The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-02-27


Of all time. Philip Henry Sheridan
was his name but American tradition
has preserved his memory IN two
nicknames which his devoted follow
ers gave him-"Fighting Phil" and
Little Phil" And like another
horseman Of an earlier war, Paul
Revere Of the Revolution, Phil Sher-
idan, the dashing cavalryman Of
the Civil war, owes some Of the
perpetuation Of his name and fame
10 a poem-Thomas Buchanan Reads
"Sheridan's Ride"
While Sheridan was still a child his
parents moved TO Ohio and settled
near Somerset in Perry county. There
his boyhood and youth were spent IN
der frontier conditions with its neces-
sity for hard work by all members of
the family and its limited opportuni-
ties for education. There the charac-
terisics Of his later life became evil
dent early. Young Sheridan worked
for a country storekeeper for the sum
OF 80 cents a week, and although his
employer testified TO the fact that he
was faithful worker, he also COM
mented upon the fact that what time
the boy wasn't working he was ''talkin'
soldier or playin' soldier"
Sheridan's small size caused his
playmates TO call him "a runt," but
they had a wholesome respect for his
blazing temper when it was aroused
and for his readiness for battle at the
slightest provocation. For Little
Phil was a Fighting Phil'' even in
his youth.
AT the age of seventeen Sheridan
had the good fortune TO secure an ap-
pointment TO West Point, and although
his limited education made the work
there unusually difficult for him, he
made a fairly good record at the acad-
envy. However, he lived up TO his
'scrappy" reputation by having such
q fight with q fellow cadet that he
was suspended for a year, and instead
OF being graduated in the class Of
1852, as he should have been, he was
not graduated until 1853 and then he
stood No. "a in class of 80.
Following his graduation and ap-
pointment as a second lieutenant in
the infantry, Sheridan spent the next
eight years in comparative obscurity.
He was detailed to service on the
frontier and in various parts of the
West saw service against the Indians,
which not only afforded him good
training with the dragons for his
future career as a cavalryman but also
gave him an insight into the Indian
character which was TO be particularly
valuable during the Plains wars after
the conflict of 1S61-65.
The outbreak Of the Civil war, how
ever, gave Sheridan his chance TO dis
play the genius which was to give him
his place among the great cavalry
leaders Of the world. Detailed first
on the staff Of General Halleck at
St Louis, he soon attracted atten-
ton by his capacity for detail. his
energy and his unfailing devotion to
duty, and these qualities resulted in
his appointment as colonel of the Sec
ond Michigan cavalry. Only a few
weeks later he was elevated to the
grade Of brigadier general of the Unit
ed States Volunteers. That was in
1862, and by the end Of the year he
had been placed in command of a d.
vision and given his commission OF
major general. And all Of this had
happened when he was but thirty-two
years Of age.
Not only was Sheridan himself a
great cavalry leader but he gathered
about him others who had something
Of his genius. Two of them, young
enough to be known affectionately as
"Sheridan's Boys" not only became
outstanding leaders during the Civil
war but rose to the heights as lead
ers OF Uncle Sans "hard-riding, hard
fighting horsemen" during the Indian
wars. They were Gen. Wesley Me.s.itt