The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-06-09
WON THF VICTORY At CEDAR CREEK
Army and Navy Journal Says
He Deserves the Glory.
HIS SPLENDID RECORD WILL STAND
The Futile Attempt to Belittle
the Murat Of America.

We observe, says the Army and Navy
| Journal of May 26, that some of the
daily papers are presenting, as though
it were an original discovery, the state
ment that General Sheridan's claim to
the honors OF the battle of Cedar Greek,
Oct 10, 1864, are disputed on behalf OF
Gen. H. G. Wright. The controversy is
as old as the battle. We settled it for
ourselves thirty-six years ago, imme-
diately after the battle, when we said,
in our issue of Oct 20, 1864:
at is related of Dcsaix that, when
the bloody morning of Marcngo had
been already gained by the Austrians,
taking out his watch, he said: 1T is a
battle lost; but it is not too late to win
another The brilliant advance Of his
division followed, with the magnificent
charge of Kellerman's cavalry, and VIC
tory wrested from defeat crowned the
banners of the First Consul. Doubtless
tile familiar utterance of Desaix re
CURED to many readers, when the It'd
ings came of Sheridan's brilliant victory
at Cedar Creek. The circumstances.
now SO we'll known, of Sheridan's felic-
itous arrival on the field, his prompt
dispositions to check and turn the tide
Of battle, and his final success in snatch
ing victory out Of adverse fortune, at
test the mighty power of personal infu-
encc in the head of an army. 1t is al
ways more interesting to trace the
causes and consequences Of great his
torical events to few prominent actors
therein, rather than to mechanical or
accidental surroundings, or even to the
combined efforts OF vast numbers of
men. Shcridan's individual influence
upon the fate of the day at Cedar Creek
becomes one of its chief attractions,
and will so pass into history. The glory
of saving Marengo is claimed not only
BY the admirers Of Desaix, but by those
also of Kellerman and Lanncs. Mcsse-
ma, by his defense of Genoa, compctcs
for the same palm, and no little author
ity exists to show that even Marmont,
although then under cloud, was, by
the skillful handling OF his artillery, the
true hero of Marengo. And, after all,
Napoleon himself was the man to whom
the glory belongs. In Shcridan's bat
tic the real credit OF the performance,
so far as officers, and not the men in
the ranks, can claim it, is chiefly conccn-
tratcd on himself, and his subordinatcs
will hardly seek to seize it to divide
among themselves"
The following letter, signed &C." we
have just received, is of interest in this
connections:
"Wth reference to the statement OF
General Manning regarding General
Phil Shcridan's famous ride at Win
chester, Va, who, by his personal mag
nctism, turned the fortune OF the day OF
the Union troops, the following state
mcnt, while it may not bear directly on
the fact at issue, nevertheless will indi
rectly, perhaps, throw some light upon
the action OF the authorities of the war
department, which will illuminate their
act OF bestowing najor-general's COM
mission upon General Sheridan, in that
they knew exactly for what they were
rcwarding.
AT this period the writer hereof was
chief of-what was then tcrmcd-thc
secret printing bureau OF the war de-
partment and through whose hands all
matters OF that peculiar nature passed
to be put into type and printed. Ad-
jutant- General Townsend sent for the
writer to come to his Office; then with
him went TIP into Secretary Stanton's
office, where was President Lincoln,
pacing up and down the floor in a
somewhat nervous manner, but there
were evident qualification and pleasure
bcaming from his deep-set eyes. There
were present Secretary of War Stanton,
Assistant Secretary Of War Charles A.
Dana, Assistant Adjutant-Generals
Robert Williams, Vincent, Breck and
others. Secretary Stanton handed to
General Townsend paper; the presi-
dent came to halt, and looked intently
at him, but with smile upon his face.
Indeed, benevolent smile was seldom
absent Calling to the writer hereof,
by name, General Townsend said: You
will cause this to be set up in type at