command at
once AUSTIN BLAIR, Governor.
This was handed to Capt. Alger and the
boat pushed out into the Tennessee, and q
great soldier had been started on his way to
fame
The return trip was so rapidly made that
it killed Capt. Ayers horse, but early on the
morning of the Goth he had the pleasure of
presenting it and meeting for the first time
his new colonel and future general. Phil
Sheridan was that morning the happiest man
in the whole of Halleck's army. The colo
nelcy which Ohio did not give her own son
Michigan had provided. The officers of the
staff were Immediately summoned to cele-
brate his promotion. AS the officers drank
their bumpers of good cheer in his tent they
wished his future success in loyal style. One
brother officer of the staff, more enthusiastic
than the rest, pledged the new colonels
health with the suggestion:
''This promotion is only one more step to-
wards brigadier's star"
| How little men know of themselves. Sheri-
dan, flushed with the joy of the occasion, re-
| torted:
"No, gentlemen. thank you for your good
wishes, but want no higher honor. am
now q colonel of cavalry"
/ He took command at once and his first ap-
] pearance at dress parade caused litter to
run along the line; he was so short and stout.
But he soon had the regiments respect, and
wien, few days after, he led the noted
cavalry pursuit of the retreating Confeder-
ates. his men saw that he was indeed a sol
der. On the 1st of July he defeated the Con-
federate Gen. Chalmers at Bonneville, for
which he was commissioned brigadier gen
/ aral. Capt Alger greatly distinguished
himself in the same battle, and was made
major In another month Sheridan was IN
command of brigade, his commission as
0rigadier general following month later.
He was ct the same time transferred to
he Army of the Ohio. At the battle OF
Perryviue, Oct s, 1862. he commanded
a division. IL is singular that at
/ this battle, which was probably one
/ IF the worst managed on the Union SIDE dur
( ing the war, there was present man who
( TWO wears afterwards was recognized as one
+ Of the great generals OF the age Tho clrcurn-
/ stance goes to show how little chance there
/ is for subordinate in war to acnleve any
/ thing while directly under anothers orders
/ But Sheridan's most brilliant success IN that
army was at Murfreesboro, where his divi-
| sion held the right wing.
| An attack on his front had been met ana
the enemy driven back, when, by the giving
way OF the two divisions on his right, bis
flank became exposed TO the advancing foe.
Hastily forming a new line under cover OF a
charge. he made brave resistance for an
hour, when he was again compelled to take
I'D a new line, this time connecting with
+ Negley, OF the center wing, the TWO
divisions repulsing three desperate assaults
/ bY four divisions Of the enemy, when, sheri-
! dams ammunition giving out, ne ordered
a bayonet charge and withdrew his lines from
/ the field But by this obstinate resistance
priceless time had been gained for Rosecrans
/ 70 make his new dispositions Then came a
commission as major general Of vo.uHteers,
under which he commanded divisions st
| Chickarausa and Chattanooga, and IN the
Knoxville campaign, which raised his repa-
tation so high that he was oroerea 70 TIE
( Potomac.