Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-26

ability. we tend to think Of him only as
the dashing cavalry leader. whereas he was
in reality not only that, but also a great
commander. or course, the fact in his
career most readily recognized was his
mastery in the necessarily modern art Of
handling masses Of modern cavalry so as to
sive them the fullest possible effect, not only
I'm the ordinary operations of cavalry which
precede and follow battle. but In the battle
itself. But In addition he showed in the
civil war that he was a first-class army
commander, both as a subordinate of Grant
and when in independent command. His
record in the Valley campaign, and again
from Five Forks to AppomattoX, Is one
difficult to parallel in military history.
After the close Of the great war, in a field
where there was scant glory to be won by
the general In chief. he rendered a signal
service which has gone almost unnoticed;
for In the tedious weary Indian wars on the
great plains Il was he who developed in
thoroughgoing fashion ,the system of cam
paianing in. winter. which, at the cost OF
bitter hardship and peril, finally broke
down the banded strength of those for
midsble warriors. the horse Indians.
Typical American Career.
Ills career was typicslly American, for
from plain beginnings he rose to the high
est military position in our land. We honor
his memory itself; and moreover, as In
the case OF the great commanders of his
day. his career symbolized the careers OF
all those men who In the years OF the
nations direst need sprsng to the front
to risk everything. including life itself, and
to spend the days of their strongest young
manhood In valorous conflict for an ideal
often we Americans are tainted with
having only a material ideal. n empty
folIyy OF the taunt is sufficiently shown By
the presence here today OF you men OF tho
Grand Army, YOU comrades of the dest
general the men who served with anc
under him.
IN all history we have no greater in.
stance Of subordination of self, of the ex.
citing OF a lefty ideal over merely material
well being among the people OF a great ma
ton: than was shown by our W people In
the civil war,
And you. the men who wore the blue
would be the first TO say that this same
lofty indifference 10 the things of the
body, when compared to the things of th'
soul, was shown by your brothers whC
wore the gray. Dreadful was the suffer
ing. dreadtul the loss, OF the civil war
- lEA h-ttuTtuH hloue dlllouk wars III III
ihat, now that the wounds are healed, tn,
@memory sf the mighty deeds Of valor per
tofn1ctt q one side no less than the othei
has become the common heritage OF al
our people Nn every quarter OF this com
ivy. The completeness with which this 4
true Is. shown by what is occurring her,
today. We meet together to raise a monu
ment to a great union general, In tn
presence OF many OF the survivors of tn.
union army: and the secretary of war, tn
man at the head Of the army, who. b.
virtue Of his office, occupies a special re
lation 10. the celebration, Is himself a mal
who fought I'm the confederate service
Few indeed have been the countries whcr
such a conjunction would have been posi-
bic, and blessed indeed are we that in on
own beloved land II Is not only possible
but seems 80 entirely natural as to exclt
no comment whatever.
There is another point in General sher.
dams career which it is good for all Of "
To remember. Whereas Grant, Sherma
and Thomas were of the old native Amer
lean stock, the parents 81 Sheridan. Xix
the parents OF Farragut. were born on ia
other side OF the water. Any one Of III
five was Just as much o type OF the re'
American, Of what is best I'm America. q
the other four. We should keep steadil
before our minds the fact that American