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SHERIDAN fiOK t03URT IVoODBU/fy C/f/l/fl£5N.H^//VC/y£3T£/^ SHERIDAN MONUMENT COMMISSION S rn T7, 1 OAajuxj^l^^ 6t -> V ryv^u lyi t/VbU l/L'~^^ f^ i^ '-'^ '^'~y'^ 06' l/U'l UNVEILING OF THE EQUESTRIAN STATUE OF GENERAL PHILIP H. SHERIDAN CAPITOL PARK ALBANY, NEW YORK OCTOBER 7, 1916 BY THE CITIZENS OF ALBANY AND THE STATE OF NEW YORK aS55 By 7VB.nrtf«r NOV 22 ]92C STATE OF NEW YORK SHERIDAN MONUMENT COMMISSION Authorized by Chapter 100, Laws of 1914, for the Erection of a Monument to the Memory of General Phihp H. Sheridan in Capitol Park in the City of Albany COMMISSION HON. CHARLES S. WHITMAN, Govemor , Chairman HON. EDWARD SCHOENECK, Lieulenant-Governor HON. EGBURT WOODBURY, Atlornev-General HON. THADDEUS C. SWEET, Speaker of Assembly EDWARD B. CANTINE CHARLES M. WINCHESTER JOHN FARNSWORTH Members Sheridan Camp Sons of Veterans CONTENTS Page General Philip H. Sheridan - - - - _ - 11 Origin of Movement ----___ 21 Governor Glynn's Address ----- 23 Report of Committee ------ 31 Appeal by the JNIayor ----- _ 49 John Quincy Adams Ward ------ 41 Daniel Chester French -------45 Henry Bacon -----_._ 4^ Parade and Unveiling ------.49 Mayor's Proclamation Urging Half-Holiday - - 50 Introductory Address by Edward B. Cantine - - 57 Address by Mayor Stevens - - - - _ Qi Mr. Loucks Presents the Statue - - - - 63 Address by Governor Whitman - - - - 54 Address by S. Parks Cadm an, D. U. - - - - 69 Address by Hon. Martin H. Glynn - - - 77 Address by Col. Zan L. Tidball - - - - 86 Reception at Executive Mansion ----- 91 Dinner at the Ten Eyck ------- 93 Remarks by William Barnes - - - . 93 Remarks by General J. Warren Keifer - - - 100 Remarks by Hon. Benjamin B. Odell - - - 105 Incidents of the Unveiling Ceremonies - - - - 109 Sheridan's Ride -----___ ^15 Law Authorizing the Monument - - - - - 119 List of Committees - - - - _ - _ ^gj ILLUSTRATIONS Sheridan Statue ------- Sheridan Monument Commission - - - Sheridan Statue in Capitol Park - - _ _ Flood Lightino- of Sheridan Statue - - _ John Quincv Adams Ward - - - _ _ Daniel Chester French - - _ _ _ Henry Bacon ---____ Exercises in Capitol Park . _ . _ Official Party in Executive Chamber . _ _ The State Commission in the Executive Chamber - Chorus of Children of Public Schools on Capitol Steps Plate on the Pedestal ------ Page Frontispiece Facing' 3 11 21 41 45 47 57 64 91 109 119 GENERAL PHILIP H. SHERIDAN PHILIP H. SHERIDAN was bom March 6, 1831, on one of the oldest streets of Albany which during its history has borne four different names. Originally it was known as Howe street, apparently named in honor of Lord George Augustus Howe, the British officer, well known in Albany when the city was British territory, and who was killed at Ticonderoga in 1758 when leading his men to attack the French under Montcalm. September 11, 1790, when Albany had become part of the American Republic, Howe street became Fox street and as such it was known when Sheridan was born in 1831. About ten or eleven years later the name was again changed to Canal street. After Sheridan became famous the name of the street was for the third time changed, this time to Sheridan avenue. John and Mary Sheridan, father and mother of the great soldier, came to Albany from Ireland a year previous to the birth of their son. They had been induced to come to Albany by a relative, then a resident of the city, by the name of Thomas Gainor. The Sheridan family remained in Albany about two years and then moved to the village of Somerset, Perry county, Ohio. Philip at the time of this change was about a year old. Somerset people for many years after Sheridan became a national figure claimed him as one of their native sons but all doubts on this question were removed 11 when the general in his personal memoirs set it down that he was bom in Albany. Somerset still is a small place of about 1,500 population, thirty miles southeast of Columbus, the capital of the state. It was in such an environment that Phil Sheridan grew up as a lad and was educated in the public schools. When 14 years old he began work in a grocery store at $24 a year. He soon received a higher salary from a com- peting merchant and was serving as clerk and bookkeeper when he was enthused by accounts of the Mexican war, then going on, to apply to Congressman Thomas Richey of the district for a cadetship at West Point. He had to study hard to fit himself for the entrance examination but " Little Phil " proved himself equal to the task. He relates briefly how in 1848, when he was 17 years old, he began the journey to West Point. First he went north, presumably by stage, to Cleve- land, thence by boat to Buffalo. From there he had the choice of the Erie canal and the railroad — such as it was in those days — on which to continue the journey. He tells us that, as