The National tribune., 1905-11-09
AT SHERIDAN'S HOME.
Dedication OF the Monument to the General at Somerset Ohio
Commander=in.Chief Tanners Address,

very front rank Of that great galaxy of
the leaders of two millions of men:
rode the wild storm CT war unscathed,
as one predestincd to control, and from
every field on which he commanded
brought us victory?
Five Years mt West Point.
Five years of his life We're consumed
at West Point. He was SO thoroughly
human in mis- nature that / consider it
not inappropriate to mention that in
;his time there was an interregnum of
rine mOaths enforced retirement caused
BY the fact that his keen sense of JUS
tice led him into an ARRAY which re-
suited in this temporary retirement
and while at the time he felt that he
had been most unjustly treated, maturer
years brought a different conclusion,
and in his Memoirs he, with loyable
frankneSS, SO states
1t is no part of my purpose to-day
to enter upon detailed statement of
Gen. Sheridan's campaigns and battles.
They are written. and written large, in
the history of our country, which he
loved so thoroughly and served so 10y
ally.
Run over the records as hastily as
you please, from the time he received
his commission as a Brevet Second
Lieutenant until at last he stood the
General commanding all the armies of
the United States, and you cannot but
be impressed by the thorough and con-
tlnued attention he gave to matters Of
detailed preparation in all his opera
tons.
At the outset of his career he was
compelled to match his cunning with
the savages of Texas; and Immediately
thereafter with those Of the far North
west. He proved more than a match
for them In every instance.
When tho
It's bloody place on the stage of our
National life. the longing of his soul
was to get where he felt he could do the
most good for the Nation whose COM
mission he bore. Years afterwards he
confessed that at that time he INDUCED
the nope that he might reach a ma
Jor1ty, but that the idea Of high COM
mand never entered his mind until he
found himself possessed Of it.
IL was the good fortune Of all lovers
or the Union cause that early in his
larger career Gen. Sheridan came under
the eye Of that wonderful judge of mill
tary men, Ulysses S. Grant He seemed
to have a president knowledge of the
latent powers of Sheridan, and when
supreme command came to him one OF
MS first acts was to order Sheridan
to report to him in the East, where he
placed him in command of all the cav
airy of the Army Of the Potomac, with
more with 1T than mere picket duty.
In Command Of the Cavalry.
How we'll he performed the task as
signed to him history tells. Difficulties
Deset his way. He chafed bitterly at
the immunity enjoyed by raiding COL
umns Of Confederate cavalry but Gen.
Meade would not give him a free hand.
relations between him and Sheridan
became acute-strained to the breaking
pofnt-when, protesting bitterly at the
leash In which he was held, Sheridan
bluntly told Meade that IL allowed to
he was sure he could wipe Stuart Off
the face Of the earth. but that as Meade
objected, he was determined that as
long as existing conditions continued he
would never again issue another order
to the cavalry.
Gen. Meade took the quarrel (for It
was a quarreD to Gen. Grant, repeat
ing what Sheridan had said about his
ability to dispose of Stuart. That phil
osopher OF field and -council-chamber
made answer, did Sheridan say that ?
Why not let him go out and do it?'
Then came freedom to act. Then the
massfng Of the cavalry Of the Army
OF the Potomac in one compact BODY.
the brilliant maneuvering under Sheri-