Historical collections of Ohio in three volumes ; an encyclopedia of the state : with notes of a tour over it in 1886 contrasting the Ohio of 1846 with 1886-90, Vol. III, Part 6

Author: Howe, Henry, 1816-1893
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Columbus, Ohio : Henry Howe & Son
Number of Pages: 1200

USA > Ohio > Historical collections of Ohio in three volumes ; an encyclopedia of the state : with notes of a tour over it in 1886 contrasting the Ohio of 1846 with 1886-90, Vol. III > Part 6

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The Mother of Sheridan, now in her 87th year, is a short, slender, delicate woman, with sparkling black eyes. She could not have weighed over ninety pounds, erect, active and sprightly as a girl. She was all vohbility and seemed overflowing with good spirits. At Inuch she asked me, " Please to take that

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seat." I replied, " Any seat at the table with the mother of Gen. Sheridan is an honor." She gracefully bowed, smiled, and gave a "Thank you, sir."

To a question, later, in the parlor, about her son, she replied, " Oh, he's an Ohio boy." The way she replied, "Oh, he's an Ohio boy," showed she was filled with the sense of the greatness of Ohio. Just as she an- swered it, the subject was changed by my companion, Mr. a friend of the family. interrupting. He took from the shelf and showed me a war bonnet of the Cheyennes. It was a gorgeous affair of fuss and feathers, and the only garment which those wild creatures wear when they go naked, riding and whooping, into battle.

Among the curiosities in the house was the inkstand used by Gen. Lee in signing the arti- cles of surrender. In the parlor Mrs. Sheridan showed me " Phil.'s" photograph in a line with his staff, some fifteen or twenty young men. With a single exception he was the shortest of the group, and so worn down at the close of the war, she said he weighed but 130 pounds. It was evident that Sheridan's activity of mind and person came from this bright little woman. It is quite a satisfac- tion to me that I have had interviews with the mothers of both Sheridan and Grant- the latter is given in Vol. I., p. 333.

From the Sheridan place we continued our walk to St. Joseph. The church shown in the picture had been burnt and rebuilt, and a new noble college building added. The Fathers showed me a large billiard-room for the recreation of the students, an innovation upon the idea of the old time as to the pro- prieties ; also the library, which is famous for its rare collection of ancient theological works.

South of St. Joseph the whole country looms up into one huge rounded hill, dotted with fields, forests and farms, and thus to the eye ends the globe in that direction. St. Jo- seph is a very secluded "shut-out-of-the- world " spot. In my original visit I passed over the Sabbath with the Fathers at St. Jo- seph.

The Sisters were at St. Mary's and were teachers in the seminary. Pleasant yonng women I found them, social and kindly. One with whom I conversed, I alone remember- Sister Veronica. I inquired about her and the answer was, "She died about seventeen years ago ; " and abont Father Wilson, whom I also met there, and the answer also was, "dead."

SISTER VERONICA is a pleasing memory of a blue-eyed, fair-haired girl. I could not well forget her, for she told me in such a simple, artless way why she had that name given to her, by relating the beautiful legend on which it was founded, which we here give for the reading of such as may never have heard it :

" As Christ was bearing the cross a woman advanced from the crowd and taking her veil from her head, wiped the sweat and blood from his face and brow, when a miracle was

performed ; an exact image of our Saviour's. face was printed thereon. Thereafter she was called ' Veronica, the woman of the veil.' That concluded, she is one of the legends of the church. It is not essential to our faith that we should believe them."

FATHER WILSON was a different character, but interesting. He was, I believe, New England born, and I think from the State of Maine. He had first gone from a carpenter's bench into the ministry of the Methodist church and then into that of the Catholic. As is usual in such cases his zeal was propor- tionate to the greatness of the change. He invited me to hear him the Sunday I was here. I remember only the opening words, "In the world's great progress. At the same time he outstretched his palms and carried into his preaching the shoutings and mannerisms of an old-style Methodist camp- meeting orator. This must have sometimes astonished his associate priests, being so differ- ent from their own.

With tender sympathy he approached me on the subject of my soul's salvation. I inquired if after the manner of the Protestants would not answer every practical_purpose ? He shook his head. Thereupon, I said : "I have a cousin, a Protestant, a cashier in a bank ; his name, Amos Townsend. For years when a young man, he boarded himself ; lived on the most frugal fare and dressed in simple attire ; this was to save money that he might alleviate human woe. All his spare time was given to religions ministrations and visiting the poor and sick, and his purse was ever open to objects of suffering. When well advanced in life he married a woman who was' his counterpart ; she had long been his helpmeet in works of charity and they had grown into each other's lives. Then he took a little cottage and kept a horse and buggy. For his own gratification ? Not in the least ; but to take ont the sick poor that they might have the benefit of fresh air and green fields. So holy, pure and self-denying is he that his townsmen look npon him as a wonder. the single one man among them all who follows to the last syllable the teachings of the 'Ser- mon on the Mount.' He is small in person, face sad, calin and saintly-so saintly that his townsmen call him Saint Paul."

