The Irish standard., 1906-01-20

ne was given mixed command
Of infantry, cavalry and artillery,
amounting to about twenty-five thou
sand men, against the Confederate
force of, say, twenty thousand. 1t
is true Jubal Early afterward alleged
he had only about eight thousand
men altogether in the valley; but
Sheridan answered by publishing the
provost marshal generals receipts for
thirteen thousand prisoners he had
captured from EARLY.
81 Once in the saddle. he quickly as
sembled his command in the lower
valley. with headquarters at Hall
Town, near Harper's Ferry. AS a
whole, it was not Il very satisfactory
command. For much of it had been
:idden over and around and through
pretty much as the Confederate chiefs
had willed. But Sheridan Immediately
set to work to reorganize and discip-
line Exchanging officers, inspecting
regiments, consolidating brigades-
until he knew what he had and whom
he could depend upon, and how much
he could depend upon them. Then,
about the middle of August, he ad
vanced cautiously to Cedar Creek, but
presently retired again to Hall Town,
because the enemy seemed too strong,
and he was still uncertain of his men,
ton farther up the valley.
This retrograde movement, so like
its predecessors, and so disappointing
to President Lincoln, filled Stanton
and Halleck with dismay, and even
Grant became impatient, and finally
left Petersburg and came up to WASH
fighting in the valley. He even pro-
ceeded as far as Charlcstown, with a
prepared plan of campaign in his
pocket. But Sheridan easily satisfied
him his own PLAN was right, and
in reply to Grants eager inquiries
answered that he had completed his
go in. Grant Enthusiastically pock-
eted his plan of acknowledgements
even alludng tn it-and lerscly bad"
him Go in," and Immediately Sheri
dan moved out from his lines and adj
vanced upon the enemy like thun-
derbolt.
Ia ctr ,nly tn1 toc firs It
Opequan Cor WnchcstcrD September
10, and again at Fishers Hill Septcm-
Der %, and sent Early whirliny w
the valley with the loss of over five
thousand killed, wounded ana prison.
ers, five pieces of artillery and min"
battleags. He struck them again at
his command had been surprised and
routed in the early morning under
General Wright and was in full re-
treat on his arrival from Washington
(wither he had rghtfully gone under
orders hastily to confer with Stanton
and Halleck on imperative matters he
could not otherwise settle--bcing alb
sent but three days. with only four
hours in Washington. something ex-
traordinary), he stopped the retreat
reformed his lines. and before night
fall attacked and routed Early in turn
-recapturing our old camps. and all
the artillery. camp equipage and
transportation Wright had lost. and
also taking over twelve hundred pris-
oners twenty-four pieces of artillery
and many battleilags from the Confed-
crates, now routed and fleeing like
chaff before the wind.
This was by all odds the most bril-
liant victory of the war, Of its size
and kind, and has well been immor-
talized by Thomas Buchanan Read in
his stirring lyric, "Sheridan's Ride"
1t captured the Imagination and
aroused the enthusiasm OF the loyal
Of the very depths OF his soul Presi-
dent Lincoln wrote him: II tender to
you and your brave army the thanks
of the nation. and my own personal
admiration and gratitude, for your
months operations in the Shenandoah
Valley" and (what was dearer to
Sheridan) Immediately promoted him
to be major-g general, u. S. A. Stanton
as I have said. had thought him too
young to command in the valley: but
now he also wrote commencing him
unreservedly for his personal gala
try and military skill. whereby, under
the blessing of Providence, his routed
army was recognized, a great ma
tional disaster averted and a brilliant
victory achieved over the rebels for
the third time in pitched battle within
thirty days."
Sheridan now set to work to clean
out the valley as a field for Confede-
rate operations, and, it must be con-
ceded, made thorough work of it.
Late in February following he en-
tered upon his final campaign in the
valley. Early in the winter he had
sent his infantry mainly to Grant, and
now took ten thousand cavalry and
>; swept up the valley. and swooped down
on James River above Richmond