The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-08-07
The Greatest Cavalry Leader of
the United States.
TURNS DEFEAT INTO VICTORY
Gen. Grant Ranks Him With the
Great Commanders.
WAR RECORD OF LITTLE PHIL"
Received the Thanks of Congress
For His GaIlantry.

There have been few heroes in Ameri-
can history the mention of whose
names oXritcs such thrill of enthusi-
assn in the American heart as "phil,'
sheridan. who is by general consent
recognized us the greatest cavalry Lead
er this country has eyer produced "My
parents, John and Mary Sheridan" SAYS
III" lat" dead hero in his memoirs,
were beth born in County Cavan. Ire
land. On March 6. 1881, the wear after
their arrival in this country, I WAS
born, In Albany, ~ y" The following
year the Sheridan family moved to
Somerset. Ohio, where the gallant Phil
spent his youth till his appointment
to West Point. in 1878. from which in
stitutinn he graduated July I. 1853. Af-
ter service in Kentucky, Texas md
Oregon. where he gained considerable
experience in Indian fighting, he vas.
in December. 1861. made Quartcrmas-
ter and cummissary of the army in
Southwestern Missouri From April to
'''l''NhibNi, lS"s, Nv St'INtN Ill lUR MIS-
| s1ssippi campaign as quaricrlnaster to
Gen. llnllcck during the advance unon
Corinth. II then became manifest that
| his true place was in tho field. 1t was
| not until he was made colonel of the
| Second Michigan Volunteer cavalry that
| Sheridan entered his ronrcninl field He
took command May u. 1862, and three
| days after Joined in the pursuit of the
| Confcdelntes from Corinth, attacking,
| Bcanrcgard successfully. In July he
won his brigndler's star in the battle Of
| Bonneville. and in less than six weeks
| from his colonerv was given command
| OF tho Second Brigade of the cavalry
| division of the Mississippi army. Gen.
| Chalmers had suddenly appeared before
| Bonneville with over 5000 picked men Of
| the Southern cavalry. where Sheridan
was stationed, trying to put the Union
| cavalry into proper condition With but
| his own regiment and the Second Iowa
cavalry Sheridan checked the COnfed-
| crates advance. and boldly sent n de-
| tachment to their rear surprising them.
were backed up by Il reserve force, the
| Confctlerates fell back in confusion,
| Sheridan at the same moment charging
| them In front drove them pell-melE
from the field, breaking the charm that
hung around the Southern cavalry to
that moment All eye; were rivctcd on
! the man who did this. and he was made
Il brign(icr general of volunteers. A
| number of minor victories followed and
| ho was ut once called to lead tho adj
vance into Kentucky, which he did at
| the head of the Eleventh division Of
| the Army of the Ohio at the terrible
battle of Perryvile. Oct. $, gaining new
fame by the manner in which, again
and again. he resisted the forces OF Gen.
Bragg and drove him back, at the con-
| cllslon of which engagement the Con-
| fcdcrnc general rctrcatcd from Ken
| lucky. After the enemy had tlriveu
back McCook's corps. and were press
| ing upon the exposed left flank of Gill
bert, Sheridan arrested the tide, and,
| driving the Confcdcrntes back through
| pcrryvillc, re-cstablshcd the broke(
| line. Fighting day by day, he marched
to the relief of Nashville, where, in
November, he was given command Of q
| division of the Army of the Cumber-
land, which served in the Tennessee
campaign frcm November, 1862. to Sep
tcmbcr SG3 The battle Of Stone
| River, in which Sheridan again distln-
| 4 -
| the numbers engaged, one Of the most
bloody BATTLES of the war. In this bat
| tie, Dee. 81, 1862, and Jan. 3, 1863, the
| left of ROsecrans was strong and his
right comparatively weak. So the right
was to hold it's ground while the left
should cross the river. The project of
| Bragg was to crush the National right,
| and he almost succeeded. Division af-
ter division was driven back until Sher-
| idan was reached; the fate of the day
I seemed to be in his hands. He resisted
| vigorously, then advanced and drove the
enemy back changing front to th9
! south Ca daring manoeuvre in battle),
held the overwhelming force in check,
and retired only at the point Of the
bayonct This brilliant feat of arms
enabled Rosccrans to form new line
in harmony with his overpowered right.
1t was ON this occasion that Sheridan,
riding up to Rosecrans and pointing to
his brave men. said Here is oil that
| is left of us, General-our cartridge
boxes contain nothing and our guns are
empty" For his gallantry in this bat
| tie Sheridan was made major-general
| of volunteers. Eagleville, the Cumber-
land Mountains, the Tennessee, Crosse