Ilaving thus stated, I asked the reverend father, "Where he would go when he died ?"

He replied, "Amos Townsend is doubtless a good man. He has repented, but not believed. He has fulfilled only a part of the law, so can't be saved."

" Go to Purgatory ? " " No !"

" What ! lower ?"

Upon this he simply nodded, but uttered no dreadful word ; neither did I.

Were Father Wilson living to-day he would doubtless find that "in the world's great prog- ress " his opinions had changed.

Furthermore, he would see that this world is growing wiser, more humane as it grows older. The angelie in man is rising. The children are better than their fathers, because

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wiser. With true religion, intelligence, and not ignorance, must be considered the mother of Devotion. The conception of a recluse of the middle ages was weak compared to the sublime thought which filled the soul of Car- dinal Newman when he was brought to face that ever unanswerable question, "Canst thou by searching find out God ?" Science

teaches Him in the universe and but supple- ments and enlarges our conception of the "Great First Cause least understood," the all-soul-filling ONE. Justice is the armor of love. In the ultimate, love must triumph. God reigns. "God is love." These, my lines, express in part my theology.

THE SUPREME POWER.

JEHOVAH moves the mighty worlds, And spreads the silent stars in view,

With glory lights the summer clouds, Beneath the beauteous dome of blue.

No woe betides and no storm alarms, Offspring of His great, loving heart ; Cast in his celestial form 'Mid mystery all, we form a part ;

He whispers in the rustling leaves And sparkles in the smiling morn ;

While every sound-that charms the ear, And every scene that glads the eye-

Awakes the soul with sweetest strains, And blesses from our very dawn.

Innocence, love and starry worlds- Alike proclaim DIVINITY :-

Who spake, when light from darkness flashed, Mountains from oceans skyward sprang, While star sang unto star As each in glory on its course began. GENERAL PHILIP HENRY SHERIDAN CHRONOLOGY.

Born in Albany, New York, March 6, 1831, the son of Irish laboring people. Lived his infancy and youth in Somerset, Ohio ; was a clerk for a while in Somerset in the hardware store of John Talbot and then in the dry-goods store of Finck & Dittoe, and from there entered as a cadet the United States Military Academy, July 1, 1848. Graduated July 1, 1853, thirty-fourth in his class of fifty two, of which James B. McPherson was the head, and of which General Hood, of the Confederate, and Schofield, of the Union army, were also members. Then he entered the army as Brevet Second Lieutenant, Ist Infantry, May 14, 1851 ; became Captain, 13th Infantry. In the volunteer service the ranks and dates of ap- pointment were : May 25, 1862, Colonel, 2d Michigan Cavalry ; July, 1862, Brigadier- General ; January 31, 1863, Major-General. In the regular army the dates and ranks were : September 20, 1864, Brigadier-General ; November 8, 1864, Major-General ; March 4, 1869, Lieutenant-General ; June 1, 1888, General. Three officers only had before received this commission, viz. : Washington, Grant and Sherman. He was the nineteenth General-in chief of the United States army. For forty years-1848 to 1888 -- from Cadet to General, he was in his country's service. He died, August 5, 1888, at Nonquitt, Mass., fifty-seven years five months of age, and lies buried in the National Cemetery, Arlington, the greatest city of the soldier's dead, and he the greatest soldier of them all. His grave is on the hill-slope, overlooking the capital of his country, which he loved so well. In 1879 Sheridan married Miss Lucker, the daughter of Daniel II. Lucker, of the United States army. He was a Roman Catholic and devoted to his duties as such.

Sheridan never was defeated and often plucked victory out of the jaws of defeat. He was thoroughly trusted and admired, and loved by his officers and men. He bore the niekname of "Little Phil," a term of en- dearment due to his size, like the "Petite Corporal" of Napoleon I. He was below the middle height, five feet five inches ; but powerfully built, with a strong countenance, indicative of valor and resolution. His energy and endurance were remarkable. He could, when occasion required great efforts, endure for long periods great physical strain and loss of sleep.