he wanted to stop off at Albany to visit his father's uncle, Thomas Gainor, he elected to travel by rail." How much time he saved by this he does not say, but that the railroads were not very speedy, compared with latter day schedules, may be understood from the fact that it required seventeen hours to make the trip from Buffalo to Albany in 1848. It now takes the Empire State express six hours to make the same trip. Sheridan does not make any further reference to his visit to Albany in 1848. In the Albany directory of that year the name of " Gainor " does not appear. There is, however, a Thomas Gaynor, a grocer, whose address is given as 34 Quay street. This was near the northwest corner of Maiden Lane 12 on the river front and is now occupied by the Delaware and Hudson railroad. It is surmised that this was the place where Phil stopped while in Albany. At West Point he had for his roommate Henry W. Slocum, afterwards a distinguished officer of the Civil War. Sheridan tells in his memoirs how Slocum helped him in his studies, especially with algebra. Philip H. Sheridan was graduated in the class of 1853, five years after he had entered the academy. Ordinarily he should have been graduated in 1852 but the general himself tells why he was a year late. Angered at what he considered the arbitrary command of a superior officer while drilling, Little Phil made a personal attack on the officer when he next met him. For this breach of discipline he was suspended from the academy and he returned to his mercantile employment at Somerset for nine months. After his graduation in 1853 he was assigned to military duty in Texas and other points in the West, including Oregon. When the Civil War broke out, in 1861, Sheridan was first lieutenant, and in May of that year was commissioned a captain. He was assigned to duty as chief quartermaster and commissary in southwestern Missouri. In this position there was no opportunity for Sheridan to prove his real worth as a daring, conquering soldier. It was not until May, 1862, that the real turning point in his career came. He was then appointed colonel of the Second Michigan Cavalry, and on July 1st was sent to make a raid on the Confederates at Boone- ville, Miss. He was so successful in this and other operations in what was known as the Mississippi campaign that five brigadier-generals sent a telegram to Major-General Halleck, at Washington, D. C, urging the promotion of Colonel 13 Sheridan. The telegram was dated July 30, 1862, and read: " Brigadiers scarce. Good ones scarcer. The undersigned respectfully beg that you will obtain the promotion of Sher- idan. He is worth his weight in gold." The telegram was signed by W. S. Rosecrans and four other brigadier-generals. The appeal resulted in the promotion of Sheridan, and because of his services at the battle of Perryville he was commissioned a major-general of volunteers December 30, 1862. He assisted General Thomas in the battle of Chickamauga. At Chattanooga he first attracted the attention of General Grant. This led to the transfer of General Sheridan to Vir- ginia in April, 1864, as commander of the cavalry corps. Then came another series of great victories for " Little Phil " which electrified the North. He was conspicuous in the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House and Cold Harbor. In addition to having won the reputation of being a fearless and successful leader. General Sheridan was known to be very careful of his men. He believed that nothing was too good for them, and thus won their confidence and affection. In May, 1864, he raided the Confederate communications around Richmond, destroying ten miles of track on three important railroads, cutting the telegraph wires, capturing several trains, and causing much alarm in the Confederate capital. On May 28th he fought the battle of Hawes's Shop, and June 11th that of Trevilian's Station. Nearly every day in May, June and July Sheridan's cavalry was engaged with the Confederate troops or raiding their communications. On August 7, 1864, he was placed in command of the Army of the Shenandoah, with instructions to clear the Confederates out of the valley. He defeated Early at Winchester, September 19th, and at Fisher's Hill September 22d, and was rewarded 14 by being made a brigadier-general in the regular army. After the battle of Fisher's Hill he laid waste, upon the order of General Grant, the Shenandoah valley. Practically every- thing destructible was destroyed, and the horses, cattle and sheep were driven out. His object in devastating the country was to prevent future expeditions by the Confederates up the valley by destroying the means of subsistence. In October, Sheridan's army was surprised at Cedar Creek and was being driven back in disorder when the general made his famous ride from Winchester, ''twenty