Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-02-17

in company with OrFiIIe Grant the
presidents only brother. Sheridan's
headquarters were located there at
the TINE, and through his active in
strumentality thousands of famished
citizens received food and shelter
The evening before I started back
sOr - Lonis he suggested that we
cali upon General Sheridan, who was
pr Tatelv located on Michigan avenue,
atous fre blocks away from the
house Of Orvilie-
Orville GRAFT and myself we're
rshercd into the parlor, and soon
after General Sheridan appeared,
greeting Us with that off-hand, ready
sincerity that eharac terized all his
movements We talked for some
tir2e about the awful catastrophe
that had visited the garden eitr. and
the general talke d and acted as II lie
had suffered : personal loss in the de-
struetion that had occurred
remarked Gee neral, won't you be
kind enough 70 tell Us some OF the
details OF that famous ride OF yours
that buchanan Read mas immOrtalized
N poetry27
The general smiled and said:
JORGE. I'm afraid the poet did
more for Sheridan than be ever did
for himself Read was here some time
ago. and took dinner with me That
marble basrelief On the mantle piece
OF Rienzi and myself dashing down
the Winchester pike was presented b.
~
been for the strength and spirit Of
that black horse olt in the sla Die.
pointing 70 the rear. II doubt very
much whether I'd have got on the
field in time 70 turn the boys back.
recover our camps, and thrash Early
before dark
-You know I had been mp 10 Wash
ingtOn for a day or so 10 consult with
President Lincoln and Secretary
stanton on the situation ia the val
ley. and left Crook, Wright Merritt
and Custer to take care OF things I'M
til 1 returned, not thinking that Early
/ would take the offensive, remember
! ing the lesson ! taught him the
I month before at Fishers Hill
But very early, in fact before day
/ light on the 10Th of October, an officer
came % my tenn porary headquarters
near Winchester and reported contin-
nous firing to the front was just
/ getting back from Washington.
told the officer to find out what he
coEld and report again. took things
I leisurely, not thinking bnt my officers
4 at the front could hold their own
with Early in any event.
But after hassy breakfast be-
/ came somewhat alarmed at the re-
ports that came in, and prepared at
once To rush to the froat With
Major Fors eth and Captain O'Keefe,
Of my staff, and about twenty men as
an escort. / dashed away from my
headquarters through the town OF
Winchester about nine O'clock in the
morning. leaving Colonel FL Yards in
command 70 stop stragglers. could
| see from the faces Of citizens and
/ particularly from the action of the
women that something unusual Ct
good news had reached them by
grapevine telegraph
After I crossed over the hill, be-
I yond Mill creek I bcheld the first
view Of my Panic stricken army.
Hundreds Of slightly wounded men,
elumps Of frightened straggIers,
mules, horses. cattle. ambuances and
baggage wagons By the score, blocked
I up the road or dashed about through
the fields to find way TO the rear.
As soon as the boys saw me they
I ffsag,s Int mil, u
cheers. shouldereI their guns. and
paused in their onward flight
checked up moment amid mob OF
nv broken ranks, took off my hat,
gave them loud cheer and i'm 3ulsivc-
IL cried:
Boys, if had been with you this
morning this thing would not have
happened. We must face the other
way; we will go back and recover oar
campsr
They gave prolonged cheers. and
! could see that my words of encour-
agement flushed their eyes ami faces
with enthusiasm while the line off.
GERS were already cndeavoring TO
bring order out OF chaos and reorgan-
ize their men for fight!
II put spurs to Rienzi, and once
more dashed down the like through
struggling men and wagons, through
the village Of Newton, often leaving
the chock-d-up road for the fields, and
cheering the men as / went along.
appealing to them to turn back, and /
must say they halted to look after
me, and their cheers even TO this day
ring 10 my ears and thrill my heart.
Among the first of my generals TO
meet me was the gallant Torbert. who
threw his arms around me and ex-
claimed:
''My God, / am glad you've comet
about 1920 or IL / was in the