It was frequently said that Sheridan had seen the backs of more rebels than any other federal General. This is doubtless true, and of itself expresses as well as implies a good deal. It was known that he was about equally

skilful in the command of artillery, cavalry and infantry. He commanded in the East as well as in the West and was popular and suc- cessful with both armies. He changed the cavalry arm of the service from an inefficient, unreliable force, into a well-disciplined, in- vincible, victorious army. He brought his division-all there was left of it-intact out of the deadly struggle in the tall cedars at Stone river. Though badly cut up with General MeCook's corps at Chickamauga, Sheridan rallied the remnant of his division and proceeded to march in the direction of the sound of General Thomas' guns.

It was Sheridan who changed the valley of the Shenandoah from a valley of humiliation into a land of triumph. After the Shenan- doah was cleared of the enemy he was called back to the main army in front of Richmond.

MUSH ING. PONI'S

Drawn by Henry Howe in 1886.

PORTRAIT AND BOYHOOD HOME OF GENERAL SHERIDAN.

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Grant's whole operations during the summer of 1864 and the early part of the year 1865, had been little less than a series of bloody disasters, and, as offensive movements, were certainly not successful. Eventually, Grant decided to make a last desperate effort to break the rebel lines and General Sheridan was selected to lead the momentous expedi- tion. About three o'clock one morning Grant called Sheridan from his bed and told him what was to be done. "I want you to break the rebel lines," says General Grant, "and if you fail go and join Sherman." "I'll make the attempt," replies Sheridan," but I'll not go to Sherman ; I propose to end it right here." Right there, in the breast of little Phil Sheridan, was the crack of doom for the Southern Confederacy. Sheridan's command charged at Five Forks; the hitherto invincible

lines of General Lee were broken, and Rich- mond doomed. Lee's army was routed ; re- treated in great confusion and the Confederate administration hastily deserted the rebel capital. It was a great victory for the army of the Potomac; but few dreamed-not even General Grant-that the war was virtually over. It was Sheridan who, with his accus- tomed habit of following closely upon the backs of the defeated rebels, at once discovered the true condition of things and despatched back to Grant : " Hurry up the troops ; Lee must surrender if closely pressed. I am sure of it."

Meanwhile Sheridan had a sharp engage- ment at or near Hanover Court-house, the last stand Lee's ragged and brave veterans ever made. Grant hurried up the troops and Appomattox was the result.

From the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, Ohio Commandery, issued in memoriam of Sheridan, we extraet these passages :

His humble birth and humble life to his cadetship was not the least important in shaping his subsequent career. Though of foreign parentage he was imbued with the true spirit of Americanism which possessed him in mature manhood to a marked degree. The warm Irish blood flowing in his veins made service for his country a passion as well as a duty.

General Sheridan, with true soldierly instinct, preferred to attack the enemy and keep him employed, rather than to allow him time to make combinations and execute his own plans.

A characteristic of General Sheridan, not common to many other commanders on the field, and the one without doubt that enabled him to achieve success and fame, was the quality of being more self-possessed and fuller of resources and expedients in the tumult of the battle than at any other time. He gave con- clusive evidence to those who observed him closely before and during a great and severely contested field engagement of awakening to a higher degree of mental power when danger was most imminent, than he displayed at any other time, or under ordinary cirenmstances. His original plan of battle, as is common through unforseen causes, might prove to be defective, or become impracticable ; yet he under such circumstances never became disconcerted or dismayed, and he was always fortunate enough to instantaneously make a new plan of battle or other new combinations, which were executed to meet the exigencies and to insure final and complete success.

Success and generalship are synonyms in war.

He had no patience with mediocrity in an officer high in command-it was not ordinary acts that were required to win a battle, but extraordinary ones, and an officer incapable of such should be removed.

Shortly after General Grant took command of all the armies of the United States, and on April 4, 1864, Sheridan was placed in command of the cavalry corps operating with the Army of the Potomac. At once his superiority as a cavalry officer showed itself. To confront him was the flower of the Confederate cavalry under an active, renowned leader, with other experienced officers under him. The pride of the South was in the efficiency and chivalry of its mounted soldiers and their best were concentrated in the East.

General Sheridan decided to fight with the sword and thenceforth the carbine and pistol became comparatively useless instruments in the hands of the enemy's cavalry ; as, in close conflicts or melee, friend was as likely to be slot as foe, and the sabre wielded by the strong-armed Northern soldier was irresistible. When confronted by infantry, he fought his cavalry dismounted, then using the carbine efficiently.

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From the time this mode of warfare was put in practice to the end of the war, Sheridan's cavalry against a like arm of the service was invincible, regardless of any disparity of numbers. We have the recent testimony of the present Emperor of Germany that, in the manner of fighting cavalry and in the mode of conducting campaigns, Sheridan has taught great military men new lessons in warfare.

