The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-04-28

capital of the Southern Confederacy. Be
Sides having finished his stunt of licking
Stuart, Sheridan's next job was to get his
men out of the lions mouth. There was
no time. l tell You, to stop and talk poll
tics and pitch horseshoes. Lee was back
there only a few miles. with 10000 or
10000 men, there was big garrison in
the works around Richmond, Beauregar ed
had quite an army down at Petersburg.
while Stuarts men were being rallied and
liza bic to mix in at any minute. But Sher-
idan was equal to it. He kept going all
the time, whipped the smaller parties that
tried to stop him until the others could
come up. got between the bigger forces so
that they could not join. reached the
bridges before the other fellows could, ami
finally made his way back to the Army of
the Potomac again."
We'll, he was onto his job. for GER
tainty.' commented Shorty. That comes
from having been brought up in the Army
of the Cumberland"
20. cheese it. Gull. about the Army of
the Cumberland" irritably called a man
in the next seat. who wore sun-faded
Greek cross on his new cap. when I'm
at myself, have plenty TO eat. nothing TO
do, and good pipe. 1 can stand a good
deal of Western horn-blowing about that
acOrn-chewing aggregation called the
Army of the Cumberland. but I'm too tired
and sleepy now to put up with it. What
you call battles were simply good sized
riots over a ration train. or something like
that. You Fever fought n regular. scien-
titic battle until we sent the Eleventh and
Twelfth Corps out West to teach you
how"
What's that? WHAT'S that?" sasped
Shorty, hardly able to believe his own
ears
xviii. VIII" exclaimed Maria. rs she
saw her husbands fists involuntarily doub
ling. Don't. Eow. Remember your
promise to me-"
Say. partner" said ST. in a tone of SC.
we're self-restraint. you're off your base
dreaming: Turn over on your other side.
and you'll quit dreaming contraries.'
"Ain't no dream about it." persisted the
Sixth Corps man. ITS daylight truth
That's what it is. What did you have To
blow about before that Battle Above the
Clouds" which the Eleventh and Twelfth
Corps fought for you. and then You imi-
tated them and took Mission Ridge? The
Battle Above the Clouds was only a
at Salem Nights. A Twelfth Corps man
told me so. Why. the Sixth Corps was
fighting all the time battles bigger than
your riots. and not thinking them worth
mentioning As for your Pap Thomas. old
John Sedgwick was worth two of him.
He was the only Corps Commander in thu.
Army of the Potomac that Lee was really
afraid of. The Sixth Corps bucked up
against Lees whole army for n day at
Salem Nights. and Lee didn't dare at
tack. The Sixth Corps saved Washington
The Sixth CorDs licked Early ut the Ope-
guam. At Cedar Creek the Sixth Corps
never budged an inch. while the two West
ern Corps-the Eighth and Nineteenth
ran away. The Sixth Corps turned the
rebels back. after the battle was lost and
put another star on Phil Sheridan's Shout
ders. Phil Sheridan himself said that the
Sixth Corps was the best he ever saw
and he knew all about your Western
Corps"
Shorty looked as if he had all that he
could do to restrain himself. but ST put
his hand on him, and said:
look here, partner. 4 man may be ex-
cused for not knowing much about war;
who fought for four years inside 4 4O-acre
lot. We may have had only riots ont
West, as you say. instead of scientifically
conducted battles. But we got what we
went after every time. And we got whole
States, and held 'em.- where You couldn't
hold even Culpeper County"
Couldn't even hold Culpeper County,"
roared the Sixth Corps man.
mo, you couldn't even hold Culpeper
County" reiterated ST. "You were al
ways planting yourselves out here nt Cul-
pepper Court House. but whenever Lee
wanted TO gather in the crops in the Shen-
andoah Valley he'd run you back TO Wash
ington, while he hauled off the stuff. When
we took 4 State we stuck orr toe nails
into the real estate. held it with war
ranty deed. regularly acknowledged and re-
corded. We took Kentucky and held her
fast"
''Except when Bragg ran MS back to
Louisville" put in the Adjutant. soto
voce.