personal memoirs-1-第1章

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Personal　Memoirs　of　P。H。Sheridan　V1　of　2


by　Philip　Henry　Sheridan









PREFACE



When；　yielding　to　the　solicitations　of　my　friends；　I　finally　decided

to　write　these　Memoirs；　the　greatest　difficulty　which　confronted　me

was　that　of　recounting　my　share　in　the　many　notable　events　of　the

last　three　decades；　in　which　I　played　a　part；　without　entering　too

fully　into　the　history　of　these　years；　and　at　the　same　time　without

giving　to　my　own　acts　an　unmerited　prominence。　　To　what　extent　I　have

overcome　this　difficulty　I　must　leave　the　reader　to　judge。



In　offering　this　record；　penned　by　my　own　hand；　of　the　events　of　my

life；　and　of　my　participation　in　our　great　struggle　for　national

existence；　human　liberty；　and　political　equality；　I　make　no

pretension　to　literary　merit；　the　importance　of　the　subject…matter　of

my　narrative　is　my　only　claim　on　the　reader's　attention。



Respectfully　dedicating　this　work　to　my　comrades　in　arms　during　the

War　of　the　Rebellion；　I　leave　it　as　a　heritage　to　my　children；　and　as

a　source　of　information　for　the　future　historian。



P。　H。　SHERIDAN。



Nonguitt；　Mass。；　August　2；　1888









PERSONAL　MEMOIRS



P。　H。　SHERIDAN。













VOLUME　I。



CHAPTER　I。



ANCESTRYBIRTHEARLY　EDUCATIONA　CLERK　IN　A　GROCERY　STORE

APPOINTMENTMONROE　SHOESJOURNEY　TO　WEST　POINTHAZINGA　FISTICUFF

BATTLESUSPENDEDRETURNS　TO　CLERKSHIPGRADUATION。



My　parents；　John　and　Mary　Sheridan；　came　to　America　in　1830；　having

been　induced　by　the　representations　of　my　father's　uncle；　Thomas

Gainor；　then　living　in　Albany；　N。　Y。；　to　try　their　fortunes　in　the

New　World：　They　were　born　and　reared　in　the　County　Cavan；　Ireland；

where　from　early　manhood　my　father　had　tilled　a　leasehold　on　the

estate　of　Cherrymoult；　and　the　sale　of　this　leasehold　provided　him

with　means　to　seek　a　new　home　across　the　sea。　　My　parents　were

blood　relationscousins　in　the　second　degreemy　mother；　whose

maiden　name　was　Minor；　having　descended　from　a　collateral　branch　of

my　father's　family。　　Before　leaving　Ireland　they　had　two　children；

and　on　the　6th　of　March；　1831；　the　year　after　their　arrival　in　this

country；　I　was　born；　in　Albany；　N。　Y。；　the　third　child　in　a　family

which　eventually　increased　to　sixfour　boys　and　two　girls。



The　prospects　for　gaining　a　livelihood　in　Albany　did　not　meet　the

expectations　which　my　parents　had　been　led　to　entertain；　so　in　1832

they　removed　to　the　West；　to　establish　themselves　in　the　village　of

Somerset；　in　Perry　County；　Ohio；　which　section；　in　the　earliest　days

of　the　State；　had　been　colonized　from　Pennsylvania　and　Maryland。　　At

this　period　the　great　public　works　of　the　Northwestthe　canals　and

macadamized　roads；　a　result　of　clamor　for　internal　improvementswere

in　course　of　construction；　and　my　father　turned　his　attention　to

them；　believing　that　they　offered　opportunities　for　a　successful

occupation。　　Encouraged　by　a　civil　engineer　named　Bassett；　who　had

taken　a　fancy　to　him；　he　put　in　bids　for　a　small　contract　on　the

Cumberland　Road；　known　as　the　〃National　Road；〃　which　was　then　being

extended　west　from　the　Ohio　River。　　A　little　success　in　this　first

enterprise　led　him　to　take　up　contracting　as　a　business；　which　he

followed　on　various　canals　and　macadamized　roads　then　building　in

different　parts　of　the　State　of　Ohio；　with　some　good　fortune　for

awhile；　but　in　1853　what　little　means　he　had　saved　were　swallowed　up

in　bankruptcy；　caused　by　the　failure　of　the　Sciota　and　Hocking

Valley　Railroad　Company；　for　which　he　was　fulfilling　a　contract　at

the　time；　and　this　disaster　left　him　finally　only　a　small　farm；　just

