The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1931-02-20

heights in 1864 when he was made
chief Of the cavalry corps of the Army
of the Potomac and started upon his
famous campaign in the Shenandoah
valley of Virginia. There his problem
was to checkmate another brilliant
cavalry leader. Gen. Jubal A. Early
of the Confederate army, and to dew
estate this rich country so that it
could no longer feed the Confederate
army.
It was during this campaign that
the incident occurred which inspired
Reads famous poem and gave rise to
one Of those popular legends so dear
to the heart of Americans-and SO
filled with inaccuracies as to histori-
cal fact! That legend tells how Sher-
idan at Winchester, hearing heavy
firing in the direction of Cedar Creek,
where his army was stationed, sus-
pected something was wrong. sprang
to the back of his coal black charger,
winchester" and made mad dash
of 20 miles to find his army being
routed by Earlys surprise attack.
Then, according to the school book
histories, Swinging his hat, he dashed
along the line of battle, shouting
Never mind, boys, we'll whip them
yet The boys responded by throw
ing up their caps and hurrahing with
the widest joy. Before night set in
they drove Early out of the Valley"
A reference to Sheridan's Personal
Memoirs and other standard authori-
ties, however, will show that the leg
end can stand considerable correction.
In the first place Sheridan did not
ride any 20 miles, as the poet has him
doing. 1t is only ID miles from Win
chester to Cedar Creek and he had his
first view of his disorganized army at
Mill Creek, less than mile from Win
chester. From there to the actual
front" it was not much more than
nine or ten miles. Nor was his ride
made alone nor covered at top speed
all the way, as the poet would have
us believe He was accompanied by
two of his aides-de-camp, Maj. George
A. Forsythe and Capt. Joseph O'Keefe
and at various places along the route
of his progress toward the enemy he
paused long enough to give orders to
various officers about rallying the re-
treating Union troops. AS for the
''Turn, boys, turn! We're going
back" type of exclamation so often
attributed to Sheridan, these words
from his "Memoirs" speak for them
selves: ~ said nothing except to re-
mark as I rode among those on the
road: IF I had been with you this
morning this disaster would not have
happened. We must face the other
way; we will go back and recover our
camp"
Although Sheridan is known to more
Americans because of this incident
than any other in his career, that ca
reer continued long after the Civil
war. 1t included service on the Mex,-
can border in the days when the Max
milan incident was a threat to our
peaceful relations with European
countries, during the Indian wars on
the plains when he was in command
of the operations which finally brought
about the subjugation of the warlike
tribes, as guest observer on the staff
of King William during the Franco
Prussian war and as commander In
chief of the United States army after
the retirement of Sherman. Sheridan
died in 1888 at the age of. fifty-seven
years with the rank Of full general,
grade which had been restored by con-
gress that year in his favor.
GO by Western Newspaper union.)