The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-07-09
of the federal forces in

George Cooke, and he remained with
that gallant officer for two or three
years. When Col. Cooke was made a
brigadier-general and placed in COM
mand of the cavalry of the Army of the
Potomac young Merritt became his aide
de camp, and on April s, 1862, was pro-
NOTED to be captain. Much of Capt.
Merritts work as aide was done in
Washington, and his intelligence, quick
ness, and military sagacity made most
favorable impression on the commanding
officers with whom he was brought in
contact. Persons high in authority
recognized in the active young officer
the ready qualities of a first-class SOL
dier, and just before the battle Of
Gettysburg he received the appointment
OF brigadier- general of volunteers. On
July l, 1863, he was put in command of
the reserve cavalry at Gettysburg, and
SO we'll did he acquit himself that he was
breyetted major in the regular army
for gallant and meritorious services"
1t was about this time that the "Boy
Brigadter,' as Merritt was called by the
soldiers, attracted the attention of Gen.
Sheridan. The latter was particularly
pleased with the young generals dash
and nerve, and at the same time i'm
pressed with his strategic skill. Mer-
ritt had the knacll of finding out the
enemy's weak points and getting in
some effective blows before his proxi-
nifty was suspected. He fought close
to Sheridan at Winchester, and so
cleverly did he handle his division that
Little Phil complimented him warmly
at the close of the engagement. A cor
dial friendship sprang up between the
two distinguished cavalrymen, which
continued until sheridans death.
Gen. Merritt was engaged in several
spirited raids under Sheridan, and from
August, 1864, to March, 1866, he was in
command of a cavalry division in the
shenandoah compaign. During all of
that time he was practically 'in the
saddle continuously. He was one of
the most active fighters in the Union
army, and, so far as he was able to con-
troll his own movements, his military
undertakings were uniformly successful.
The spring of 1865 found him in COM
mand of cavalry division in the Rich
mond campaign. He participated in
the battle of Dinwiddie Court House on
March 81, the battle of Five Forks on
April 1, skirmishes at SCOTS Cross
Roads and Drummond's Mills on April
"a, battle Of Sailors Creek on April 6,
action at Appomattox Station ON April
8, and capitulation of Gen. Lee on
April 9.
After the close Of the war General
Merritt was specially honored in Wash
intgon, being personally commended by
General Grant and Secretary Stanton
and receiving the high military honor of
being brevetted major-general in the
regularl army. In the summer of 1865
he was appointed chief of cavalry of the
military division Of the southwest, and
subsequently chief of cavalry of the mil
itary division of the Gulf. On Septem.
ber 80, 1865, he was mustered out of the
volunteer service and made lieutenant
colonel of the Ninth cavalry For sew
eral years he served at various stations
in the West, and greatly enhanced his
reputation as daring and effective
fighter by his prowess in dealing with
turbulent and warlil1e Indians. He was
actively engaged in the encounter with
the Cheyennes near Indian Creek, and
soon afterward General Crook appointed
him chief of the cavalry attached to the
Big Horn and Yellowstone expeditions
He commanded the Wind River expedi-
tion against the Nez Perces in 1877. and
in the following year he led the troops
dispatched to aid Thornburghs besieged
command at Milk River.
One of Gen. Merritt's most notable
exploits was the conducting of a sue
cessful cavalry march against the Chey-
ennes, in which he led seven full cavalry
companies in ride of IS miles in
81 hours and completed the march with
every man in good condition. Buffalo
Bill" and Captain Charles King, the
novelist, were with Merritt on this oc-
casion. So stealthily did the cavalry
advance that the Cheyennes were taken
by surprise and were so completely
panic-stricken that they ran in disorder
from their camp, leaving Yellow Hand,
one of their chiefs, lying dead on the
grass. General Merritt was in COM
mand of Fort Laramie, Wyoming, in
1880 and again in 1882. In tho latter
year the authorities in Washington, de-
string to obtain the fullest benefits from
General Merritts superior knowledge
and skill at tactician, placed him at
the head of the military academy Mt
West Point, where he remained for
nearly five years. In 1887 he was pro-
NOTED to be brigadier- general in the
United States army and placed in COM
mand of the department of the Mis-
souri, Subsequently he was made a
major-general, and few weeks ago he
assumed command of the department of
the East. His selection by the war de-
partment to command the military ex-
pedition to the Philippines has received
A.