miles away," rallied his discouraged men and administered a staggering blow to the army of General Early. The incident, more than any other of Sheridan's career, stands out in the public mind because of the celebrated poem of Thomas Buchanan Read, who immortalized the ride. Sheridan slept at Winchester the night before the battle, having just returned from Washington where he had a con- ference with President Lincoln. He was awakened early by one of his men, who told him he could hear the sound of guns in the direction of Cedar Creek, but that the firing seemed to be desultory and not sustained enough to indicate that a real battle was on. But the general was unable to rest and, accom- panied by his staf¥, mounted his black horse Rienzi and was soon galloping toward Cedar Creek. Wagons containing wounded soldiers were encountered, and Sheridan learned from the panic-stricken men in retreat that his army had met with a serious defeat. At first he and his staff kept to the road, but the highway soon became so choked with wagons that to make speedy headway they had to take to the fields. After the wounded had been passed Sheridan and his men returned to the road. When the uninjured men saw Sheridan they 15 began to cheer, and he urged them to turn back assuring them they would be on their old camp ground again that night. His first thought, he said, in view of the general retreat was to rally the men at Winchester and make a stand against General Early there. But on further deliberation, and assured by the confidence the men showed in him, he shouted to the returning soldiers: " If I had been with you this morning this disaster would not have happened. We must face the other way. We will go back and recover our camp." The men replied with a cheer and began to retrace their steps. Sheridan was obliged to make a detour at Newtown, because of the crowded condition of the streets. While on this detour he met Major William McKinley of Ohio, afterwards President of the United States. Major McKinley promptly spread the news among the soldiers that Sheridan had returned and wanted them to face the other way. Sheridan continued toward the extreme front where he met Col. Rutherford B. Hayes who, twelve years later, was elected President of the United States. Colonel Hayes was a brigade commander, and immediately backed up Sheridan in rallying the men to meet the enemy. Another officer, afterwards famous as a soldier in the West, in the thick of the fight at Cedar Creek was Gen. George A. Custer. It was Major Forsyth who urged Sheridan to ride along the line of battle in front of the troops so they could all see him, for although they had learned of his return only a few had seen him. With hat in hand Little Phil thereupon rode along the entire infantry line and the effect on the soldiers was what Major Forsyth expected. From discouraged, weary men they 16 instantly became fired with enthusiasm and ready to follow their leader into the fray. Many thought this was the first appearance of Sheridan on the field, but the truth is he already had been two hours at the front rallying the men before he ordered the attack. By this time the enemy was approaching and Sheridan in the rear center directed the fight. General Early was forced, to retire for the day. Meanwhile Sheridan reformed and strength- ened his line and led the assault upon Early, defeating and pursuing him until the Confederates were completely routed. October 22d President Lincoln sent the following telegram to Sheridan : Executive Mansion, Washington, D. C. Major-General Sheridan: With great pleasure I tender to you and your brave army the thanks of the nation and my own personal admiration and gratitude for the month's operations in the Shenandoah Valley and especially for the splendid work of October 19, 1864. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. The victory at Cedar Creek had won for Little Phil another promotion, the President bestowing upon him a major-general- ship in the regular army. From February 27 to March 24, 1865, Sheridan made a raid from Winchester to Petersburg, cutting three railroads, two canals and telegraph wires, destroying supplies, and leav- ing only one line of railroad by which supplies could be brought to Lee's army. During this raid he defeated Early again at Waynesborough. At Five Forks April 1st Sheridan turned Lee's flank, forcing him to evacuate Petersburg and begin the retreat to Appomatox. 