The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-08-01


of seeing someone take it up and give it
the treatment it so richly deserves, as a
cowardly SANDER upon the fair fame OF
the greatest cavalry leader of ancient or
modern times-Gen. Phillip III. Sheridan.
SHERIDAN'S RIDE.
AMAZING ATTACK ON HISTORICAL INCL
DENT.
MANNING's CHARGE Is DERIDED.
LITTLE BELIEF IN THE STORY THAT sHERI-
DAN STOLE HONOR DUE WRIGHT.
Already Grand Army men here are
deriding the attempt of Gen. Stephen II.
Manning to belittle the part played by
Gen Sheridan in the famous battle of
Cedar Creek. 1t is IL little late in the day,
they say, for his statement to obtain any
credcnce.
Gen. Horatio Governor Wright, who
retired from the army i'll 1888 as Chief
Engineer was in. command of the Sixth
Corps at Cedar Creek and Manning, be
sides being second in command, was
QuartcrmasterGener
In Gen. Nanniugs amazing statement
regarding the battle lie declared that he
met Gen Sheridan two years before his
death, and that Sheridan then admitted
that he had done wrong in claiming credit
for the victory over Early at Cedar
Creek OPT
Sheridan claimed that it was his ar
rival" says Gen. Manning, that turned
the tide cf battle: Some poet wrote
gushing song about III" matter and that
settled it. Since. then it has been absO-
lutely useless to tell the truth about this
historic incident. yr
Sheridan became popular idol and
it has been as much AZ a mans life was
worth to try to correct the false impress
sion. 1t has been put into our school
books and taught in every conceivable
form. Sheridan claimed everything for
himself and the country believed him.
The rest of us got no credit whatever.
Gen. Wright was too modest man to
fight over the matter and demand justice
for his men. The result has been all this
twaddle over Sheridan and his ride from
Winchester
Now, what are the facts in this case?
| speak from personal knowledge as the
second officer in command when L say
that Sheridan's ride is pure pOppycOck.
He did ride from Winchester, but no
faster than any other well-mOupted Off
Ger could have done.
HE claims to have found the whole
army disorganized and flying down the
Valley, and that it was his presence that
turned the tide. 1t is absolutely false.
His coming changed nothing. When he
reached us he found lot of suffers, camp
followers and bummers running toward
Winchester. That is always the case in
all armies when in battle. Possibly there
might have been 800 in this crowd that
Sheridan met, but they did not constitute
the army by II long shot. Sheridan waved
his sword at them i'll il theatrical manner,
and some Of them stopped, and many more
did not.
The truth is. that when Sheridan ar
rived our lines had been reformed and
We're rapidly marching upon Early's re-
treating and demOraizcd forces. Sheri-
dams arrival changed nothing. The re-
suit would have been precisely the same
had he not come We would have had
Early whipped before night in any event.
What was the result? History now
teaches that Sheridan found the whole
army rctrcating. 1t was too good an OPP
portunity for Sheridan to miss, and he
was ready to gain immortality by SANDER
ing a brave army and its noble General.
All history furnishes no greater example
of perfidity and injustice. Ia his report
OF the battle, Sheridan does not give Gen.
Wright or any of us. one iota of credit.
We were all completely ignored"
The writer, as one who participated in
the battle of Cedar Creek, being one of Il
hundred others from his regiment (the 4th
y. \. CavJ detailed as couriers ut Head
quarters, has u very distinct recollection
of what took place Oh that memorable 18th
of October, 1864.
1t became my duty to halt the General
of the army and challenge him for the
countersign, as he rode ut breakneck
speed down the macadamiZed pike from
Winchester. But let me go back TO the
early morning Of that day. When under
cover of IL dense fog Gen. jubal Early
stole n march on the sumbering Army
of the Shenandoah, squad of Mosby's
men, dressed as Union soldiers, relieved
our pickets that morning, and Earlys
whole army noisclessly. marched into our
camp and commenced, to shoot our men
before they bad time to leave their tents.
Had it not been for these 100 c0uriers be-
fore alluded to whe: were doing guard
duty around army headquarters and who
We're up and mounted and blazed away
ut the on-ruShing t"JOhnnies, Gen.
Wright, Gen. Manning, and other Off
GERS would have been made prisoners by
Gen. Early.
Through the watchfplness Of these 100
cavalry boys the Sixth Corps had time
to fall back, which it did, about six miles,
ana went INTO ambush in the wooded
land TO the right of the pike. 1t was
hoEed that the C0nfederates, elatei Mt
Their early morning success, and stimu-
lated by our abandoned commisSaIy,
would madly rush upon our hastily-in-
trenchcd position. But they did not do
anything of the kind, but massed their
IN aiha! iiSHt ia the open Helu ana tHPlI
artillery opened terrible fire OF shot and
shell upon the position of Maj.-Gen.
Wright.
Those 100 couricrs were now deployed
five PAGES apart, in the open and on the
left Of the pike, with orders to shoot any
one coming. either from the front or rear,
who could not give the countersign. The
writer, who had been breyettcd Corporal
for meritorious conduct in the morning,
was given charge of the first five troopers
on the right of our line, so that my post
was next to the stone wall, running par
allel TO the pike. The fog of the morn
ing had now cleared away. and the posi-
ton Of the enemy was quite plain. AT
this time-about midday trooper was
heard tearing down the pike in our i'm
mediate rear. Facing to the right in that
direction, with carbine at half-cock, and