The morning call., 1891-06-14
SHERIDAN TN
THE WILDERNESS.
How BE TAUGHT the Cavalry to Fight
and Won Fame for Himself.
Each Division to Stand on It's Own Merits.
Another surprise-Close to the Suburbs
of Richmond Casualties

in the Wilderness. In introducing his sub
ject he says sit was in the Wilderness
campaign that General Phil Sheridan's OPP
portunity came. In March Grant brought
Sheridan from his division in the Army OF
the Cumberland. Up to that time Sheridan
was one among many Generals. Grant gave
him command of the cavalry corps Of the
Army of the Potomac"
Speaking of his new command in the re-
port of his operations, General Sheridan
says:
The officers and men were in pretty
good condition, so far as health and equip
ment were concerned, but their horses were
thin and very much worn out by excessive,
and it seemed to me. unnecessary picket
duty, the picket line almost completely en-
circling the infantry and artillery camps of
the army, covering distance, if stretched
out on continuous line, of nearly sixty
miles Shortly after my taking command
much of the picketing was done away with,
aud we had about two weeks of leisure
time to nurse the horses, on which so much
depended. Consequently. on the 4th OF
May, when the campaign opened. L found
myself with about 10000 effective men, and
the same number of horses in pasSable trim.
After carefully studying the topography Of
the country from the X pidan to Richmond,
| took up the idea that our cavalry ought to
fight the enemy's cavalry and our infantry
the enemy's infantry. | was strengthened
in this impression still more by the con-
seriousness of want of appreciation on the
part Of infantry commanders as to the
power OF large and well-managed body OF
horse.
On the 4th of May Sheridan and the cav
airy led the way into the Wilderness. For
fifty-six consecutive days he marched and
fought. After the whole army got into the
Wilderness Sheridan planned a brilliant
movement
1t will be seen up on examination of the
nap of Virginia, he says, that there was
but very little space for a large cavalry
force to operate on the left of our army,
from Spotsylvania to the Rappahannock,
and that we were liable to be smut III. /
therefore concluded to march around
THE RIGHT OF LEES ARMY
And put my command, before fighting,
south of the North Anna, where / expected
10 procure grain; where | was confident
that while engaging the enemy'S cavalry no
timely assistance from his infantry could
be procured, and where, if not successful, l
could proceed west and rPJOn our army,
swinging around toward GOrdOnville and
Orange Courthouse. This movement was
made at a walk, with three divisions on the
same rOad-makng q column about thirteen
the enemy. As soon as the Ny, Pc and Ia
rivers were passed all cause for anxiety was
removed ana our ability to cross the North
Anna unQuesti0nabe.
The Confederate cavalry followed up
Sheridan and fought with his rear guard.
MerrittS division was thrown across the
North Anna. Clusters brigade was or
dered to Beaver Dam station, on the Vir-
gina Central Railroad, where he reca tuTed
375 Union prisoners taken by the enemy in
the Wilderness, destroyed the station, two
locomotives, three trains, 100 cars, ninety
wagons, from eight to ten miles Of tele-
graph wire and railroad, 200 900 rounds of
bacon and other supplies amounting in all
to about 100000 ratiOnS, and nearly all the
medical stores of General Lees army. On
the morning Of the 10th Gregg aud Wilson
were again attacked. but their crossing was
covered by the division on the south side OF
the North Anna, and was effected without
much IS.
Two Days later Sheridan gave the Confed-
crates another surprise. He sent Davies
brigade off on quick march to Ashland,
and before the COnfederates could get there
a locomotive and train were burned and
the railroad destroyed At Yellow Tavern
there was hot fight, and General j. E. b.
Stuart, the Confederate cavalry commander,
was shot.
Sheridan moved on. getting closer and
closer to Richmond. On the 18th he was so
near to the Confederate capital that the
CunfederateS came out from behind the
breastworks of the city to fight him.
Wilson was driven back in the confusion,
Sheridan says, but Gregg was ready, hay-
ing concealed heavy line of skirmiShers in
a bushy ravine in his front, and when the
enemy marched to attack, with more display
than grit, this unexpected and
CONCEALED LINE
Opened destructive fire with repeating
RI nd Of hn
same time turning in on their flank. the line
broke in disorder, and went into security
behind the breastwOrks defending the city.
The enemy considered us completely cor
nered, but such was not the case, for while
we we're engaged scouting parties were sent
along the Chickahominy, and several fOrds
found by them. This attack and repulse
ended the battle; for the balance of the day
we collected our wounded, buried our dead,
grazed our horses and read the Richmond
papers. two small newSbOys having, with
cOmmendable enterprise, entered our lines
and sold to the officers and men.
After his raid almost to the suburbs of
Richmond, which demonstrated the valua-
Bile uses to which cavalry could be put,
Sheridan was directed by Grant to strike
and destroy the railroad near Charlottes-
vile.
Torbert had the leading division, and,
at a point about three or three and a half
miles from Trevlian Station, encountered
the enemy in full force behind a line of
breastwOTks constructed in dense timber.
Custer, with his brigade, was ordered to
take a wood road found on our left and get
TO Freyilian station, or at least in rear of
the enemy, and attack his led horses. As
soon as found that Custer had gotten to
the rear of the enemy the remaining two
brigade of TOrbertS division were dis
mounted and formed line of battle, aSsailed
the enemy'S works and carried them, driv-
ing Hampton's division pell NELL and at q
run back on Custer, at Trevilan, who COM
menced fighting in all directions. So panic
stricken was this division (Hampton's), and
so rapidly was it pushed, that some of it was
driven through Clusters lines aud many cap
tured.
Sheridan completed the destruction of
the railroad, put his 500 wounded into all of
the vehicles he could find in the country,
and with 800 prisoners and camp follow
ing of 1000 negroes, started leiSureIy across
the country in search Of his base of opera
tons. Describing his march back to the
base of communication with the main army,
Sheridan says: We halted at intervals
during each day to dress the wounded and
refresh them as much as possible Nothing
could exceed the cheerfulness exhibited by
them, hauled as they were in old buggies,
carts, ammunition-wagOn etc. No word
of complaint was heard. | saw on the line
of march men with wounded legs driving,
WnHe JnOSe WIN one ulSaDIe0 arm were
using the other to whip up the animals"
IN THE COURSE OF THIS REPORT,
Sheridan, in few curt sentences, philoso-
phiZes on the policy he adopted of feeding
his cavalry corps on the country and laying
it waste. 1t will be remembered that a: the
time he was quoted as saving that he left
the Shenandoah Valley in such condition
that it would not subsist crow flying over
it. He says: "As war is punish ment,
and death the maximum punishment, if we
can, by reducing its advocates to poverty,
end 1t quicker, we are on the sided of hui
manity."
Summing I'D the achievements of the cav
airy corps from the time he took command
at the opening of the Wilderness campaign,
he says:
I'm the foregoing brief sketch / have been
unable to give in detail the operations of
the cavalry. and will have to trust to the
subordinate reports to make up the def
cieucy, | think NV casualties from Nav