17 April 6th President Lincoln in a telegram to Grant quoted from a message he had received from Sheridan as follows: "Attacked and routed them handsomely, capturing six gen- erals and 1,000 prisoners. If the thing is pressed I think Lee will surrender." To which the President adds to Grant: " Let the thing be pressed." April 9th Lee surrendered, and on April 14th Lincoln was assassinated at Washington. Sheridan was present at the surrender of Lee, which con- summation he had done so much to bring about. Perusal of Lincoln's messages during the closing year of his life shows that the activities of Sheridan were prominently in his thoughts, and that he shared with Grant a great admira- tion for Little Phil. On August 3, 1864 — eight months before the surrender of Lee — Grant telegraphed to President Lincoln : I want Sheridan put in command of all the troops in the field with instructions to put himself south of the enemy and follow him to the death. Wherever the enemy goes let our troops go also. This plan was acceded to by President Lincoln and the brilliant series of victories in the Shenandoah Valley, pre- ceding the surrender, quickly followed. In their life of Lincoln, Nicolay and Hay, in referring to Grant's selection of Sheridan for the Shenandoah campaign, pay him this high complimxcnt: Grant had at last in command of the forces in the Shenan- doah a soldier who possessed his utmost confidence and affec- tion. Sheridan was then 33 years old, small and compact in stature; not carrying an ounce of superfluous flesh; unpre- tending in manner but quick to assert all proper authority; 18 absolutely at home in the saddle and seemingly incapable of fatigue; an eye for topography as keen and far-reaching as an eagle's, and that gift for inspiring immediate confidence in all around him, which is the most inestimable of all possessions of a soldier. Another writer says that Sheridan was the Hannibal of the American war : Full of the magnificent passion of battle, as everyone knows, riding around with his sword drawn, rising in his stirrups, grasping a battle-flag, turning disaster into victory, or pursuing the enemy with the terror and speed of a Nemesis, he was also abundant in caution, wily as an Indian, original and astound- ing in his strategy — always deceiving as well as overwhelming the enemy. It was not only his personal courage and magnetic bearing, his chivalric presence and intense enthusiasm, which produced his great results. He was a great commander of modern times; learned in the maneuvers and practice which require intellectual keenness and comprehensive calculation. The combination which he employed in all his greatest battles are strokes of military genius almost matchless in our time. Sheridan's military career did not end with the Civil War. He was needed immediately in the South during the stormy days of reconstruction. He wanted to be in Washington to lead his men down Pennsylvania avenue in the memorable parade of soldiers at the close of the war, but Grant ordered him to New Orleans, where the country needed him. He was in command of the departments of the Gulf, the Missouri and Mississippi. During that time — from 1865 to 1870 — he did much to restore order in the South, and part of the time was engaged in repelling Indian hostilities. Grant was inaugurated president in 1869; Sherman was advanced to general -in-chief of the army, and Sheridan pro- 19 moted to lieutenant-general, with the understanding that both titles were to disappear with the men upon whom they had been bestowed. When the Franco-Prussian War broke out, in 1870, Sheridan visited Europe and, attached to the King of Prussia's staff, saw all the great battles from the Prussian side. He met the King of Prussia, grandfather of the present Kaiser; Prince Bismarck, General Von Moltke and all the other high officials of Germany. Bismarck, he said, was very anxious to know whether America blamed France or Prussia for bringing on the war. Sheridan was presented to the king in a grove of poplars, near one of the battlefields. The king took both hands of Sheridan in his and inquired about affairs in America. The king was then about 73 years old. Von Moltke was the only one in the group of distinguished Germans who could speak English. Referring to his European trip, Sheridan said : I returned to America in the fall, having been absent a little more than a year, and although I saw much abroad of absorb- ing interest, both professional and general, yet I came back to my native land with even a greater love for her and with increased admiration for her institutions. General Sheridan was married at Chicago, June 3, 1875, to Miss Irene Rucker, daughter of Gen. Daniel H. Rucker, of the United States army. During that year he was again sent to New Orleans on account of the political riots in that city. In 1878 he commanded the eastern and southwestern military divisions; and in 1883 he succeeded Gen. William T. Sherman, who retired, as head of the army. General Sheridan spent the last years of his life in Wash- ington. He had a summer home at Nonquitt, Mass., where he died August 5, 1888, at the age of 57 years and 5 months. 