outside　the　village　of　Somerset；　where　he　dwelt　until　his　death　in

1875。



My　father's　occupation　kept　him　away　from　home　much　of　the　time

during　my　boyhood；　and　as　a　consequence　I　grew　up　under　the　sole

guidance　and　training　of　my　mother；　whose　excellent　common　sense　and

clear　discernment　in　every　way　fitted　her　for　such　maternal　duties。

When　old　enough　I　was　sent　to　the　village　school；　which　was　taught　by

an　old…time　Irish　〃master〃one　of　those　itinerant　dominies　of　the

early　frontierwho；　holding　that　to　spare　the　rod　was　to　spoil　the

child；　if　unable　to　detect　the　real　culprit　when　any　offense　had　been

committed；　would　consistently　apply　the　switch　to　the　whole　school

without　discrimination。　　It　must　be　conceded　that　by　this　means　he

never　failed　to　catch　the　guilty　mischief…maker。　　The　school…year　was

divided　into　terms　of　three　months；　the　teacher　being　paid　in　each

term　a　certain　sumthree　dollars；　I　think；　for　each　pupil…and　having

an　additional　perquisite　in　the　privilege　of　boarding　around　at　his

option　in　the　different　families　to　which　his　scholars　belonged。

This　feature　was　more　than　acceptable　to　the　parents　at　times；　for

how　else　could　they　so　thoroughly　learn　all　the　neighborhood　gossip？

But　the　pupils　were　in　almost　unanimous　opposition；　because　Mr。

McNanly's　unheralded　advent　at　any　one's　house　resulted　frequently　in

the　discovery　that　some　favorite　child　had　been　playing　〃hookey；〃

which　means　（I　will　say　to　the　uninitiated；　if　any　such　there　be）

absenting　one's　self　from　school　without　permission；　to　go　on　a

fishing　or　a　swimming　frolic。　　Such　at　least　was　my　experience　more

than　once；　for　Mr。　McNanly　particularly　favored　my　mother's　house；

because　of　a　former　acquaintanceship　in　Ireland；　and　many　a　time　a

comparison　of　notes　proved　that　I　had　been　in　the　woods　with　two

playfellows；　named　Binckly　and　Greiner；　when　the　master　thought　I　was

home；　ill；　and　my　mother；　that　I　was　at　school；　deeply　immersed　in

study。　　However；　with　these　and　other　delinquencies　not　uncommon

among　boys；　I　learned　at　McNanly's　school；　and　a　little　later；　under

a　pedagogue　named　Thorn；　a　smattering　of　geography　and　history；　and

explored　the　mysteries　of　Pike's　Arithmetic　and　Bullions'　English

Grammar；　about　as　far　as　I　could　be　carried　up　to　the　age　of

fourteen。　　This　was　all　the　education　then　bestowed　upon　me；　and

thiswith　the　exception　of　progressing　in　some　of　these　branches　by

voluntary　study；　and　by　practical　application　in　others；　supplemented

by　a　few　months　of　preparation　after　receiving　my　appointment　as　a

cadetwas　the　extent　of　my　learning　on　entering　the　Military

Academy。



When　about　fourteen　years　old　I　began　to　do　something　for　myself；　Mr。

John　Talbot；　who　kept　a　country　store　in　the　village；　employing　me　to

deal　out　sugar；　coffee；　and　calico　to　his　customers　at　the　munificent

salary　of　twenty…four　dollars　a　year。　　After　I　had　gained　a　twelve…

months'　experience　with　Mr。　Talbot　my　services　began　to　be　sought　by；

others；　and　a　Mr。　David　Whitehead　secured　them　by　the　offer　of　sixty

dollars　a　yearTalbot　refusing　to　increase　my　pay；　but　not　objecting

to　my　advancement。　　A　few　months　later；　before　my　year　was　up；

another　chance　to　increase　my　salary　came　about；　Mr。　Henry　Dittoe；

the　enterprising　man　of　the　village；　offering　me　one　hundred　and

twenty　dollars　a　year　to　take　a　position　in　the　dry…goods　store　of

Fink　&　Dittoe。　　I　laid　the　matter　before　Mr。　Whitehead；　and　he

frankly　advised　me　to　accept；　though　he　cautioned　me　that　I　might

regret　it；　adding　that　he　was　afraid　Henry　（referring　to　Mr。　Dittoe）

〃had　too　many　irons　in　the　fire。〃　His　warning　in　regard　to　the

