The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-01-05

feated with tremendous slaughter, and with
the loss of most of their artillery and trains
and the trophies they had captured in the
morning. The wreck of Early's army fed
during the night in the direction of Staunton
and Lynchburg. Sheridan's loss was about
5000. His campaign was ended in little
over month; he had captured ID 600 prisoners,
and killed and wounded 5000 of the enemy.
As to Eary's losses, it may be said that his army
was virtually destroyed.
Relative to Sheridan's historic ride, there was
nothing in that that any other soldier of the
army could not have done, but it was what he
did to relieve the day when he arrived at the
field of disaster that stamped him one OF the
ablest of Generals. 1t only lacked the presence
of one man. and no one man ever SO changed
defeat into victory. The military genius of q
Cesar or Napoleon could scarcely have done
as much. For the great victory at Cedar Creek,
Gen. Sheridan was made Major General in
the Regular Army, vacancy existing by the
resignation of Gen. Mcclellan.
VOTING IN THE FIELD.
This Fall was Presidential year, and the
soldiers were allowed to vote by proxy. Blanks
were furnished us by our officers, and all we
had to do was to fill in the name of the candi-
date we wished to vote for, sign our names, and
return the blank. No influence was used to
control our votes and we were left entirely
candidates were Observation-Disclosures Lincoln
snd Gen. Geo. B. Mcclellan. The Democrats
got the latter in hole by placing him on a
platform that declared the war a failure.
That was enough. All tho soldiers, with very
few exceptions, voted for the reelection of
Abraham Lincoln, the President that had been
doing all he could to make the war a success.
The fighting in the Valley had been so Sc
we're and prolonged that it was scarcely posi-
bic TO remove the dirt anywhere without Dig
ging up corpse. The dead lay buried every
where. and the whole Valley was an immense
graveyard; in proof of which let me relate an
incident While we were in camp near Cedar
Greek, in November, couple of men were or
deTed to do some digging in camp within few
feet of the Captains tent As they were re-
moving some dirt they dug up the corpse of a
Union soldier. The find was announced to the
camp and we went and looked at him. Capt
Howard was called, and he came and said,
Z" Let him alone" The body was replaced and
covered over with dirt as before. No slab nor
stone, nor anything marked the spot where he
lay. His was an unknown, nameiess grave.
Whether his bones still lie there to this day, or
whether they have been gathered up and re-
moved TO some National Cemetery and classed
with the unknown dead. can ROW little avail
him. Though buried alone, without even q
mark, like dog in the field, it should be re-
neInbered that he lost his life in bearing a sol.
der's part. To him, and to all others now gone,
no more appropriate lines than the following
can apply:
"0n Fame's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread;
While glory guards, with solemn round,
The biyouac of the dead"
Men may worship their "plumed knights"
in the civil field of politics, but our knight vas
the man who gave US our victory. Every star
in the old flag brighiens at the mention of the
name of Sheridan.-CBARLEs Ii. KING, Signal
Corps, u. S. g., Joliet, Ill.