The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-10-22

81 sA3r 1S&tS. IONS Efs1 1akl&0 o. al 2ks~1ss
while the cavalry are its eres and With
artillery its side@-ns.
shsrldsn's service as commander Of
cavalry was incidental, while bis service
IS = commander OF infantry and, indeed,
Of al three arms Of the service stood fer
nine-tsnths OF bis military career in the
field His first Indian service in Oregon
and Washington from 1855 20 is6f was
with the Fourth infantry. II was As COM
rnander OF division OF infantry that be
captured his Iaurels at Perryvilie, and IL
Was his skilitni use of his artillery that
BY its eafiading IRE saved McCook's corps
from ruin. IL was IS . commander of
division OF infantry that Sheridan res
cued Rosecrans from rout and ruin at
Stone River; il was as commanded OF
division Of infantry that Sheridan victori-
orsiy charged at Mission Ridge. II
was as a commander Of infantry
that Sheridan won Winchester and
Fishers Hill; j. was IS commander OF
infantry that he restored the battle OF
Cedar Greek and broke the lines of the
victorious foe: IL was as q commander OF
s@A3HsAy GAtA N1taA4f tA1s S1~AsA1A h@s G-A
Lees right flank at Five Forks; il wa. as
commander of infantry and cavalry that
Sheridan. at Sailors Greek (April g. 1861
forced the Confederate rear guard, 1000
strong. under Ewell, 20 surrender.
Sheridan handled all arms OF the service
with equal energy and skill. and was
man of military genius, just as Cromwell
~ sFFs3 ~rd 30 cell him
''distinctively cavalry commander" is an
Insult to his memory as g great general.
since no man ever yet was great general
whose military ability was limited like
that of Seydlitz. Pappenheim and Murat
to the operations of cavalry.
The use Sheridan made of artillery at
Perryviile, Stone River and Cedar Creek is
sufficient TO rebuff the absurd representa-
ton that Sheridan despised artillery in
battle. He knew that the artillery won
Malvern Hill; that it saved the army ut
Fredericksburg, Antietam, Chancello-s-
vile and Getty sburg, and TO represent Sher-
idan as despising artillery as military
factor is stupid story started by some.
body who was no soldier.
Sheridan's FIRST victorious fight in the
civil war was at the head OF q regiment OF
cavalry; Napoleon's first fight was in
charge of a battery at Toulon; Cromwell's
first fight was at the head of regiment of
troopers, but had Sheridan's genius been
peculiarly that of cavalry leader he
would have risen no higher than Custer;
had Napoieon's genius been peculiarly for
artillery he would have been only a
Drouot; had Cromwell been only a great
trooper he would have been no more
famous than his comrade Fairfax. Sheri-
dan belongs fairly to that first order OF
military commanders who never lost a
battle; whose courage and judgment were
equal to every emergency.
Compare the capacity of Sheridan for
independent command of 1000 men with
that rendered Bonaparte by his generals.
Victor, Jourdan. Junot, Ney, Joubert.
Marmont Macdonald. Grouchy, Van
damme and Dupont we're beaten when
given independent commands. Massena.
Soult. Davonet, Suchet and Lannes were
the only great subordinates who displayed
any capacity to conduct campaign away
from Napoleon's personal eye. Compared
with the subordinates OF Bonaparte, Sheri-
dan and Sherman were giants in their
capacity to serve Grant In distant field.
Sheridan not only had military science at
his finger ends in every battle, but he had
what has been termed Creature pugnacity,
the capacity to get thoroughly angry when
struck" He had that animal satisfaction
in drawing blood in battle that was totally
wanting in Mcclellan and to an injurious
degree in Buell..
History will in due time write the name
OF Sheridan next to Grant as the greatest
American soldier. Grant wrote Sheri-
dams name far aboye his own, as follows:
''He belongs 10 the very first rank of SOL
diers, not only OF our country, but of the
world. / rank Sheridan with Napoleon
and Frederick and the great commanders
in history"
A military critic of high reputation
sums up Sheridan accurately as follows:
"Disiiking to speak in public, caring
little to write, Sheridan's enormous In.
teiectual capacity has received bat scant
justice. Added to this he was Thoroughly
trained as a soldier. Nine years a quar-
termaster or eommissary, he was emf
uentiy a man of detail, Of figures, Of
calculation and logical mind. His cam
paigns when examined show nothing of
chance, but show grasp. design. knowl-
edge of the country and resources, ca
paeity OF his men and firm faith in his
own powers. His battles show him the
best infantry soldier of the rebellion. His
knowledge OF military values were unex-
ceiied. The distance, marching capacity,
time. were all in his mind Mt once. The
stomach, feet. body of his men and horses
received his care above all other taings.
Ais quaFtermaSteTs, commissarics and
ordnance officers were inspired bv his
zeal and energy. Horses were but an In.
eident, when the line was formed down
went the men into infantry, carbines were
muskeis and the horses ut the rear ready
instruments for celebrity and change OF
'front.'"