20 FLOOD LIGHTING OF SHERIDAN STATUE ORIGIN OF MOVEMENT Albany, the birthplace of many citizens who have yV risen to eminence in the nation and the world, counts among its native sons Philip H. Sheridan, one of the great military heroes of the Civil War. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant said of him : As a soldier there is no man living greater than Sheridan. He belongs to the very first rank of captains, not only of our army, but of the world. I rank him with Napoleon and Frederick, and the great commanders of history. Little wonder that Albany is proud of Sheridan. Twenty- nine years after his death the people of the capital city, assisted by the State, erected to the memory of " Little Phil," as he was affectionately called by his comrades, one of the finest equestrian statues in bronze in the United States. They placed it, too, in the most conspicuous spot in Capitol Park, in front of the State capitol, which is within a few blocks from the location where Sheridan was born in 183 L It is well that the achievements of men distinguished in their day be seen in the perspective before their grateful fellow citizens attempt to give fit expression of their appreci- ation. It may be truly said of Sheridan that the passing of the years since the close of his marvelous military career but add to the lustre of his glory and justify the estimate of Grant, as well as of other famous soldiers who served with him in the 21 war. Albany waited nearly thirty years before it raised a statue in bronze to the memory of an honored son, but the lapse of time added to the fame of Philip H. Sheridan and gave him a firmer hold upon the gratitude of the people. This volume is intended to set forth the history of the initiation and carrying out of the plan to erect the Sheridan monument. It tells of the enthusiastic men and women who participated in the work of gathering the funds; the selection of the sculptor; the preparation for the unveiling ceremony; the presence of veterans who were comrades-in-arms with Sheridan, and the eloquent addresses by the Governor of the State and other distinguished persons October 7, 1916, the date of the unveiling. For years there had been talk among Albanians, proud of the distinction won by General Sheridan, of erecting a monu- ment in Albany to perpetuate his memory, and although several efforts were made, following his death, to do this, the idea did not take tangible form until February 11, 1914. On the evening of that day Philip H. Sheridan Camp No. 200, Sons of Veterans, had its annual dinner at the Ten Eyck hotel, Albany, at which Governor Martin H. Glynn was the principal speaker. Governor Glynn's subject was " Abraham Lincoln," and during the course of his address he referred to the great career of Sheridan and suggested the propriety of the Camp, which bore the name of Albany's illustrious soldier, initiating a public movement for the erection of a monument. 22 GOVERNOR GLYNN'S ADDRESS Governor Glynn's address which started the movement for the erection of the statue was as follows: I came here tonight to start a movement too long delayed. This old town is the birthplace of the greatest, or if not the greatest, the second greatest, cavalry leader in the history of the world. '' Little Phil " Sheridan was born here on March 6, 1831. He was small in stature — so small that before he took his West Point physical examination he was stretched all night so as to be tall enough to pass muster in the morning. But so was Napoleon small — and Napoleon's big brother-in-law, Murat, is the only cavalry leader who can share the laurel wreath of excellence with " Little Phil " Sheridan. For a long time Ohio claimed Sheridan as one of her native sons, but Ohio has produced so many presidents that she has the habit of claiming everything great. New York State, too, claimed Sheridan as her own. " Little Phil " settled the con- troversy in his autobiography. He stated he was born in Albany. He had it from his mother, and his mother ought to know. Ohio has erected a statue to her famous adopted son; New York should erect a statue to the native son wha has thrown a glamour around our military annals. It has been against our State legislative policy to appro- priate money for statues to the noted sons of different locali- ties in this State. I suppose the reason has been that New York has produced so many famous sons that there would not be money enough to go around. So, tonight I suggest a 23 new policy. I suggest that New York contribute two dollars to every one dollar a locality raises to erect a statue to a really great son. Thirty thousand dollars, they tell me, will erect an appropriate statue to Phil Sheridan. If the people of Albany will contribute $10,000 — and I will help raise this through my newspaper and otherwise — I promise to exert all the influence I can from the governor's chair to induce