The New York herald., 1921-07-03
MAJOR SPERA RODE
WITH GEN. SHERIDAN
Last of Escort on Famous
Dash Died Recently in
Council Bluffs.

Special Despatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD
OMAHA, July 2.-Major Weidner Har-
vey Spera, aged 81, born in Ephrata'
Lancaster county, Pa, and the last sur
viving member of the escort which rode
with Gen. Phil Sheridan on the famou;
ride from Winchester down TO Cedar
Creek, when Gen. Sheridan saved the
day for the Union army. died at his
home, 735 Madison avenue, Council
Bluffs, some days ago.
Major Spera was In command OF
sheridan's escort during the famous ride
and was Sheridans aide de-camp
through the later battles Of the civil
war.
Immediately after the war began
Major spera organized a troop OF
cavalry IN Lancaster county. That wes
in 1851 He was commissioned captain
OF this troop. Later he was promoted to
be major and thereafter served with
the Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry
throughout the war.
Following the war Mr.. Spera went to
Philadelphia and entered newspaper
work. In the next few years he was
editor of newspapers in both Reading
and Harrisburg. In 1881 he came West
and settled in Council Bluffs. where he
remained until his death.
It was on the morning OF October 10
1864, that Major Spera. under orders
from Washin gton, met Gen. Sheridan at
Kernstcwn. where the latter had just ar
rived from Washington.
I'VE heard firing" said the Major
30 .Io OF ed q
ourselves. Gen. Sheridan himself spoke
oe the firing and thought 1t might be
an attack upon q squad Of his men he
had sent to reconnoiter the country.
1.-The firing seemed to grow heavier
and nearer. AS we rode out of town and
reached the top Of a hill we saw mer
coming toward US, and coming quickly
too 1t looked mighty like the rout al
Charlottesville to me- I vas riding
with the advance guard Of our command
Then Gen. Sheridan himself, who
had been busy getting in touch with
things, heard the firing and noted the
prisoners escaping.
There was something doing at once.
Personally Gen. Sheridan ordered me to
take twenty OF my very best men and
could get them formed Sheridan. on his
road toward Cedar Creek.
II was riding a good sorrel, and you
may know something about the pace
Gen. Sheridan set US when / tell you
that my sorrei died week later from
the effects OF that famous ride.
'All the way we saw men on the re-
treat. There may have been 1000 and
again there may have been 10000. for
all we knew. AS Sheridan passed by
each group he would shout:
Face about, boys! We're going tc
sleep in the old camp tonight! Face
aboutr
"And the boys faced ABOUT and went
back to fight
"I remember, as we tore along the
road leading to the front seeing Lieut.
Mckinley afterward the President
come riding out of the timber never
knew where he was coming from moi
where he went
ing under his defeat of a month befors
had planned to surround Bel Grove, the
Sheridan headquarters, and capture tho
General himself
EARLY did not discover his mistake
until he was aroused by the cheers Of the
Union soldiers for Sheridan as the latter
rode UP and down the line, reforming
the ranks
Everybody knows the result. Blu,
that night Sheridan held a sort of con.
gratulatory reception in Bel Grove"
or the twenty men who rode dowr
from Winchester that day with Sheridan
Major Spera was the last to die