The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-24
ORIGINATING HIsroRTCAL IDOLS.

The iconoclast is abroad with an armful
of brickbats, and evinces a disposition to
make junk of some of the most famous of
the literary idols and ideals transm.ttei
to the present generation from the great
War of Secession. 1t has been pretty ef-
fectually shown that the Barbara Fret
chic story was hardly more than a poetic
fancy; and now comes the charge that the
equally famous narrative in verse of Sher-
idans ride from Winchester is "aN poppy-
cock" Than the two poems referred TO
there are few better known. For years
they have appeared in school books pub
lished at the North, and been dinned in the
ears of the youth of the land until there
are few school children who are not IA
miliar with the legend of how old Barbara
waved the flag in the face of Stonewall
Jackson's men and invited them to shoot
her if they wanted to- and with the heroic
poem narrating how Sheridan gallopei
twenty miles from Winchester at horse
killing speed, found his army disorgan-
lied and running away rallied them, and
gained brilliant victory.
The man who attacks the "Sheridan's
of Boston, who was second in command
of the Sixth Army Corps during Sheridans
raid through the Shenandoah valley. He
asserts in strong language that beyond
the fact that Sheridan actually rode from
Winchester on horseback, there is no ba-
sis for the story. Sheridan rode no faster
than any other mounted officer would have
ridden, says Gen. Manning, and his arrival
had absolutely no effect upon the result of
the battle. Had he never left Winchester
the result would have been the same, ac-
cording to Gen. Manning, who asserts
that after all these years he can no longer
refrain from telling the truth and correct
ing the "damnable injustice" of the
faxed historical accounts of the fam
Gus battle of Cedar Creek
General Manning says the only persons
Sheridan met running away from the bat
tie were few suffers. buns and camp
followers, such as always run away when
an army goes into battle. There may
have been 800 in the crowd that Sheridan
met but they did not constitute the army
by a long shot. Sheridan waved his
sword at them in a theatrical manner. and
some of them stopped, and many more did
not" In the poem, it will be recalled, the
General found the whole army disorgan-
lied and in retreat, and with that magic.
inspiring wave of the sword, stopped the
fight and sent the men back to win glory
Some poet wrote gushing song about
the matter" says Gen. Manning. land that
settled It, Sheridan became popular idol
Since then it has been absolutely useless
TO tell the truth about the matter.
speak from personal knowledge as the
second officer In command when say that
all this twaddle over Sherldans ride from
Winchester is pure poppycock" Gen Man
ming goes on to say that Sheridan himself
claimed the whole credit because of his
inordinate pride and selfshness. 1T was
too good an opportunity for Sheridan TO
miss, and he was ready 10 gain ,immor
tally by slandering a brave army and
its noble General" The General referred
to was II. G.. Wright "All history" con-
cludes Gen. Manning. furnishes no great
er example Of perfidy and injustice"
This is the substance of an interv. ew
given out by Gen. Manning in Boston a
few days ago, 1t is a warm challenge to
the partisans of Lite Phil" They VIII
be heard from in reply, of course. Then
1t is quite likely that others who took pa RI
on the Federal side in the Cedar Creek
fight saw things pretty much as Gen. Man
ming did and they will want to take a
hand in smoothing out the kinks of his
tory. Thus from the mass of testimony
that will be accumulated IL may lie po,-
sible 10 get at the truth of the matter
Upon reflection, was IT not rather in
eongruous that the Boer delegates should
have taken part in political meeting
in Washington on Sunday evening?
The Beers are reputed to be an ultra re-