The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1903-11-17
SHERIDAN'S FAMOUS RIDE
Story Told in New York Sun
by an Eye Witness

George Phillips, a New York police
man who does duty at the city hall.
Is one of the last surviving eye wit
nesses of Sheridan's famous ride. He
was chief wagonmaster or Sheridan's
army in the valley campaign, and he
has given an account of the affair. 1t
is believed to be thoroughly accurate.
and it is certainly forcible and dra-
matte. Mr.. Phillips says:
General Phil had gone up to
Washington for something, / don't
know what. leaving General Wright
n command. The boys had little 0 n
fdence IN Wright, but they loved Mer-
ritz and Custer. Early a2G his Teas
rushed our lines at Cedar Creek. %
miles southwest of winchester. Sher-
idau in Washington heard of it. He
went out by the railroad and crossed
the Potomac at ~Stevenson's Landing.
From there lie hurried on to Winches-
ter and mounted the famous black
horse. Tie horse was black al rlglt.
at least he was wen lie started.
4 had parked my wagon at one side
of the turnpike to give my horses a
rest. We were on the run, no ques-
ton about that. We were scooting
for Harper's Ferry and the Maryland
side Of the Potomas and the rebs were
popping at every jump. With my wag-
n parked n the horses feeding
and resting by the turnpike, l was
watching the boys run.
Some were limping and staggering
along. They had thrown away their
guns and blankets and expected to be
killed or captured any minute. l
never saw anything else like it, the
way the boys were hofng it to the
Potomac. The entire army was beat
en and demoralized. There was no
order and every man was trying to
save himself, 1t was a cloudy, gloomy
day, and all of us felt pretty blue.
Suddenly We heard a terrible yelling
up the turnpike, Winchester way, ana
a minute later we saw Phil on his
black horse coming down the road.
"Oh, say! Lordy. Lordy! Talk
about rides! The horse had been
back, but he was then covered with
white foam. Phil was not waving any
sword. he had mis- old campaign hat
in his hand. lie was covered wI.n
n4rFa hsrr 80 IrnnF- v~n xrra.n rha ia A.+
and yeIilng, Come back, boys, come
back. 10 tie front boys. Follow me!
his stan was strung out for oOO yard
beALnu AlA, Whipping and spurrin.
trying to keep up.
AS General mil galloped by the
wagon tram lie waved MS old hat al
Us aAd yeIed: Get back to the FROM.
Wen neeu rations. DId we yen? Gee.
There was neve anything else like IT,
Why, Soy, old fellows who mad been
llAp.Ag along to the rear Il swear
ing at every step, some OF them with
Out guns, turned around, and so help
me, they kept up with Fhlls blacA
horse for a half a mile running back
to the front.
That was a great ride, if the poet
did get mixed up IN his details. Sher-
idan won the DAY by that ride. The
BEST help We had was from our com
missary stores. The rebs had cap
tL4eu the sores and stopped to ca
crackers and drink whiskey. We hat
lots of both, and some of the REP
haa nut even nau d cracker for three
days. When Jney broke into oul
stores they decided that they had
rather eat crackers and drink whiske.
than shoot yanks, so they gave Gen
eral Phil time to make his tweatl
nile rice and rally his men. New
York Sun.