the legislature to appropriate the other $20,000. State pride and local pride demand that this be done. It is a shame that a statue of Sheridan, New York's most illus- trious soldier, was not erected years ago here in Albany on the Capitol lawn. Too long has this wrong continued; it cannot be righted too soon. Too long has New York State failed to honor the memory of a son whom all the rest of the world has honored in story and in song. Every school child knows by heart Read's stirring poem on Sheridan's ride to Cedar Creek from twenty miles away. It was the poem with which I broke into the world of oratory thirty years ago in a country schoolhouse in the town of Kinderhook. I got Little Phil started from Winchester all right and landed him within fifteen miles of the battlefield with oratorical thunder. Then I landed him within ten miles of the battle- field, but my oratory commenced to have an uncertain echo and the echo grew more wavering as I landed Phil within five miles of the battlefield, when I broke down, became con- fused, forgot my lines, and despite the best that I could do Little Phil and his fiery charger are still five miles away from Cedar Creek. Every man and every woman knows the gallant part played by this little son of Albany in the closing scenes of the awful tragedy of the Civil War. Had there been no Sheridan to help Grant the war would have lasted longer than it did. Let us not leave it for the lips of children in recitative school 24 hours to sing the glories of this hero ! Let us not leave it for bookworms to contemplate in darkened libraries the valor of this man ! Let us write his glory and his valor in a gallant figure of bronze before our Capitol on the hill, so that all the world may see him as his soldiers knew him — and all the world know him as his soldiers knew him — mounted on the fieriest steed he could find, with his cap in his hand and an invitation on his lips to follow him to glory and to fame. No need is there, here or anywhere, for me or any one else to narrate the deeds of Sheridan as a soldier. The lark sings because he must, and Sheridan fought for the samie reason. His father and his mother came from County Cavan, Ireland; and that is explanation enough. Another Irishman, named Gainor, was responsible for their coming to Albany. When " Little Phil " was a mere tot the family moved to Somerset, Ohio, and here the boy was father of the man. He was pepper- ish, black-haired, rosy cheeked, sturdy, pugnacious and pas- sionately fond of horses. His mother was a woman of good sense, big heart and much practical knowledge. His father built his own house, chopped down the trees of the forest with his own hands, and plastered his cabin with mud from the fields to keep out the wintry blasts. There were four boys and one girl in the family, but " Little Phil " had so much ginger and go in his make-up that there was little left for the others. When seven years of age some fellow youngsters in Somer- set dared him mount a stray horse with only a halter upon its neck. No sooner dared than " Little Phil " was upon his horse, gave him a dig with his heels and clung on by the mane as the horse thundered down the street, terrifying the villagers and knocking down an old apple-man in his flight. Never has there been such a ride since John Gilpin indulged in his famous flight. Mile after mile passed as the half wild steed fled into the open country endeavoring to unseat " Little Phil " at every bound, but " Little Phil " could not be unseated. Wearied of his efforts the horse bolted into the yard of a wayside inn and the bystanders lifted the youngster to the ground. There, before the admiring crowd stood " Little Phil " with a grin on his face. " Who on earth taught you to rider " asked one of the crowd. " Nobody," answered " Little Phil," " I just knowed how. For Willie Seymour said that the way to ride was to hold on with your knees — and I did." This remark was greeted with laughter and one appreciative old fellow cried out, " I tell you men that kid will be heard from some day. He's as sandy a youngster as I ever knowed." Yes, the boy was father of the man. No horse ever could throw Phil Sheridan. Others surpassed him in studies at West Point, but he led them all in horsemanship, and later on he was called the best horseman in the Civil War. Yes, the boy was father of the man; he was sandy as a youngster and a dare-devil as a man. Phil Sheridan never ran from an enemy but once in his life. He was about eight or nine years of age. He whipped a schoolm^ate named Home, and gave him a bloody nose. Home was a special pet of the crusty old schoolmaster, McManly, who started out to whip " Little Phil " for having whipped young Home. Phil climbed the fence of the school yard. When McManly appeared, rod in hand, and on ven- geance bent, Phil dropped