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execution on the enemy's ranks, especially with our artillery, the enemy having little or none."

Thus ended the battle of Bentonville, both sides holding their own ground and neither able to claim a victory. It was a memorable contest, brilliantly fought, and its whole inception and progress showed the ability of Johnston as a soldier. The manœuvres of the next two days caused him to withdraw, convinced that his chance of beating Sherman had vanished. It was the last battle in that section of the Confederacy. Not many days passed before the news of Lee's surrender reached the armies, and on the 24th of April Johnston, knowing that the cause of the Confederacy was at an end and that further fighting would be mere murder, surrendered to Sherman, receiving the same terms that had been granted to General Lee.

The remainder of General Johnston's career was a quiet one, with no incident specially calling for mention. He engaged after the war in the railroad and insurance business, and in 1877 was elected to Congress from Richmond. President Cleveland afterward appointed him United States commissioner of railroads. He made his home at Savannah, Georgia, and was active in endeavoring to improve the industries of the South. Death came to end his career on the 21st of March, 1891.

PHILIP H. SHERIDAN, THE HERO OF

THE RIDE FROM WINCHESTER

AMONG the many able soldiers whom the Civil War produced there was none more admired than Sheridan, the hard rider and resistless fighter. He well deserved the title of the "Whirlwind of the Shenandoah Valley." Grant says of him: "As a soldier there is no man living greater than Sheridan. He belongs to the very first class of captains, not only of our army, but of the world. I rank him with Napoleon and Frederick and the great commanders of history." This is high praise, but Sheridan did much to deserve it.

Philip Henry Sheridan was of Irish descent, his father coming from Ireland three years before, on the 6th of March, 1831, Philip was born in the Ohio town of Somerset. The family was poor, and the boy had to work in the village stores, getting what little education he could. He was of the true Irish spirit, fond alike of a frolic or a fight, making friends of everybody, a born soldier, delighting in organizing the village boys into companies and drilling them severely. History he loved to read, especially the stories of wars. No doubt he took an intense interest in the battles of the Mexican war, and shortly afterwards, in 1848, he was fortunate in getting admission to West Point. Here his old spirit broke out, he had quarrels, he broke rules, and succeeded in getting suspended for a year, not graduating till 1853.

As a soldier he spent years in the far West, where he succeeded in seeing some fighting against the Indians,

a party of whom attacked the blockhouse at the Cascades of the Columbia. With the dragoons and a few companies of the Ninth Infantry he drove them off. He won compliments for his gallantry in this action and was put in command over the Indian reservation. Such was his position in 1861, when the Civil War began.

Sheridan was called to the East, where every soldier was now needed, a lieutenant still, but modestly hoping that he "might get a captaincy out of the thing." This rank was given him on June 18, he being put in command of a company in the thirteenth infantry, of which William T. Sherman was the colonel. He was next appointed quartermaster and commissary on the staff of General Curtis, then in Missouri, but in this post did not give satisfaction, and was sent to General Halleck, then advancing on Corinth, after the battle of Shiloh. Halleck had served in California and knew something of Sheridan, and on May 25, 1862, had him appointed colonel of the second Michigan cavalry.

Sheridan had now gained a position in which he was able to show what was in him. His fine fighting at Brownville, Mississippi, on July 1, won him promotion to brigadier-general of volunteers, and on October 8 he commanded a division in the battle of Perryville, where he distinguished himself alike for daring and ability in handling troops. It was, however, in the desperate two days' battle at Stone River that he had the first opportunity to make his powers known. Here his division held the key of the position for three hours, his three brigade commanders and nearly half his men falling, yet he fighting on with a stubborn resolution that went far to win the day. For his gallantry in this fight he was made a major-general of volunteers.

He continued to make his mark during the following year, taking part in various combats, the greatest of which was the disastrous battle of Chickamauga, September 19 and 20. Here, through some mistake or some misunderstanding of orders, Sheridan's division became separated from the rest of the army, and had to fight alone against superior forces. Its resistance was vigorous, but in the end it was driven from the field.

There followed a series of brilliant events around Chattanooga, where Grant took command and in late November launched his whole army against that of General Bragg, strongly intrenched on Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. In the movement against the latter Sheridan's division formed the centre of the column and in the final day's fight, that of the 25th, did work reflecting the highest honor on itself and its gallant leader.

Moving from the timber in which his lines had been formed, the men charged at double-quick across an open plain against the first Confederate line of rifle-pits, at the foot of the ridge. The work was so rapid and impulsie that the men were in the pits before any effective defence could be made and drove the defenders pellmell from their works, killing some, capturing many.

To take this line was all that Grant had intended and a messenger was on the way with instructions to that effect. But the victorious troops and their impulsive leader did not wait for orders. Already they were rushing up the five-hundred-feet hill, and in a few minutes had stormed and captured the second line of works, half-way up the slope. The daring fellows were not to be stopped by orders or by the storm of bullets that met them as they rushed with wild cheers

on upward, and we may be sure that Sheridan was not far behind the front.

Soon the crest of the hill was gained and they met its defenders in a desperate hand to hand conflict with a force and fury that nothing could withstand. The Confederates were forced from their guns and driven down the opposite slope, their pace accelerated by a shower of stones from Sheridan's men, who had no time to reload. Before the last of the charging column had reached the crest Bragg's men, utterly demoralized by their sudden defeat, were in hurried retreat, with their large wagon train, along the valley below.

Sheridan's conduct in this brilliant victory was fully appreciated by Grant. He saw that in the young Irish leader he had a man who could fight to win, and in the following year, when he was made the nation's commander-in-chief, Sheridan was one of the men he asked for. When, in March, 1864, he took command of the army of the Potomac, he told President Lincoln that he wanted the very best leader in the army. "How would Sheridan do?" asked Halleck, who was present. "The very man I want," said Grant. Sheridan was at once ordered north, and on April 4 he took command of the cavalry corps of the army of the Potomac, which he set himself at once to bring into the best fighting trim.

Work was soon cut out for him. On May 8, after having helped effectively in the battle of the Wilderness, Sheridan was ordered to break loose from the army, attack the cavalry of the enemy, cut his line of communications and supplies, and sweep around Lee's lines to Butler's position on the James River. This was work to Sheridan's heart and he accomplished it with his usual vim and promptitude. Dashing towards

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