The greatest soldiers of modern Europe, Von Moltke and others, and the most illustrious soldier of our own country, General Grant, have concurred in pronouncing Sheridan the most accomplished of the great field-generals of the world.

When, after the battle of Cedar Creek, in recognition of that great exploit, Sheridan was commissioned to be Major-General in the regular army, the veteran journalist, Chas. A. Dana, then Assistant Secretary of War, was de- spatched with the commission from Washington to Sheridan's camp, where he arrived late that night. What followed he related, years after, in his naper the New York Sun :

The next morning the General took me on foot through his camp, and as we went among the regiments and brigades and greeted old ac- quaintances on every hand, I was everywhere struck with the manifestations of the personal attachment to Sheridan. I had not seen any- thing like it in either of our great armies. Grant, Sherman, Thomas, all moved among their troops with every mark of respect and confidence on the part of the men ; but in Sheridan's eamp it was quite different. They seemed to regard him more as a boy regards the father he believes in, relies on and loves, than as soldiers are wont to regard their eom- mander. Finally, as we were completing our morning's tour and had got nearly back to headquarters, I said to him : "General, how is this? These men appear to have a special affection for you, more than I have ever seen

displayed toward any other officer. What is the reason ?"

"Well," said he, "I think I can tell you. I always fight in the front rank myself. I was long ago convinced that it would not do for a commanding general to stay in the rear of the troops and carry on a battle with paper orders, as they do in the Army of the Potomac. These men all know that where it is hottest there I am, and they like it, and that is the reason they like me."

"One thing more, General," I said. "Are you afraid, or don't you eare ? What is the real truth about it ?"

"The man who says he isn't afraid under fire," he answered, "is a liar. I am damned afraid, and if I followed my own impulse I should turn and get out. It is all a question of the power of the mind over the body."

SHERIDAN'S RIDE.

This famous poem beginning with-

"Up from the South at break of day, Bringing to Winchester fresh dismay,"

was a great factor in spreading the fame of Sheridan, and goes linked with it to posterity, together with the name of Buchanan Read, the poet-painter, who wrote it for James E. Murdoch, the elocutionist. Read died, May 11, 1872, in New York, while Murdoch is still living in Cincinnati, where he is greatly respected, and at the advanced age of eighty years.

The history of its production is thus given in the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette of July 17, 1887, by Henry W. Teetor :

' "Sheridan's Ride" was composed Mon- day, November 1, 1864, in the front room of a three-story briek building, yet standing, and now known as No. 49 West Eighth street, then oeeupied by Cyrus Garrett, Esq., brother-in-law of Mr. Read.

The simple story of the composition of the famous ode is this : The evening of that day had been set apart for the Murdoch ovation, which took place at Pike's Opera-house. Mr. E. D. Grafton, the eminent artist, had met

Garrett upon Fourth street in the morning and handed him Harper's Weekly, containing the picture of "Sheridan's Ride to the Front." After a word of conversation in regard to the illustration, Garrett took the picture to his residence and soon after the subject of the celebrated ride, as sketched, came up. The following is Mr. Murdoch's account of that conversation, as told upon the stage by way of a prelude to reading the poem : "During the morning a friend with whom I was conversing

Filned

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happened to pick up the last issue of Harper's Weekly, on the title-page of which was the picture of Sheridan. "There's a poem in that picture,' said my friend. 'Suppose I have one written for you to read to-night ?' 'But,' I replied, 'I shall not have time to look it over and catch its inner meaning and beauties, and besides I am not in the habit of reading a poem at night written in the morning.'

That friend was Cyrus Garrett, who had previously familiarly said to his brother-in- law, "Buck, there is a poem in that pic- ture." To which Read replied, "Do you suppose I can write a poem to order, just as you go to Sprague's and order a coat ?" [It is Mr. Alexander Hill's impression, how- ever, that this remark was also made by Mr. Murdoch to Read.] After this Read and Murdoch parted-Read to his room and Mur- doch to his musings.

When Read retired to his room he said to his wife : "Hattie, do not let me be inter- rupted. I am not to be called even if the house takes fire." During his seclusion Read called for a cup of strong tea and then re- sumed his pen. About noon his work was done. The poem was given to his wife to copy, while Read at once left home and, going over to the studio of his friend, said, "Grafton, I have just written something fresh-hot from the oven-and left Murdoch committing it for a recitation to-night."

