Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-23
SHERIDAN'S RIDE BY AIDE
Story Of that Winchester Thriller
Told by a Participant.
ANNIVERSARY OF GREAT EVENT
s. 5. Peters, who Rode with "Iittle
Phn" that Memorable Day, De-
scribes the Historic
Episode.

while every loyal and patriotic Amer
lean fejolced. in the celebration of the 18th
anniversary OF the surrender of
at Yorktown, Va, Tuesday" said E.. A
m at army headquarters, yet Oc-
tober 10 was also the forty-fifth annivers-
airy Of the most dramatic episode Of the
civil war. 'Sheridan's ride
1T has a peculiar interest to me because
/ was at the time a member Of Colonel r.
B.. Hayes regiment. the Twenty-third
Ohio. which received the brunt OF Early's
attack that morning at Cedar Creek. Hayes
also commanded a brigade during the bat
tie. and it was his gallantry in holding
Eariy's victorious forces in check that
saved the Nineteenth corps from a com
plete rout and made It possible for the
coming Of Sheridan later in the day to
rally the retreating union army.
Il was not directly engaged in the bat
tie, having been laid up from a severe
wound a few weeks before. But the story
OF the fight and the part that the Twenty
third Ohio took In II is a part Of the treas
ured history OF that regiment. General
John c. Gown, now of Omaha Che was
Private Gown them. was also a member
Of the Twenty-third as was the late Presi-
dent Mckinley. the latter then holding the
rank OF major in the regiment"
Time Of Arrival Disputed.
a controversy has recently been awak-
ened regarding the time that General
Sheridan arrived on the field at Cedar
Creek. Many hold that he did not reach
Cedar Creek until shortly after 3 o'clock,
while others claim he was on the battle
fled at Q o'clock or IL o'clock in the morn
ing. Possibly each OF these contentious Is
right, depending upon the part Of the bat
tlefleld he reached at these respective
hours.
The writer, S. S. Peters, happened to be
a part Of General Sheridan's escort that
morning and accompanied Little Phil"
down the Shenandoah pike. The Sixth
United States cavalry was made the head
quarters escort to General Sheridan when
he took command of the cavalry division
Of the Army of the Potomac in the sum-
mer of 1864, and remained as such during
the entire war following.
General Sheridan had been called to
Washington after the battles of Fishers
Hill and Opequan creek, for consultation
with General Halleck. He returned to
Martinsburg from Washington early the
morning OF October 10 and reached Win
chester at 7 o'clock that morning. The
escort was waiting for him at Winchester.
DesuItOry Firing Heard.
Some desultory artillery fire was heard
from down the valley, but Sheridan, sup
posing II to be but a reconnaissance, did
not pay much attention to 1t at the mo-
ment. He then rode l~eisurely down the
road to Mill Creek. accompanied by his
staff and the escort, q distance of prob
ably four miles. He reached Mill Creek
about s o'clock. and then realized that
a big battle was in progress down the
road. Some of the retreating troops, with
transportation, we're already pouring into
Mil Creek, and Sheridan, hastily calling
a small escort Of twenty men to follow
with his staff (this escort being of the
Sixth cavalry, with one or two New York
and Pennsylvania cavalrymen), the party
started down the road on a gallop. Sherl-
dan was naturally in the lead and for
awhile carried a cavalry guidon, and as
he passed the rapidly augmentlng re-
treating forces he asked, What men are
your and waving the guidon at them
called them TO come back. Come on,
boys wen whip - out Of them yet"
Ride Eleven and Half Miles.
TIL ride from Mill Greek to where the
first line of the Sixth corps was encoun-
tered was just eleven and a half miles. A
number OF toll gate poles had been pulled
down and chained by the retreating troops
and the escort had to cut or break these
poles away in order to get through. In one
instance the toll gate pole was so stub
born that the escort had to tear down a
big section OF fence so that they could get
round back OF the toll house and onto the
road again. These delays occupied prob
ably fifteen or twenty minutes in the
eleven and a half miles ride.
The whole time of the ride, including
delays. from MIL Greek to the Sixth corps
line occupied possibly an hour and twenty
minutes.
Just before. reaching the Sixth corps line
a group Of officers, among them General
George A. Custer. rode up to meet the
party with their staffs and escorts. Custer
sang out with a cheer. ITS Sheridan.
boys"
In the meanwhile a number Of scattered
troops had fallen in line along the pike
and recognizing Sheridan cheered to the
echo and began singing GLORY, Hallalu-
JAN"
BuIIyi Replies sheridan.
What troops are these?" asked Sheri-
dan. Someone sang out, Its the old Sixth
corps. We are all right"
''Bullyl" replied Sheridan. Get right at
them. boys. We have got them going now,
We will sieep in our old camp tonight"
TIE presence OF sheridan thrlileu the en-
tire army and cheering could be heard to
the right and left. "Sheridan's here, sheri-
dams here"
General Sheridan remained on the Sixth
corps line but a few moments, gave some
hurried directions for the disposition OF
the troops, and rode off in a gallop to other
parts OF the field followed by his staff and
escort, repeating his orders and giving hope
ana cheer IN the scattered command that
were now rallying.
The day was saved and II was sheridan's
presence that saved It.
MILO 0. FREY TOOK ARSENIC