from the fence and ran as fast as his little legs could carry him. McManly gave chase. Phil took refuge in a tinsmith shop and hid under a big* boiler. Years afterward he said: " Being under fire at Winchester and Cedar Creek was not half as bad as hiding from McManly's switch under that old tin boiler." Phil Sheridan always was a fighter. At West Point he was suspended for a year for whipping a fellow student. I don't 26 know whether Phil was right or wrong, and just because he won is no proof that he was right, for in a fight Phil always won. It was a habit he had. He hated laziness and lazy men. While fighting the Yakima Indians in Washington territory he became disgusted with the laziness of his men and one day determined to shame them. So, in the morning at roll-call, he tried to do so. " I have a nice easy job," he said, " for the laziest man in the company. Will the laziest man step to the front? " Instantly fifty-nine men stepped forward. " Why don't you step to the front, too? " he asked of the sixtieth. " I'm too lazy," replied the soldier. And from that day forward " Little Phil " never tried to cure that company of laziness. He did not know what fear meant. He was so reckless in his bravery that it is a wonder he ever came out of the Civil War alive. An old darky who often saw him in action said, " Dat Phil Sheridan's got luck of the debbil wid him, an' dat only comes when you carry er rabbit's foot in yer lef han' pocket. He's de mos' keerless pusson in de middle of bullets I ever seen." He was a natural soldier and lucky enough to fall into the niche for which nature had fitted him. He once said, " A man's life is in the open. There is too much civiliza- tion for the average individual; it makes him love comfort more than a house cat." He was too wise to risk a glorious military career on the troublous sea of politics. Once, when asked to become a candidate for the presidency, he replied: "No man could present me with that office. The place- hunters and the office-seekers would kill me in thirty days." He thought quickly and acted as quickly as he thought. He despised councils of war and held them almost useless. He loved his men, and his men loved him. He sleeps at Arlington, 27 on a hillside at whose base ripples the Potomac, and on whose crest stands the old home of Robert E. Lee, whom he helped more to conquer than any man save Grant. Not far away stretch tlie valleys of Virginia, through which he rode in triumph. In the beautiful spring days of the years I represented this district in Congress I often visited the grave of Sheridan. I went there one Memorial Day to place a wreath upon his tomb. I found it mantled with flowers — with red roses and white lilies, and blue violets, the red, the white and the blue he loved so well. Some of the old boys who followed him in the Shenandoah Valley were there ahead of me. They still lingered around his grave — old boys in new blue suits and new gilt cords around old slouch hats — and from their reverential mood and far-away gaze I thought they saw old scenes anew and heard again the shouts of clashing armies, the clarion call of the bugle, the roll of the drum and the shock of bursting shells. But all that I could hear was the twitter of a bird perched in the mouth of a nearby cannon; all that I could see were shim- mering shafts of sunshine shooting between the leaves o'er head and weaving a crown of glory above the grave, while a beautiful butterfly — Egyptian symbol of immortality — fluttered in and out among the golden rays of light. Nature crowned him and history honored him. Dessaix's timely arrival turned defeat into victory for Napoleon at Marengo; Grant's forced march saved the day for Sherman at Shiloh; the Irish brigade arrived just in time to save Fontenoy from becoming a rout for the French; Wellington at Waterloo prayed for Blucher or for darkness, and Blucher came not a moment too soon; but Sheridan, single-handed and alone, turned a routed army into a victorious host as no other man has ever done it. Cedar Creek is the most picturesque, the 28 most poetic and the most individualistic victory in warfare Its thrill will never die and its story never grow old. It took Lincoln, the son of an illiterate backwoodsman; Grant, the son of a tanner; Sherman, the poor orphan boy; and Sheridan, the son of an Irish immigrant laborer, to lead the hosts of the people to victory and the abolition of slavery. Lincoln is honored everywhere throughout the land. Grant has a mausoleum in New York. Sherman has a statue at the entrance to Central Park. Let us erect a statue to Sheridan here in the city of his birth ! Governor Glynn's speech was received with enthusiasm, and upon motion of J. Harris Loucks, a member of the Camp, a committee was appointed to take the necessary steps toward carrying out the plan. A