Concerning the reception of that poem, as inimitably interpreted by Murdoch, the Com- mercial's report was, " Peal after peal of en- thusiasm punctuated the last three glowing verses. So long and loud was the applause at its end that Mr. Murdoch was called to the footlights, and Mr. Read only escaped the congratulations of the audience by refusing to respond, as he could not adequately do, he seemed to think, to the clamorous utterances of his name."

A remark made by a prominent citizen may also be given as indicating the effect upon the audience. When the poem was ended and Sheridan had " got there," with profound relief the late William Resor said : "Thank

God ! I was afraid Sheridan would not get there."

"In a conversation with Read," said Mr. Grafton to the writer, "L once ventured to say, 'Read, did you take nothing but a pot of black tea into your room with you when you invoked the muse for 'Sheridan's Ride ?' To my surprise, in a most unexpected, placid manner, he said : 'I took nothing else but. that. Let me confess to you a fact : I can do nothing with the pen unless I am clear- headed. I know,' he continued, 'that poem, with its faults, came from no inspiration of the bottle. I would like, however, to have corrected some of those faults, but Bayard Taylor advised me not to allow the least change or emendation, but to let it stand as written.' The wisdom of this advice insured its acceptance, and if I mistake not, it now stands word for word as the muse gave it, nothing to add or subtract."

"Mr. Read also said this to me: 'They may talk what they choose about Byron, Burns, Poe and others writing so finely under the influence of drink, but I don't believe a word of it. If the tongue does wag, the brain will lag when much drink has been in- dulged in, for then I have discovered I am just about as dumb as a Prince's Bay oyster. "

Not long before "Death bowed to him his sable plume, " Read thus wrote to his friend, Henry C. Townsend, Esq. :

" I want to tell you now and solemnly that a deep sense of my duty to my God, as well as to my fellow-man, has gradually been descend- ing upon me, and it is to me a source of in- finite pleasure that I can look back upon all the poetry I have ever written and find it contains no line breathing a doubt upon the blessed Trinity and the great Redemption of man. When I have written my verses I have been alone with my soul and with God, and not only dared not lie, but the inspiration of the truth was to me so beautiful that no un- worthy thought dared obtrude itself upon the page. This was entirely owing to the good- ness of God, who saw what it was to be, and saved me from subsequent mortification and regret.'

NEW LEXINGTON, county-seat of Perry, is about fifty miles southwest of Co- lumbus, on the C. & M. V. and T. & O. C. Railroads. This town was laid out in 1817, by James Comly, on farm land bought by him of Samuel Clayton, whose farm it had been. Just before the outbreak of the Rebellion, after a struggle of years with the people of Somerset, the county-seat was removed from that place to this.

County officers, 1888 : Auditor, Asbury F. Randolph ; Clerk, Philip Allen ; Commissioners, Levi H. Kennedy, Z. S. Poulson, Joshua B. Larimer ; Coroner, Glen A. Emery ; Infirmary Directors, James Danison, Charles Watts, William T. Stevens ; Probate Judge, Charles E. Spencer ; Prosecuting Attorney, Maurice H. Donahoe ; Recorder, David E. McCloy ; Sheriff, George W. Irvin ; Surveyor, John D. Minaugh; Treasurer, B. F. Rodgers. City officers, 1888 : Edgar M. Braddock, Mayor; Frank E. Fox, Clerk ; Jas. W. Montgomery, Treasurer ; A. J. Robinson, Marshal ; Jefferson Tracy, Street Commissioner ; Henry D. Cochrain, Solicitor, Newspapers: Democratic Herald, Democratic, Cullinan & Meloy,

PERRY COUNTY.

editors and publishers ; Tribune, Republican, J. F. McMahon, editor and pub- Jisher. Churches : 1 Methodist, 1 Presbyterian, 1 Catholic, 1 Lutheran and 2 Baptist.

Manufactures and Employees .- Oliver K. Granger, flour, etc., 3 hands ; Starr Manufacturing Co., Powers' feed grinders, 18 ; S. A. Arnold, flour and feed, 3; Selden McGirr, doors, sash, etc., 5 ; D. C. Fowler, lumber, 3; Perry Creamery Co., butter, 3 .- State Report, 1888.

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Historical collections of Ohio in three volumes ; an encyclopedia of the state : with notes of a tour over it in 1886 contrasting the Ohio of 1846 with 1886-90, Vol. III, Part 6

Author: Howe, Henry, 1816-1893 Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Columbus, Ohio : Henry Howe & Son Number of Pages: 1200

Author: Howe, Henry, 1816-1893
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Columbus, Ohio : Henry Howe & Son
Number of Pages: 1200