Personal Memoirs of P. H. Sheridan, General, United States Army — Complete - Philip Henry Sheridan

[CHAPTER I.]
Ancestry—Birth—Early Education—A Clerk in a
Grocery Store—Appointment—Monroe Shoes—Journey
to West Point—Hazing—A Fisticuff Battle Suspended
—Returns to Clerkship—Graduation
[CHAPTER II.]
Ordered to Fort Duncan, Texas—"Northers"—Scouting
Duty—Hunting—Nearly Caught by the Indians—
A Primitive Habitation—A Brave Drummer Boy's Death
—A Mexican Ball
[CHAPTER III.]
Ordered to Fort Reading, Cal.—A Dangerous Undertaking
—A Rescued Soldier—Discovering Indians
—Primitive Fishing—A Deserted Village
—Camping Opposite Fort Vancouver
[CHAPTER IV.]
"Old Red"—Skillful Shooting—The Yalima War
—A Ludicrous Mistake—Cut-mouth John's Encounter
—Father Pandoza's Mission—A Snow-Storm
—Failure of the Expedition
[CHAPTER V.]
An Indian Confederation—Massacre at the Cascades
of the Columbia—Plan to Relieve the Block-House
—A Hazardous Movement— A New Method of Establishing
Guilt—Execution of the Indian Murderers
[CHAPTER VI.]
Misdirected Vengeance — Honorable Mention
—A Change of Command—Educated Oxen—Feeding
the Indians—Purchasing a Burying-Ground
—Knowing Rats
[CHAPTER VII.]
Learning the Chinook Language—Strange Indian Customs
—Their Doctors—Sam Patch—The Murder of a Woman
—In a Tight Place—Surprising the Indians
—Conflicting Reports of the Battle of Bull Run
—Secession Question in California—Appointed
a Captain—Transferred to the East
[CHAPTER VIII.]
Auditing Accounts—Chief Quartermaster and Commissary
of the Army of Southwest Missouri—Preparing for
the Pea Ridge Campaign—A Difference with General
Curtis—Ordered to the Front—Appointed a Colonel
[CHAPTER IX.]
Expedition to Booneville—Destroying Supplies
—Confederate Stragglers—Success of the Expedition
—A Reconnoissance—The Importance of Bodily
Sustenance—The Battle of Booneville—Recommended
for Appointment as a Brigadier-General
[CHAPTER X.]
In Camp near Rienzi—General Granger—A Valuable
Capture at Ripley—Raiding a Corn—Field—Repulsing
an Attack—Presented with the Black Horse "Rienzi"
—Meeting General Grant—Appointed a Brigadier-General
[CHAPTER XI.]
Good Advice from General Nelson—His Tragic Death
—Putting Louisville in a State of Defense—
Assigned to the Command of the Eleventh Division
—Capture of Chaplin Heights—Battle of Perryville
—Reported Among the Killed—A Thrilling Incident
—General Buell Relieved by General Rosecrans
[CHAPTER XII.]
Moving to Bowling Green—James Card, the Scout and
Guide—General Sill—Colonel Schaefer—Colonel
G. W. Roberts—Movement on Murfreesboro'
—Opening of the Battle of Stone River
[CHAPTER XIII.]
Assault on our Right Flank—Occupying a New Position
—The Enemy Checked — Terrible Loss of Officers
—Ammunition Gives Out—Reconstructing the Line
—Collecting the Wounded and Burying the Dead
—Dealing with Cowards—Results of the Victory
[CHAPTER XIV.]
Appointed a Major-General—The Secret Expedition
under Card the Scout—His Capture by Guerrillas
—Escape—A Revenge Party—Women Soldiers
—A Fight with Sabres—Tullahoma Campaign
—A Foolish Adventure
[CHAPTER XV.]
Ordered to Occupy Bridgeport—A Spy—The Battle of
Chickamauga—General Thomas—Treated to Coffee
—Results of the Battle
[CHAPTER XVI]
At Chattanooga—The Enemy Fortifies Lookout Mountain
and Missionary Ridge—Reorganizing the Army
—Removal of General Rosecrans—Punishment of
Deserters—Grant at Chattanooga—The Fight on
Lookout Mountain—A Brave Color-Bearer
—Battle of Missionary Ridge
[CHAPTER XVII.]
Ordered to Return to Chattanooga—March to Knoxville
—Collecting Subsistence Stores—A Clever Stratagem
—A Bridge of Wagons—Looking Out for the Personal
Comfort of the Soldiers—A Leave of Absence
—Ordered to Washington—Parting with Sheridan's Division
[CHAPTER XVIII.]
At Washington—Meeting Secretary Stanton—Interview
with President Lincoln—Made Commander of the
Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac
—Its Officers—General 'Meade's Method of Using
Cavalry—Opening of the Campaign—Spottsylvania
Court House—A Difference with General Meade
—Preparing to Fight Stuart's Cavalry
[CHAPTER XIX.]
The Expedition Starts—Destroying Supplies—Opening
of the Fight at Yellow Tavern—General Custer's
Brilliant Charge—Death of General Stuart—Removing
Torpedoes—Excitement in Richmond—A Night March
—Enterprising Newsboys—The Effects of Stuart's
Defeat and Death—End of the First Expedition
—Its Great Success and Beneficial Results
[CHAPTER XX.]
General Wilson's Advance Toward Hanover Court
House—Crossing the Pamunkey—Engagement of
Hawe's Shop—Fight at Matadequin Creek—Capture
of Cold Harbor—The Fight to Retain the
Place—Movements of General Wilson
[CHAPTER XXI.]
The Movement to the James—The Second Expedition
—Battle of Trevillian Station—Defeat of General
Wade Hampton—Mallory's Crossroads—Suffering of
the Wounded—Securing the Trains—General Gregg's
Stubborn Fight
[CHAPTER XXII.]
General Wilson's Raid—Destroying Railroads
—His Discomfiture—Results of his Raid—Remounts
—Movement to the North Side of the James
—Deceiving Lee—My Isolated Position—Estimate
of Hancock—Success of the Cavalry—Their Constant
Duties
[CHAPTER XXIII.]
General Hunter's Successful March and Subsequent
Retreat—General Jubal A. Early Threatens Washington
—Chambersburg, Pa., Burned—Selected to Operate
Against General Early—The Shenandoah Valley
—The Confederate Army
[CHAPTER XXIV.]
Moving on General Early—General Grant's Letter of
Instructions—Destroying the Resources of the Valley
—Reason for the Destruction—Withdrawal to Halltown
—Alarm in the North over the Retrograde Movement
—Renewing the Advance up the Valley—General
Anderson's Attempt to Return to Petersburg
—Strength of the Armies

