The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1914-12-03
aeoes.r AND, rIaTTLE pHlr.r

"BoRs"rANpar EiTTLE priE.r
The men Of England called Field Mar
shall Earl Roberts "Bobs'' as Ameri-
cans called General Sheridan Little
Phir thirty-five years ago.
The two men were much alike as
soldiers. There We're but few months
difference in the dates OF their birth,
they were about the same height and
size; they were both born soldiers and
were Of the same order OF soldiers
When an enemy was before them their
natural instinct was to fight him and
after defeating him to chase him to
his lair and take him in.
Roberts never planned and fought and
won grander battle than that of Five
Forks. Roberts never met in the field
such fighters as Sheridan did ON that
day at Five Forks.
Roberts great Kandahar campaign,
for which he was gratefully given an
earldorn. was not more difficult nor
attended with so much suffering as
Sheridan's winter campaign against the
| Cheyennes. Roberts never fought so
terrible a battle as Sheridan fought at
Stone river, where Sheridan's division
was assailed by the fighting Cleyburn's
whole corps, and maintained the furi-
Gus onset until three of his brigade
commanders, seventy general officers
and nearly one-half of the rank and
| file of his division were killed or wound
| ed. He also lost some guns and report
| ing to his superior officer he said: II
never abandoned the guns until all the
horses and all but sixteen of the gun
| ners were killed"
| At Chattanooga he was ordered to
charge and II possible carry the outer
works In front of the enemy's center.
He stormed the works. but never paus-
! ed until he swept the heights before
him and put the enemy to flight.
His cavalry was the cover of the van
and the flank of the army in the ter
rible Wilderness battles.
| He swept round Lees army, dis
persed 'Jeb'' Stewards cavalry at Yell
low Tavern. where Stewart was killed;
fought and won the battle Of Winches-
ter, made Cedar Creek famous in song
and story and planned and fought the
last great battle of the war at Five
| Forks.
Before Five Forks, Grant received a
dispatch at headquarters. He read 1t
and turning to Meade said: Sheridan
wants to strike the enemy in his front
near Petersburg" Meade said: What
" Lee. seeing the peril. strips his en-
trenchments of men and strikes Sher-
idans flank? With a grim smile
Grant replied: He says he. will lick
I'll out of him."
| 1t rs no disparagement to Earl Rob-
erts to compare him with General Sher-
idan. Sheridan made his cavalry a
really distinct arm of the service and
taught it when necessary to dismount
and fight as infantry supplying the
model which is now the rule in all
European armies; his principal battles
were against soldiers infinitely super
| Tor to any that Lord Roberts ever
fought, and Grant put ON record in
substance: that sheridan always
strength OF the enemy than any of us;
he rs perfectly competent to manage any
campaign and to command any number
of men of all arms"
Great Britain covered Roberts with
titles, ribbons. crosses, stars and gar
| tiers.
The congress of the United States re-
vived the rank of General of the
1 Army" which had never been bestow-
ed ON any officers save Grant and
Sherman and gave 1t to Sheridan.
Great guns in battle fired the Last
salutes to Roberts as he died. II
The boom of sobbing surges against
the shuddering shore made the last
lullaby for Sheridan as his stormy soul
was passing.
II England is thinking now how differ
ent things would have been today had
Earl Roberts advice during the past
dozen years been accepted and follow
ed.
Had it been. England would now have
1000 900 trained soldiers; she would
have avoided losing thousands of Off
GERS and men which she is suffering
because unframed men are being hurl-
ed against a perfectly trained foe In
deed, we doubt exceedingly If there had
been any war had Great Britain been
thus prepared.
Certainly our country should be
learning very fast the old truth that
the best possible guarantee of peace
is to be ready for war. Without any
war year for a youth in camp IL
, the very best possible closing year of his
education. 1t fits him for peace aus wei
as for war. 1t is best for his health
Improves his bearing and gives him
the initiative which lis necessary t.
begin life right.
1t is the cheapest and most neces-
sary insurance policy that a nation car