The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-11-16
THE truth
About The Famous Ride Of
Sheridan
philadelphia Ledger

w hcu yOu VAIN litO d uilduGlDnlt
jewelry store almost the first person
you see is Major William A. Wieder
sheim. This debonair, gray-mustachet
gentleman witnessde one of the mos
dramatic incidents of the Civil War.
The Major Is the identical man who
started General Sheridan on his fam
Gus ride from Winchester to Cedar
Creek. Like the Charge of the Light
Brigade at Balaklava, Sheridan's dasf
into far-off battle has been popular
lied, and even immortalized, by 6
poem.
Colonel Forsythe's recent death re
called this incident of the rebellion, sc
l asked Major Wiedrsheim yesterday
to tell me exactly what had happened
Il was then an officer on the staff OF
General Oliver Edwards" said he, "ant
our brigade was stationed at Winches
ter as a garrison. Our headquarters
were in the fine home of a Mr.. Logan
who was evidently a rich man. He
had two pianos in the house and we
lvide in comfort.
General Sheridan had been tc
Washington, and on his return journey
to join his army in the valley he
stopped to spend the night with Gener
al Edwards and slept in big, com
Portable room in our house."
A popular yarn is to the effect that
Sheridan was carousing in Winchester
and that was the reason he was alb
sent from the army when it was sur
prised by the Confederates on that
early morning in October, 1864. But
that is fable.
1T was my duty as officer of the day
to be up early" continued Major Wied.
ersheim, "and when I went out to see
about the pickets the morning after
Sheridan's arrival I heard distinctly
the cannonade far to the south. !
spoke to sentinel about 1t and he said
he had heard intermittent firing for
some time.
Il fastened back to the Logan house,
aroused General Edwards and informed
him about what had heard.
Tell General Sheridan that said
he, and l walked to Little Phil's' room,
knocked upon the door and was told to
enter.
Sheridan was in bed, and when !
related what had happened, without a
""~ent's delay he said: "Send for my
orderly
- he orderly came, Sheridan had
breakfast Immediately, and in a very
short time he mounted his coal-black
charge, Rienzi and galloped away"
In his poem, which was written af-
and which gained great popu.
larity throughout the North. it being a
lavorite with many actors, Thomas
Buchanan Read takes q poets license
with geography:
up from the South at break of day
Bringing to Winchester fresh dismay
The affrighted air with shudder bore
Like herald in haste to the chief
tain's door
The terrible grumble and rumble and
roar,
Telling the battle was on once more,
And Sheridan twenty miles away"
THE truth was" said Major Wied-
ersheim, Sheridan was only IL miles
away, but that was enough"
Sheridan, as the poet relates, rode
at full speed all the way.
The heart of the steed and the heart
of the master
Were beating like prisoners assaulting
their walls,
to be where the battlefield
calls"
When Sheridan on his foam-flecked
steed appeared like an apparition be-
fore the disordered and fleeing Union
troops they faced about, following him
with a cheer, and won a battle that
had been lost. Like Lees famous gray
horse Traveller and Wellington's Wat
erloo mount, Copenhagen. Sheridan's
Rienzi became quite as much Of hero
rs the General:
by the flash of his eye and the red
nostrils play
He seemed to the whole great army to
say:
i have brought you Sheridan all the
way
From Winchester down to save the
day."
WAR QnMlIc EnR WNRkEQC