Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-08
SHERIDAN AT GRAvEL0TTE.
influence of American Cavalryman'l
Advice on Prussian Triumph.

From the Chicago Tribune.
Before all those within whose knowledge
1t lies have passed away a permanent rec
ord should be made of Gen. Sheridan's
activities at the battle of Gravelotte.
Gen. Sheridan left no publicaccounts
Of his activities on that day. He could
not. He was present as a. neutral spec
tator, a. non~combatant.
For him to have claimed or even to
have admitted an active part in the Ger
man victory would have brought on his
head such a storm as even the hero OF
Five Forks could not defy.
That the German leaders eagerly sought
his advice is an established fact. which
reflects only credit upon the empire max.
ers.
The known facts are these: Upon his
arrival in Germany Gen. Sheridan was
rushed post haste to the front. arriving
there on the eve of the battle of Grave
out the plan of battle. but after the bat
tie was Joined he stood with Bismarck
throughout the engagement AS the mat
ter was told to the editor of the Tribune
may years ago by an eyewitness, BIS
marck ceaselessly questioned Sheridan as
to how the battle was going, what the
great American generals did In similar
circumstances, and even what he would
do were he in command. Sheridan re-
piled freely, and did not notice. or did
not care to notice, that Bismarck sent
galloper after galloper to Won Moltke.
presumably carrying Sheridan's advice"
Beyond this there is a well authenticat-
ed rumor that. detecting the significance
of a movement by the French, he caused
the emperor-the ''old man." as he called
him--to be removed barely in time to
avoid capture.
There is another rumor. less well au-
thenticated. that, carried away with the
fire of battle, he gave certain directions
for the maneuvering of cavalry.
The time has come for the settlement of
rumors and the establishment OF the eX-
act boundaries OF Sheridan's activities in
this battle. This is owing as much to the
German generals as to Sheridan's mill
tary history. lest with the passage of
time Gravelotte may be claimed to be
Sheridan's, and not Won Moltke's, vic
tory.
German military writer's should not
minimize the great cavalryman's assist
had ever commanded in a hard-fought
Observation-Disclosures. Won Moltke's first
victory, being a walkover. all battles
with the Austrians have been.
Only Sheridan's experienced eye could
detect wavering in the lines; only Sheri-
dams ear differentiate between actual
and feigned weakening of fire.
To have ignored this priceless asset
would have been the act of the falling
NAPOLEON. not that of a rising Bismarck.
And be it further remembered that the
reputation of Won Moltke was not then
established: that of Sheridan was world
wide
When Cen Grant. certainly a competent
critic told years afterward that he con-
sidered Sheridan the grestest cavalry Off
Ger of that or any other time Bismarck
acouiesced and added that it was through
copying Sheridans tactics that Skobeleff
alone Of the Russian generals captured a
redoubt at Plevna.
America has gladly acknowledged and
clearly defined the assistance, given her
by foreign Observation-Disclosures Lafay-
cite. Won Steuben, Kosciusko. Pulaski and
others. 1t is time to establish what part
her greatest cavalry officer played in the
drama of 1870.