Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1911-02-28
new NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Sidelight on Grants Opinion
Of Sheridan as a Fighter
BY "HOusnd.p

John Russell Young, the distinguish
ed Civil War and Franco-Prussian war
correspondent and newspaper editor
who accompanied General Grant in his
tour OF the world, was chatting with
some friends at his hotel in Washing
ton shortly after President Mckinley,
in 1897, had made him Librarian of the
new Congressional Library, when some
reference was made by one of the
party to General Grant, and especially
to Grants very high regard for Gem
eral Sheridan, both as a soldier and as
man.
yes, l know" said Mr.. Young, lin
what high regard General Grant held
Sheridan for / often heard Grant say
that he was sure that Sheridan had no
superior, living or dead. as the COM
mander of an army.
II remember, on one occasion, Grant
met several Americans one evening
after a reception, and in the course of
conversation he was asked what he
thought Sheridan would have done had
he been in command at Gettysburg in
stead Of General Meade. General Grant
replied practically in these words:
There should be very little or no
criticism of the manner In which
Meade fought the Battle of Gettysburg.
In a three days battle there are al
ways sure to be some mistakes. What
ever these may have been upon our
side, Meade speedily rectified them.
but you have asked me what Sher-
idan would have done had he been
there. Sheridan, as a fighting general,
was an extraordinary combination of
do IL
Judgments were intuiuve. He believed
I'm very swift action and I'm taking
great risks, II the chances were in his
favor. He had no patience with those
critics who spoke Of battle as
drawn battle. He was of the opinion
that every battle was a victory to one
side or the other, although the adj
vantage may have been slight Now, his
temperament, his understanding of
warfare, and his methods would | be-
lieve, have persuaded Sheridan, had he
been in command at Gettysburg, that
there was only one thing to do after
Lee began to retreat, and that was to
follow Lee so swiftly that he would be
unable to reform his lines. I have
sometimes thought that if Sheridan
had been Chere, there wouldn't have
Gettysburg was fought However. ! do
not say this in the way of any criticism
of General Meade
Then continued the former Minis
ter to China, Mr. Young, having been
stationed at Pekin from 1882 to 1885,
zone of those present suggested TO
General Grant that Mesde's army was
probably exhausted by three days
fighting, and it might have been peri
lous to put the army I'm pursuit of Lee.
For a moment or two General
Grant was silent, and then he said
II Sheridan had an army Of not
more than twenty thousand men, every
man In that army being soldier
trained under Sheridan. as much like
Sheridan as It is possible for private
soldiers TO be like a commander to
whom they are devoted, then am GER
tain that Sheridan. with such an army.
could defeat any army I'm the world. ]
don't know how I can better express
my opinion Of General Sheridan as a
soldier so that I will say again. an
army of twenty thousand men, trained
under Sheridan so that each man was
as nearly like him as possible, and
commanded by Sheridan would. I am
sure, be the match of any army in the
world. He would have had an army
Of that kind had he been at Gettysburg.
You remember how under him. and
with a rather small army at his com
mand, the Shenandoah Valley WAS
completely cleared Of Confederate sol
diers, and remained I'm our hands until
the close of the war
Copyright, 1911, by r. j. Edwards, All
rights Reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell
"Why Sheridan Rode TO the Firing
Line at Winchester"