VOLUME II.

[CHAPTER I.]
Organizing Scouts—Miss Rebecca Wright—Important
Information—Decides to Move on Newtown—Meeting
General Grant—Organization of the Union Army
—Opening of the Battle of the Opequon
—Death of General Russell—A Turning Movement
—A Successful Cavalry Charge—Victory—Three
Loyal Girls—Appointed a Brigadier—General in the
Regular Army—Remarks on the Battle
[CHAPTER II.]
Pursuing Early—A Secret March—Fisher's Hill
—A Great Success—Removal of Averell—The Retreat
—Capturing an Old Comrade—The Murder of Lieutenant Meigs
[CHAPTER III.]
Reasons for Not Pursuing Early Through the Blue Ridge
—General Torbert Detailed to Give General
Rosser a "Drubbing"—General Rosser Routed
—Telegraphed to Meet Stanton—Longstreet's Message
—Return to Winchester—The Ride to Cedar Creek
—The Retreating Army—Rallying the Troops
—Reforming the Line—Commencing the Attack—Defeat
of the Confederates—Appointed a Major-General
in the Regular Army—Results of the Battle
[CHAPTER IV.]
General Early Reorganizes His Forces—Mosby the
Guerrilla—General Merritt sent to Operate Against
Mosby—Rosser Again Active—General Custer
Surprised—Colonel Young Sent to Capture Gilmore
the Guerrilla—Colonel Young's Success
—Capture of General Kelly and General Crook
—Spies—Was Wilkes Booth a Spy—Driving the
Confederates Out of the Valley—The Battle of
Waynesboro'—Marching to join the Army of the
Potomac
[CHAPTER V.]
Transferred to Petersburg—General Raw'ins's Cordial
Welcome—General Grant's Orders and Plans—A Trip
with Mr. Lincoln and General Grant—Meeting General
Sherman—Opposed to Joining the Army of the Tennessee
—Opening of the Appomattox Campaign—General Grant
and General Rawlins
[CHAPTER VI.]
Battle of Dinwiddie Court House—Pickett Repulsed
—Reinforced by the Fifth Corps—Battle of Five
Forks—Turning the Confederate Left—An Unqualified
Success—Relieving General Warren—The Warren Court
of Inquiry—General Sherman's Opinion
[CHAPTER VII.]
Result of the Battle of Five Forks—Retreat of Lee
—An Intercepted Despatch—At Amelia Court House
—Battle of Sailor's Creek—The Confederates'
Stubborn Resistance—A Complete Victory
—Importance of the Battle
[CHAPTER VIII.]
Lincoln's Laconic Despatch—Capturing Lee's Supplies
—Delighted Engineers—The Confederates' Last
Effort—A Flag of Truce—General Geary's "Last
Ditch" Absurdity—Meeting of Grant and Lee
—The Surrender—Estimate of General Grant
[CHAPTER IX.]
Ordered to Greensboro', N. C.—March to the Dan
River—Assigned to the Command West of the
Mississippi—Leaving Washington—Flight of General
Early—Maximilian—Making Demonstrations
on the Upper Rio Grande—Confederates Join
Maximilian—The French Invasion of Mexico, and
its Relations to the Rebellion—Assisting the
Liberals—Restoration of the Republic
[CHAPTER X.]
A. J. Hamilton Appointed Provisional Governor of
Texas—Assembles a Constitutional Convention
—The Texans Dissatisfied—Lawlessness—Oppressive
Legislation—Ex-Confederates—Controlling
Louisiana—A Constitutional Convention—The
Meeting Suppressed—A Bloody Riot—My Reports
of the Massacre—Portions Suppressed by President
Johnson—Sustained by a Congressional Committee
—The Reconstruction Laws
[CHAPTER XI.]
Passage of the Reconstruction Act Over the