enterprising　merchant　proved　a　prophecy；　for　〃　too　many　irons　in　the

fire〃　brought　about　Mr。　Dittoe's　bankruptcy；　although　this　misfortune

did　not　befall　him　till　long　after　I　had　left　his　service。　　I　am　glad

to　say；　however；　that　his　failure　was　an　exceptionally　honest　one；

and　due　more　to　the　fact　that　he　was　in　advance　of　his　surroundings

than　to　any　other　cause。



I　remained　with　Fink　&　Dittoe　until　I　entered　the　Military　Academy；

principally　in　charge　of　the　book…keeping；　which　was　no　small　work

for　one　of　my　years；　considering　that　in　those　days　the　entire

business　of　country　stores　in　the　West　was　conducted　on　the　credit

system；　the　customers；　being　mostly　farmers；　never　expecting　to　pay

till　the　product　of　their　farms　could　be　brought　to　market；　and　even

then　usually　squared　the　book…accounts　by　notes　of　hand；　that　were

often　slow　of　collection。



》From　the　time　I　ceased　to　attend　school　my　employment　had

necessitated；　to　a　certain　degree；　the　application　of　what　I　had

learned　there；　and　this　practical　instruction　I　reinforced　somewhat

by　doing　considerable　reading　in　a　general　way；　until　ultimately　I

became　quite　a　local　authority　in　history；　being　frequently　chosen　as

arbiter　in　discussions　and　disputes　that　arose　in　the　store。　　The

Mexican　War；　then　going　on；　furnished；　of　course；　a　never…ending

theme　for　controversy；　and　although　I　was　too　young　to　enter　the

military　service　when　volunteers　were　mustering　in　our　section；　yet

the　stirring　events　of　the　times　so　much　impressed　and　absorbed　me

that　my　sole　wish　was　to　become　a　soldier；　and　my　highest　aspiration

to　go　to　West　Point　as　a　Cadet　from　my　Congressional　district。　　My

chances　for　this　seemed　very　remote；　however；　till　one　day　an

opportunity　was　thrown　in　my　way　by　the　boy　who　then　held　the　place

failing　to　pass　his　examination。　　When　I　learned　that　by　this

occurrence　a　vacancy　existed；　I　wrote　to　our　representative　in

Congress；　the　Hon。　Thomas　Ritchey；　and　asked　him　for　the　appointment；

reminding　him　that　we　had　often　met　in　Fink　&　Dittoe's　store；　and

that　therefore　he　must　know　something　of　my　qualifications。　　He

responded　promptly　by　enclosing　my　warrant　for　the　class　of　1848；　so；

notwithstanding　the　many　romances　that　have　been　published　about　the

matter；　to　Mr。　Ritchey；　and　to　him　alone；　is　due　all　the　creditif

my　career　justifies　that　termof　putting　me　in　the　United　States

Army。



At　once　I　set　about　preparing　for　the　examination　which　precedes

admission　to　the　Military　Academy；　studying　zealously　under　the

direction　of　Mr。　William　Clark；　my　old　teachers；　McNanly　and　Thorn；

having　disappeared　from　Somerset　and　sought　new　fields　of　usefulness。

The　intervening　months　passed　rapidly　away；　and　I　fear　that　I　did　not

make　much　progress；　yet　I　thought　I　should　be　able　to　pass　the

preliminary　examination。　　That　which　was　to　follow　worried　me　more

and　gave　me　many　sleepless　nights；　but　these　would　have　been　less　in

number；　I　fully　believe；　had　it　not　been　for　one　specification　of　my；

outfit　which　the　circular　that　accompanied　my　appointment　demanded。

This　requirement　was　a　pair　of　〃Monroe　shoes。〃　　Now；　out　in　Ohio；

what　〃Monroe　shoes〃　were　was　a　mysterynot　a　shoemaker　in　my　section

having　so　much　as　an　inkling　of　the　construction　of　the　perplexing

things；　until　finally　my　eldest　brother　brought　an　idea　of　them　from

Baltimore；　when　it　was　found　that　they　were　a　familiar　pattern　under

another　name。



At　length　the　time　for　my　departure　came；　and　I　set　out　for　West

Point；　going　by　way　of　Cleveland　and　across　Lake　Erie　to　Buffalo。　　On

the　steamer　I　fell　in　with　another　app