Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-25

lines and cried out. Where Is my hat
| tie flag" AS the sergeant who car
ried 1t rode up to him, Sheridan seized
| the crimson -and-white standard, waved
and made heroic efforts to close up the
| ranks. Bullets were now hunnng
| like swarms of bees about our heads
and shells were crashing through the
| ranks. A musket ball pierced the bat
tie flag. another killed the sergeant who
| had carried 1t, another wounded an aid:
| others struck two or three of the staff
| officers horses. MI this time Sheri
dan was putting spurs Into Kienzi
another. waving bis flag, shaking lis
fist, encouraging, shaming, entreating,
praying, threatening, the true person.
ification of chivalry, the very 1ncacna-
| ton OF battle.
| 1T would be sorry soldier who could
| help following such q leader. With fixed
bayonets and a rousing cheer. the closed
ranks now rushed forward and dashed
| over the earthworks, sweeping everything
before them and killing or capturing
| every man In their immediate front Sheri-
| dan urged on RienN, and with bound
| the animal carried his rider over the
| earthworks and landed among a mass
| of prisoners who were crouching close
| under the breastWorks. The enemy was
| completely routed at all points, the i'm
| portant strategic positions were secured,
| the trophies captured were six guns. thir-
teen battle flags and nearly 5000 prison
ers. Sheridan on that field had been
! superb. He had fought one of the most
| complete tactical battles Of the war, ad-
| mirable in conception. brilliant in execu-
| ton, strikingly dramatic in its incidents
and productive of Immensely important
| results
ut had been my good fortune to serve
near him both in the west and in the
east. and, much as 1 admired his mar
velous Soldierly qualities on other fields
of battle, felt that 1 had never meas
| ured the true scope of his matchless
| genius until that memorable day at rive
| Forks. At the close l said to him: i
| could not help feeling that you exposed
yourself today in a manner hardly justi-
| fable on the part Of commander of
| sucn an important movement. His reply
gave what seems to be the true key to
his uniform success on the field: I have
| never In my life taken command into
battle and had the slightest desire to
| come out alive unless I won.
Soldiers Highest characteristics.
| Gen. Sheridan showed himself pos
sessed of the highest characteristics of
| the soldier. Bod in conception, self-re-
liant. demonstrating by his acts that
much danger makes great hearts most
resolute. prompt in decision, fertile in re-
|
edge of topography, combining the rest
| lessness of a Hotspur with the patience
| of Fabius. 1t is no wonder he stands in
the front rank of the worlds great cap
tains The hearts of his men warmed to
| him with the glow of an abiding affection
The inspiration of his example reused
them to deeds of individual heroism I'M
paralleled in modern warfare. and under
his leadership his uncomfortable columns
rushed to victory with all the confidence
of Caesars Tenth Legion Generous of
| his life. gifted with the ingenuity of a
! Hannibal. the dash of Murat, the cour
/ age of a Ney, the magnetism of his pres
ence forged weaklings into giants. trans
/ formed routed squadrons into charging
| columns and snatched victory from de-
/ feat He preferred shot and shell TO flags
| of truce: he would rather lead forlOrn
| hopes than follow in the wake of charges
| His standard rose above all others on the
| field: wherever blows fell thickest his
crest was in their midst: despite the dar
| ing of the defense opposing ranks went
! down before the fierceness of his onsets
never to rise again; he paused not till the
| folds of his banners waved above the
strongholds he had wrested from the foe.
Never Defeated.
"Sheridans sword always pointed the
way to an advance: its hilt was never
| presented to the enemy. Under his guild
ance the flag of his country was never
| once dethrOned from its proud supremacy.
| He was never defeated. He loved brave
| men: he despised dastards. He did not
believe the Lord ever intended His works
to be made manifest by towards. His
! sole ambition was his country's welfare.
| He simply did his duty and trusted to
| history discusses him the more brilliant
becomes the luster of his fame. His
record is like a torch the more il is
! shaken the brighter it burns. He proved
! himself one of the noblest contributions to
| 'earth's contingent of master spirits In
him modesty went hand in hand with
valor: he never moderated himself in
battle he never overrated himself in a
report.
| "On August ;. 1855. he was called away
to his final home. and the laurel of his
brow was intertwined with the cypress
Then all the land displayed the sable
drapery of public mourning. and the
/ thunder of his guns was replaced by the
tolling of cathedral bells When he
passed the portals of eternity earth
mourned one hero less
"Yonder statue which so faithfully por-
| travs his noble features, is a fitting
tribute of grateful hearts. The hallowed
memories which cluster about ii will re-
call the heroic age of the republic. 1t
will point the path of loyalty to chill
dren vet unborn Its mute eloquence will
call for equal sacrifice should war again
threaten the nations life.
| Brave Sheridan! In gazing upon yon-
| der bronze j seem to see his silent clay
again auickened into life. once more rid
ing RienZi through fire of hell. leaping
opposing earthwOrks at a single bound
and leaving nothing of those who barred
his way except the fragments scattered
in his path Matchless leader! Har-
binger of victory. We salute you. AS long
as manly courage is talked Of or heroic