St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-07
COMPANIONS IN ARMS.
RecOilectiOns of the Dead Com
mander by Former Classmates.

|
mander by Former Classmates.
Gen. Sheridan and myself were
classmates at West Point in 1S49," said
Assistant Adjt. Gen. Thomas NJ. Vim
cent, land among other members of
that class were Maj. Gen. j. B. Nc
PherSon. afterwards killed before At
lanta; Col. W. p. Craighill, now of the
engineer corps, and stationed at Balti-
more, Md; Brig. Gen. Sill, killed at the
battle OF Stone River; Maj. Gen. j. NJ
Schofield, who will doubtless succeed
Gen. Sheridan in command of the
army; Col. NJ. NJ. Blunt, Sixteenth
infantry: w. r. Terrill, killed at
the battle of Perryville. KY, Oct. s,
1862, and who, by the way, was indi-
rectly the cause of Gen. Sheridan being
set back year III his class at the acad-
envy, Assistant Commissary General
George Bell, Deputy Quartermaster
General j. G. Chandler, Col. NJ. Bow
man SWeitzer, Second cavalry, and Gen.
James b. Hood. who was a prominent
confederate officer during the war
During the first encampment of the
cadets in 1919, Sheridan, A. V. KautZ,
now colonel of the Eighth infantry, and
myself were tent-mates for two months,
and naturally were brought in very
close communion.
Il remember that on one occasion Ca
det Sheridan was detailed for guard
duty and l took his place. it being nv
first service in that line. Sheridan
loaned me his shell jacket, but as his
arms We're considerably longer than
mine, was compelled to roll up the
sleeves at the cuffs to make the garment
| preSentable. He came out to see me
| tramping around in his clothes and en-
Joyed my predicament very much. Sub
| Sequently, when lie was again detailed
Tor similar duty, L volunteered to take
his place again, but he declined the of
fer, saying, No, Vincent, you were too
| good-natured the other tine, and l can
not impose upon YOU
There were fifty-tWO members in our
class, which graduated in 1853. Gen.
Sheridan standing thirty-four after ex-
animation day. With the assignment
OF the class to different parts of the
country L lost sight of Sheridan until
after the war began, when | met him at
washington, being on duty in the war
department at the time. He had Just
come from the Western army to serve
under Gen. Grant in the army of the
Potomac. and from that time forward
until my station was changed | was fire.
| quently brought in contact with the
hero of Winchester. While at West
Point he was always noted for his diff
dence, and in after life he was
| never ObtruSiye, no matter what
the conditions or circumstances might
De-. He was always sOciable, however,
and great favorite in circles in which
he mingled after he located perma-
| nently at Washington. Kautz, Sheri-
Dan and myself were always very
| friendly from the fact that we were all
| Buckeyes, and the general was always
well disposed towards any one from his
native state. Summing up his char
| acter from the time that he was cadet
until death finally claimed him, should
say that Gen. Sheridan was always
noted in all his dealings that he seemed
to quicken under Sponsibility."
| Brig. Gen. Thomas Ii. Ruger, COM
manding the department of Dakota, was
| at West Point at the same time with
| Gen. Sheridan, but was two classes
lower, as he did not enter the academy
! until 1851. ''lremember as well us if it
| happened to-day" said the general, 1.-THE
| difficulty between Cadet Phil Sheridan
and Cadet Corporal w. r. Terrill, who
was native of Virginia. He was con-
siderably larger and taller than Sheri-
dan. but both were noted among the ca
StSo' go bSihSc WY lOiiONo. 1uCIt
had been words between them about
| some matter, l do not recall exactly what
| it was, but it eliminated in Sheridan
striking the Nlrginian on the parade.
| Roll was being called for dinner and
the battalion was drawn up in line
when the trouble broke out. caused by
some remark of Terrill's. Without hest
| tatlon as to consequences Sheridan retail
ated with blow, but this was as far
as the difficulty went. Both cadets
were separated and Sheridan was placed
under arrest for his infractlon of disci-
| pine. That blow cost him one years
suspension, and he was sent home to
his residence in Ohio. There was no
effort made by either of the principals
| to come together and settle the diff
Guilty with another fight, add afterwards
| they became good friends, but neither
of them was lacking in courage, and
| the cadets who were their associates
were well aware of it.
sheridan. however, was very impul-
| sive, although his anger was shOrt-lfved
and was mere flash in the pan.
when the war broke out | was in the
Eastern army, when Sheridan Joined the
| army Of the Potomac | was transferred
| West, hence l did not have the pleasure
| of serving under the great captain. His
qualities, dash and impetuosity, en-
! deared him to Gen. Grant, who always
| spoke of him in the highest terms as
brave officer, and one in whom he had
| the most implicit confidence. sSheridan
] possessed personal magnetism which
| made him the idol of his command. and
| his impulSlyeneSS was in direct contrast
with the phiegmatic temperament of
Grant, who was beloved by his troops
| for his plain, unaSSuming manners.
IL 81 In1NuhtpflU Ean Shari1an
| OF the greatest generals that ever lived,
and his death leaves only one of the Gel
| ebrated trio, Grant, Sheridan and Sher-
| man, who achieved such distinctions in
| the War of the Rebellion"
land so poor Phil is dead" remarked
| Col. AT. Rockwell, chief quartermaster
| of the department of Dakota, and who
was intimately associated with the dead
chieftain during the administration of
President Garfield. 'There has
been general impression among
army men that he would not
| recover, and this has been the
| opinion of the country at large. [ meyer
| served under Gen. Sheridan during the
war, but met him first in 1862. He was
then commanding brigade in the army
of the Ohio under Gen. Buell. | was a
staff officer with Gen. Buell.. NV ac-
quaintance with Gen. Sheridan after
that during the war was merely Incl
dental, but have met him from time to
time since. He was probably as great
soldier as the world has ever. seen. and
l think, in his personal presence on the
field, he was perhaps unsurpassed. He
certainly has not been surpassed, and
was equal to any general who command
ed troops on the field. Gen. Sheridan
was charming man socially, and a
great faVOrite with officers and men,"