Richmond, he destroyed Lee's stores at Beaver Dam, recaptured four hundred Union prisoners on their way to Libby prison, destroyed miles of railroad and telegraph, and on the 11th met Stuart at Yellow Tavern in the hottest cavalry fight of the war. Stuart, Lee's ablest cavalry commander, fell on the field and his men were driven back, while Sheridan crossed the Chickahominy and made a dash on the defences of Richmond. After having four cavalry fights in all, he went into camp on the James, where he gave his men a three days' rest. For more than two weeks Grant was saved from all annoyances by the cavalry of the enemy.

We cannot name all the combats in which Sheridan took part. His one failure was when he was sent to the Shenandoah Valley on June 6 to cut the Virginia Central Railroad and relieve General Hunter, then in a critical position far up the valley. This movement did not succeed and Hunter was soon after forced into a retreat to West Virginia, leaving the valley undefended. Lee took quick advantage of this state of affairs by despatching General Early on his famous movement, in which Maryland was invaded and Washington put in serious danger of capture. On July 11 Early was within view of the capital, which a little more energy might have put into his hands. But the rapid gathering of troops, obliged him to retreat and he was soon in the valley again, which was dominated by his victorious troops.

Early's threatening attitude led Grant to send Sheridan to face him, a new division, named the Middle Military Division, being formed and put under Sheridan, who was given an army of thirty thousand men, eight thousand of whom were cavalry. Hunter's troops from West Virginia subsequently joined it,

making a total force of forty-five thousand men, with twenty-two batteries of artillery. This was the force that afterwards became famous as the Army of the Shenandoah.

Sheridan took his time. He was feeling his way and getting acquainted with the situation. There were marching and countermarching and fights here and there of minor importance, but a month or more passed with no decisive action and the positions of the two armies remained with little change. Each of the generals had felt the other and found him too strong to attack. The country grew impatient. People were eager to see something done. Grant himself did not understand the reasons for delay and visited Sheridan, intending to propose a plan of operations. But when he saw the state of affairs and learned that Sheridan was only biding his time, waiting till he could take his adversary at a disadvantage, the shrewd commander concluded that his able subordinate did not need advice but was quite able to take care of himself. The time came in September. Early had been strongly posted on Fisher's Hill, two miles south of Strasburg. On September 14 General Anderson's force left him, under orders to join General Lee. Early further weakened his army by sending a large detachment to Martinsburg, his men being stretched out in a long line through Bunker Hill and Winchester.

This unwise weakening of his force gave Sheridan the opportunity he was awaiting. He took quick advantage of it, marched upon the Confederate army, flanked Early right and left, and, after a day's bloody conflict, defeated him so completely that, in Sheridan's telling phrase, he was sent "whirling through Winchester in defeat. Sheridan's loss in men was much the

heavier, but he had won an important battle, taken two thousand prisoners, and captured five guns and nine battle-flags. Grant made up his mind, on hearing of that day's work, that it was not necessary "to visit General Sheridan before giving him orders." Early had accepted defeat in time to save his train and stores and fell back to the position he had left on Fisher's Hill. Sheridan had been severely punished, his total losses being nearly five thousand men, but on the day after the fight he was in pursuit again, and lost no time in striking Early in his strong post. General Crook was sent forward and, all day long, moved towards and along Little North Mountain, under cover of the woods. In this way he gained unseen the Confederates' flank and rear. Just before sunset he rushed upon them suddenly, and was over their intrenchments before they could recover from their surprise. The other divisions joined in with the charge. "Go on; don't stop; go on!" shouted Sheridan and his staff. Early's whole line broke and fled from the trenches and their stronghold was carried, with six guns and a thousand prisoners.

Early fled, with Sheridan hot upon his heels, the pursuit not ceasing until he had been driven out of the valley and into one of the gaps of the Blue Ridge, where reinforcements came to meet him. Sheridan's success was phenomenal. "Go on," said Grant, “and your work will cause the fall of Richmond." The whole North was jubilant. Early's men were thoroughly disheartened. The mob at Richmond, disgusted at his defeat, labelled the fresh cannon sent him, "To General Sheridan; Care of General Early."

Sheridan, his foe having got beyond reach, obeyed the orders sent him by devastating the valley so that

Early could not make it a source of supplies. It was made so bare that a crow could hardly have found pickings. He destroyed more than two thousand barns and numerous mills filled with wheat, drove off four thousand head of cattle and killed for his troops three thousand sheep. He continued to fall back, still destroying, finally going into camp on the line of Cedar Creek. Here, a month later, came the most famous event in Sheridan's career.

He had been absent for some days on business at Washington, and reached Winchester on his return on the morning of October 19. He had hardly entered when an officer reported that he heard sounds of artillery, and Sheridan mounted his horse and rode through the town. Here the sound of distant guns was distinct and he rode forward with some anxiety for a mile or more, when he met fugitives hastening towards the town. On questioning them Sheridan learned what had taken place. Early, greatly strengthened, had attacked the army before daybreak and under cover of a dense fog, breaking its ranks, driving it back for miles, and capturing guns and prisoners in numbers.

Sheridan heard this with grimly closed lips and. galloped on at breakneck speed, with twenty mounted men in his train. As he met the thickening line of stragglers he swung his hat in the air and called to them, cheerily, "Face the other way, boys, face the other way! We're going to lick them out of their boots!"

The mere sight of Sheridan was like a corps of fresh troops to the men. They faced about, taking up his cry. On reaching the broken army, more than eleven miles from Winchester, he was hailed with a

tempest of joy. His presence put new life in the broken troops. They obeyed him readily, quickly reformed their ranks, and formed a compact line of battle just as the enemy came yelling forward in another charge. To their surprise they were met with sturdy resistance and their dismay was complete when they learned that Sheridan was on the ground.

At 4 o'clock he ordered a general advance. Under the influence of his enthusiasm the late disheartened troops pushed forward with resistless force. The Confederates, their order broken while rifling the captured camp, gave way on all sides, their repulse soon becoming a complete rout. The twenty-four lost guns were recaptured and as many more taken. Ambulances, caissons, battle-flags, etc., were among the spoil, and the pursuit was kept up till Early was driven many miles away.

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Such was the famous incident that formed the climax of Sheridan's career and which, as Sheridan's Ride," has been celebrated in art, song and story. It was the end of Early's domination of the valley. Sheridan met him once more, on February 27, 1865, at Waynesboro, and crushed him so completely that he fled to Richmond, leaving Sheridan without a foe in his front.

At Richmond matters were now nearing an end. Sheridan joined Grant's army on March 19, and was sent to ride around the enemy and get on his rear. On April he fought the last great battle of the war, routing Pickett and Johnson at Five Forks, taking their works and capturing several thousand prisoners. This closed the game for Lee. The next day he abandoned Richmond and began his final retreat. Sheridan was in an instant in pursuit and on the 9th Lee found