The Washington herald., 1906-11-18

A few DAYS before the battle of Stone
River Tenn. in December, 1862. first
met Gen. Philip II. Sheridan. He com
manded an infantry division in the Army
Of the Cumberland. under the illustrious
Gen. Rosccrans. Standing ia front of his
tent. surrounded by some Of his staff, on
the edge Of a clump of cedars, and look
ing toward the enemy's camp, Sheridan
presented the picture Of a typical soldier.
He could not have been more than five
feet six, and his hair was beginning to
show strands Of gray while his grayish
blue eve. peered into the distance like
fash from the eye Of Destiny. His head
was round, forehead high and square.
with a punctuation point Of a nose sur
mounting a short mustache, firm lips and
emphatic chin that said to al the world.
clear the track and make room for my
command
His division did the best fighting At
stone River, and saved Rosecrans' right
from the repeated 7slaught Of Hardee
and Bragg; and MAJ months afterward
at Missionary RIdg !, he led his dashing
| command over the Confederate breast
works and was the first % plant the Stars
and Stripes over the shattered hosts Of
Bragg and Breckenridge.
| When Gen Grant took charge of the
Army Of the Potomac, in May, 1864. ne
cast about for some man Of nerve. dash.
and judgment to take command of the
cavalry and knit together the broken
remnants Of the various divisions that
had become somewhat Of a laughing
stock with the infantry boys. who repeat
cdly offered large rewards to any person
who would show them dead cavalry
man.
Sheridan's Quarrel with Meade.
Grant naturally determined to call to
his aid Sheridan. who had been his social
eomrade in the wilds Of Oregon before the
war. and vino had made mark in the
rebellion not inferior TO any officer Of his
rank IN TIA, army. Gen Meade was in
immediate command in the field Of the
Army Of the Potomac. which included the
cavalry
Sheridan soon found that his three di-
visions were ordered right and left after
he crossed the Rspidan, and while he was
virtually in command Of all the cavalry,
/ Meade would often detach certain divi-
sions and leave Sheridan TO do the best
ne could TO foil the movements Of Jeb
Stuart. the most illustrious cavalry Off
| Ger OF the Confederacy.
! Sheridan demonstrated with Meade. and
at headquarters on one occasion gave his
I opinion in no uncertain words and boIted
{ aVF of ha me g..
/ subordination. Meade soon after repeated
the incident 20 Gen. Grant and complained
/ OF Sherldans talk and action. Grant
/ asked him, What did Sheridan say Z?
/ Meade replied that Sheridan wanted di-
/ rect and absolute charge of the cavalry,
and II he was allowed the privilege he
would 20 right On and whip - out Of
Jeb Stuart Did Sheridan say that2-'
/ Yes" replied Meade. Then, said the
general. III let him go out and do it.'''
The world has long since known how
the hero Of Winchester and ADp0mattox
went over the hills and wales Of Virginia
Ike tie roav Of thunder and death-deaI-
| ing strokes of lightning He whipped
Stuart's cavalry. as he promised, and
killed the commander. a Texas blizzard
or a West India cyclone were not more
deadly in their whirling course than
/ sheridan when pursuing an enemy. with
/ 10.Oo0 troopers ac his back. His eve and
mind gTasped the situation in all its de-
tails. and his presence at any point during
a battle was worth Loco men.
A Visit to the General
\ few days after the great Chicago
fire l visited that city from St. Louis in
company with OrviIle Grant. Sheridan's
headquarters were there at the time. and
/ through his active instrumentality thou
sands Of famished citizens received food
and shelter. Many bless his memory to
this day for the immediate relief furnish
/ ed by the government Half Of the city
was laid in ashes. While riding about the
smolderlng ruins with Orville Grant, I
could see on every hand tents that had
been issued by the military arm of the
United States TO shelter weary and desti-
tute people.
The business house Of Grant & Mclean.
situated on Lake street, was destroyed
and their stock Of leather harness, and
saddles went up in smoke. Orville was
/ $4,000 worse than nothing. He still had
/ his little frame house on Wabash avenue
so far out that the fire failed TO reach it,
I remained at his house with his wife and
/ four children two days, but before l left
assisted him in business.
The evening before I started back to
/ St Louis, he suggested that we call on
| Cen Sheridan, who was privately located
/ in bachelor quarters, on Michigan avenue,
about four blocks away from the house
! Of Orville. / was glad to accept the In
I yitation, as I had not seen the General
since the war, and felt that a few hours
in his presence could be spent with pleas
ure and profit. The house was a modern
! one. plain and well furnished, looking
| out on the rolling waves OF Lake AIichi-
/ gan as they beat in rhythmic tattoo on
/ the sandy beach or dashed over the stony
breakwater that stretched away in the
glimmering twilight.
Grant and myself were ushered into
| the parlOT, Sheridan ap-
| pearNd ST of-hand
/ sincerity Il lis move
/ ments. We ne about
| the awful visited