The Irish standard., 1904-08-20
these lines has heard a kindly faced i
old lady-gentleness written on every

old lady-gentlenes written on every
feature-in the Shenandoah valley,
say: "Ah, Sheridan!' Then with
darkening brow and kindling eye: He
laid waste our valley until he made
good his boast that if a crow wished
to cross it he would have to carry his.
provisions with him! He ravaged our
fields and harried our lives until we
grew to regard him as the Black Spec
ter. But he was as forceful as bar
Of steel-and in his moments of ease
very much the gentleman!' That last
phrase was the highest compliment the
gracious lady of the manor could be-
stow upon the doughty Sheridan, who
had held the forces of the Union to-
gether in the darkest hour Of the re-
bellion.
Sheridan was the first Irish-Amert-
can to Wear the stars of major-gen-
eral in the United States army. He
was like Grant, thorough soldier
but he gloried in the splendid tumult
of war, and while efficient as an exec
utive he found the placid atmosphere
of bureaucratic Washington rather out
of harmony with his tempestuous tenn
permanent. Residents of Washington
are familiar with the beautiful Sheri-
dan home-one of the show places of
the capitol city. 1t is within stones
throw of st. Mathews church, which
General Sheridan attended during his
long official and social connection with
Washington. A soldier of brilliant
achievements, in private life delight
full companion with heart of singular
purity and soul of unblemished in
tegrity, "Phil' Sheridan is foremost
among the soldiers of the COS who are
intrenched in the love and admira ton
of the 1rish-American citizen.
st. Aloysius' church, in Washington,
numbers among it's parishioners some
of the most important personages i'm
the official, diplomatic and residential
circles of the District of Columbia.
You may see on almost any Sunday
morning the Southern gentleman Of
the old school, who carries his slouched
hat and flowing wisp Of tie as badges
of sectionalism, rubbing elbows with
the attache from one of the legations
or the son of one of the old Maryland
families that trace their Catholic an.
cestry to the CAROLS of Carrollton.
For many years there was black
yelled little lady-whose face was
gently lined with the hallowing touch
es of sorrow-who was pointed out to-
the stranger within the gates as the
widow Of the Confederate captain,
Semmes, the hero of the Alabama. A.
Catholic, Southerner, with the fire
and fervor of 'Dixieland'' guiding his
career, bred in that school of good
manners, a Southern home, Captain
Semmes is striking figure that the
eye Of memory finds fascinating to a
degree. He also was a constant at
tendant at st. Aloysius'.
In person, Captain Serhmes was the
naval hero of popular Imagination. He
looked as though he had stepped out
of the pages of romance. An eye Of
flashing alertness, a finely-chiseled
face, and hair sprinkled with gray,
his personal appearance fed the fancy
of the. observer SO nearly did it con-
form to ones ideal Of the hero of the
sea. At home in the drawing-room,
quiet in manner, of charming gracious
ness of demeanor, he was very popular
in society circles of the capital. OF
unaffected piety, of wide Catholic SYM
pathies, he was type of man that
the Catholic church, the South, and the
American people may we'll be proud Of.
Previous to the war, his experience
had been gathered principally in the
clipper service, and he saw just the
sort of training that was to become
of such an assistance to him in later
years. When he was receiving rapid
promotion and rendering brilliant serv~
ice in the cause of the Confederacy,
the public sentiment Of Great Britain
was curiously divided as to preference
for North or South in the tremendous
struggle of war. GladstOne's biogra-
ply and John Morley's illuminating
comments make it clear how fuctuat-
ing was English opinion. With each
fresh victory for the troops of the
Confederacy the balance veered more
away from the United States, SO that
When Charles Francis Adams, then
United States minister to England, pro-
tested that ships destined for the Con-
federate service were being fitted out
in English ports, his protest met With
scanty attention. More effectual meas.
ures were resorted to and the q. 8. s.
kearsarge was sent to stem the
growth of Confederate privateering.
1ntimation was received that the
Alabama, under the guise of a peaceful
merchantmen was about to clear from
Liverpool with the intention Of harass-
ing American shipping on the high
seas. She was finally located by the.
Kearsarge at Cherbourg, France, In
the summer of 1854, and decisive
battle ensued. When twilight closed
the Alabama was shattered, but not
until Captain Semmes had given