News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-03
RECOLLECTIONS OF SHERIDAN.
why the Soldiers Liked Him-Rem
iniscenses of a Chaplain.

|
highest military rank in the Army of
the United States. [ propose to give
some personal recollections of him while
commanding the Army of the Shenan-
/. doah.
InJuly, 1864, General Grant suggested
to President Lincoln to place under one
commander all the forces operating in
the vicinity of Harper's Ferry and in
the Shenandoah Valley. TO the prop
osition to form one military depart
ment, the Presidents consent WAS readily
given and Grant was asked to nominate
the commander. He proposed General
William Buel Franklin. But the mill
tary officials of Washington had sought
to force upon this gallant officer the re-
sponsibility of Burnside's great failure
at Fredericksburg. They had no sym
pathy in Grants generous proposal to
reinstate him in high position, SO sec
ond nomination was asked. Grant
named General George G. Meade, but
the President objected to taking him
from the command of the Army of the
Potomac. Grant then made third
nomination, that of Philip H. Sheridan,
his chief of cavalry. He only proposed
to spare him for brief time and sug-
gested that the command should be given
| ulIu rs Il ISlD pOIdIy HlodSuIo.
Sheridan was sent to Washington,
and Grant himself followed the next
day, going as far as Monocacy Bridge to
meet General Hunter. When Hunter
asked to be relieved, Grant sent to Hal
lock instructions, August 9th: "Send
Sheridan by morning train to Harper's
Ferry. Give him orders to take general
command of all the troops in the field
within the DIVISION" Sheridan met
Grant at Monocacy Bridge that after
noon, and the next morning crossed the
| Potomac River and assumed his COM
mand. Grant returned to Washington
and thence to City Point.
Sheridan's command consisted of the
Sixth, Eighth, and Nineteenth Army
Corps, with Cavalry force, making q
total of Sixty-eight thousand troops.
The new Department Commander had
recently been transferred from the West,
and was personally unknown to the
members of the Sixth Corps, to which
belonged the New Jersey Brigade. We
had only heard of him as an officer of
some dash and in high estimation with
| General Grant.
The Sixth Corps was soon moving
| again up the famous Valley. One day
mounted troop forced its way through
our infantry column very much t. the
displeasure of Colonel Campbell of the
18th n. J. Regiment. The Colonel put
spurs to his horse AMI dashed towards
the intruder who was leading, to remon-
strate, and just in time saw the two stars
upon the shoulders of the 'Iittle chap"
and recognized the headquarters flag
of General Sheridan. 1t was the first
time we had ever seen him, and the word
naS9aH from To SGEho4 ie
eral Sheridan.
From that day we became more famil-
lar with the personal appearance of the
new commander. will not say he was
prepossessing. He was below medium
size, with red face, and rode n large
horse of dark color But the rider and
horse grew in our estimation, rs day
after day they passed us on the march,
or visited the camps. Sheridan was
much more atfable towards the officers
and men of his command than most
generals, and he lost nothing by pleas |
ant word and a nod of the head. We
soon got to calling him ''Phil. Sherry"
for the soldiers had name of their own
coming for every general they served
under.
The choice by Sheridan of General
Torbert, our old brigade commander, as
his chief of cavalry, was also pleasing to
the First N. J. Brigade, and we almost
took the selection as compliment to |
ourselves.
General Grant paid a second visit to
the Army of the Shenandoah on the 18th
Of September. Sheridan gave his plans
in his own enthusiastic way to the Lit
General, who added nothing except his
hearty approval, and afterwards said,
1.-The result was such that have never
since deemed it necessary to visit
Geneal Sheridan before giving him Or
ders"
The BATTLE OF OPEQUAN, as officially
called, but more commonly known as
that of WINCHESTER, was fought on
Monday, Sept. 10Th, 1854. There was
some severe fighting all the morning
with varying success. At one time the
Nineteenth Corps was driven back in
disorder, and Sheridan dashed in among
them himself to bring them back into
liue. When his forces had all come up,
Sheridan rode along the 'front.' speaking
Familiarity to the men, and telling them
what he expected them to do. He
reused the troops to the greatest enthus- |
iasm, and made them certain of victory. |
At five o'clock in the afternoon he !
ordered the general charge by the whole |
army to be made. AS the writer turned |
from the wounded men, for whom he
had been caring, and rode up to the |.
summit of high hill, the whole magnif-
icent spectacle of the charging army
broke on his sight. The three corps |
were in double line of battle, and with
the cavalry on either flank, they
stretched four miles in breadth from
wing to wing. The spectacle which |
reused the Union troops to confidence |
struck terror to the heart of the enemy.
The cavalry rode faster than our infantry |
could advance, and assumed crescent |
form on the wings doubling round the
fianks of Earlys army. AS soon as the |
enemy's works on the right were cap
tured, their troops fled, and our pro |
gress became rapid pursuit.
As Gay declined, the rebel forces broke |
through Winchester in full retreat, and |
shortly after the Union troops were in !
entire possession of the town.
Sheridan sent off n dispatch saving.
eve have just sent the enemy whirling
through Winchester, and are after them
tomorrow"
The last scene of the afternoon was
Sheridans riding around the lines of
the army accompanied by Generals
Wright, Crook and Emory. The en-
thuslasm of our men seemed to carry
them away as they broke out into cheer
after cheer and heard the words of praise
which their commander addressed to
them. No other commander had treat
ed us 50 after a fight. He was like one
OF ourselves, and VIC felt he was n Der
sonal frie2d There was a magnetism
about Sheridan that captivated the eyes
and hearts of all who saw and heard
him.
On the 22d of September, 1864, was
fought the BATTLE OF FISHERS HILL.
Here Early had made his first stand in
the flight of his army from Winchester.
We rose soon after midnight and ad-
vanced towards his entrcnched position,
maintaining n sharp picket firing all the
morning. The Sixth and Nineteenth
Corps, under General Crook, were sent
around to the right, keeping concealed
in the woods, with the intention of tax
ing the enemy by surprise in the flank.
Towards 4 p. m. we saw the enemy ,
suddenly fly from the west side of the
field before us. Then we saw the cause.
as Crooks men ran upon them in quick ,
pursuit. We heard Crooks men cheer.
and with answering cheers our whole
line went forward. We plunged down
the steep bank of Tumbling Run and up
its opposite side. We could not stop to
seize the guns from which we drove the