President's Veto—Placed in Command of the Fifth
Military District—Removing Officers—My Reasons
for Such Action—Affairs in Louisiana and Texas
—Removal of Governor Wells—Revision of the jury
Lists—Relieved from the Command of the Fifth
Military District
[CHAPTER XII.]
At Fort Leavenworth—The Treaty of Medicine Lodge
—Going to Fort Dodge—Discontented Indians
—Indian Outrages—A Delegation of Chiefs—Terrible
Indian Raid—Death of Comstock—Vast Herds of
Buffalo—Preparing for a Winter Campaign—Meeting
"Buffalo Bill"—He Undertakes a Dangerous Task
—Forsyth's Gallant Fight—Rescued
[CHAPTER XIII.]
Fitting Out the Winter Expedition—Accompanying the
Main Force—The Other Columns—Struck by a Blizzard
—Custer's Fight on the Washita—Defeat and Death
of Black Kettle—Massacre of Elliott's
Party—Relief of Colonel Crawford
[CHAPTER XIV.]
A Winter Expedition—Herds of Buffalo—Wolves
—Blizzards—A Terrible Night—Finding the Bodies
of Elliott's Party—The Abandoned Indian Camps
—Pushing Down the Washita—The Captured Chiefs
—Evans's Successful Fight—Establishing Fort Sill
—"California Joe"—Duplicity of the Cheyennes
—Ordered to Repair to Washington
[CHAPTER XV.]
Inspecting Military Posts in Utah and Montana
—Desire to Witness the Franco—German War
—On a Sand-Bar in the Missouri—A Bear Hunt
—An Indian Scare—Myriads of Mosquitoes—Permission
Given to Visit Europe — Calling on President Grant
—Sailing for Liverpool—Arrival in Berlin
[CHAPTER XVI.]
Leaving for the Seat of War—Meeting with Prince
Bismarck—His Interest in Public Opinion in America
—His Inclinations in Early Life—Presented to the King
—The Battle of Gravelotte—The German Plan—Its Final
Success—Sending News of the Victory—Mistaken for a Frenchman
[CHAPTER XVII.]
Searching for Quarters—Hunting up Provisions
—A Slender Breakfast—Going over the Battle-Field
—The German Artillery—A Group of Wounded
—Dining With the King—On the March—The Bavarians
—Kirschwasser—Urging on the Troops
[CHAPTER XVIII.]
After McMahon—The Battle of Beaumont—The French
Surprised—The Marching of the German Soldiers
—The Battle of Sedan—Gallant Cavalry Charges
—Defeat of the French—The Surrender of Napoleon
—Bismarck and the King—Decorating the Soldiers
[CHAPTER XIX.]
Riding Over the Battle—Field—Destruction of
Bazeilles—Mistakes of the French—Marshal Bazaine
—On to Paris—A Week in Meaux—Rheims—On the
Picket-Line—Under Fire—A Surrender—At Versailles
—General Burnside and Mr. Forbes in Paris
—Brussels—Deciding to Visit Eastern Europe—Austria
—Down the Danube—In Constantinople—The
Ladies of the Harem—The Sultan—Turkish Soldiers
—A Banquet—A Visit in Athens—King George of
Greece—Victor—Emmanuel—Bedeviled with Cares of
State—Deer Shooting—A Military Dinner—Return
to Versailles—Germans Entering Paris—Criticism
on the Franco-Prussian War—Conclusion
[CHAPTER XX.]
Brussels—Deciding to Visit Eastern Europe—Austria
—Down the Danube—In Constantinople—The Ladies of
the Harem—the Sultan—Turkish Soldiers—A Banquet
—A Visit in Athens—King George of Greece—Victor
Emmanuel—"Bedeviled with Cares of State"—Deer Shooting
—A Military Dinner—Return to Versailles—Germans
Entering Paris—Criticism on The Franco-Prussian War
—Conclusion

ILLUSTRATIONS

CONTENTS

VOLUME II.

ILLUSTRATIONS