committee of 'well-known Albany citizens was named, with Governor Glynn as honorary chair- man. Another committee, known as the " Officers, Joint Citizens and Philip H. Sheridan Camp No. 200, Sons of Vet- erans, Sheridan Monument Committee," was formed, of which Mayor Joseph W. Stevens, of Albany, was chairman. These committees acted in unison. Mayor Stevens was one of " Sheridan's boys " and served with " Little Phil " through- out the Shenandoah Valley campaign, the conduct of which covered the name of Sheridan with glory. At the Lincoln dinner above mentioned Governor Glynn ^ in discussing the subject with Edward B. Cantine, commander of the Philip H. Sheridan Camp, said that if the committees raised $10,000 toward the erection of the statue he would do what he could to induce the legislature to pass a bill appro- priating $20,000 for the purpose. The $10,000 was speedily 29 raised from the generous people of Albany, and the State added the $20,000, the act of the legislature also providing for a commission of seven to carry out its provisions. That commission consisted of Hon. Martin H. Glynn, Governor; Hon. Robert F. Wagner, acting Lieutenant-Gover- nor; Hon. Thaddeus C. Sweet, speaker of the assembly (these three officers constituting the trustees of public buildings); Hon. Thomas Carmody, Attorney-General; Edward B. Can- tine, Charles M. Winchester and John Farnsworth. The three latter were appointed by the Governor as members of the Sheridan Camp, Sons of Veterans. The committees named at the Lincoln dinner appointed a subcommittee of five members to inquire into the subject of erecting the monument. The names of these members were: J. Harris Loucks, chairman; Rollin B. Sanford, Edgar A. Vander Veer, M.D., Ben V. Smith and John Farnsworth. The report of this subcommittee, made April 4, 1914, less than two months from the date of launching the movement, is an interesting document and admirably sums up the work of the members. The committee during its investigation had the good fortune to hear of a plaster model statue of General Sheridan by the late John Quincy Adams Ward, an intimate friend of Sheridan, which could be procured and erected in Albany, under the direction of Daniel C. French, the eminent sculptor. This statue in bronze was finally contracted for at a cost of $25,000, set up in Albany. The committee's report was: 30 REPORT OF COMMITTEE To Philip H. Sheridan Camp No. 200, Sons of Veterans, AND THE Citizens' Committee for the Erection of a Monument to the Memory of General Philip H. Sheridan, in Capitol Park, in the City of Albany: Gentlemen. — Your committee as a subcommittee charged with the duty of making due inquiry and reporting to the joint committee in the matter of the erection of a monument to the memory of Gen. Phihp H. Sheridan, in Capitol Park, in the city of Albany, respectfully report as follows: It was determined in view of the military record of General Sheridan, one of the three great soldiers produced by the North in the Civil War, that no monument to his memory' would be sufficient or worthy of the place of his birth and the capital of the Empire State, other than a bronze equestrian statue of heroic size. That led your committee to an inquiry as to the expense of an equestrian statue such as the situation demanded, and into the possibility of its procuring, at a fair and reasonable cost, the services of some distinguished American sculptor whose known public work would mark him as capable of executing such an important commission. We found that there were but few equestrian statues in the United States, and that while many sculptors were willing to try their 'pren- tice hand on the problem at our expense, and would endeavor to erect an equestrian statue which might or might not be a 31 great work of art, that those whose equestrian statue work was known and acceptable from an art standpoint were very limited, and that such by reason of their standing w^ere either engaged for years ahead or did not seek the responsibilities of equestrian art work unless their compensation was such as to warrant their foregoing all other commissions while they were engaged thereon. Your committee next considered the question of the cost of a heroic bronze equestrian statue, and we learned that they were very costly and that, unless something fortuitous came to pass, it was not at all probable that one of great and suffi- cient merit could be erected within the appropriation and private subscription therefor contemplated by the legislative act providing for its erection. The equestrian statue of General Sheridan in Washington cost the government $54,000; the McClellan statue, $65,000; the General Draper statue, by Daniel C. French, $50,000; the Sherman statue in New York, by St. Gaudens, we are informed, cost $100,000. The cost of single-figure standing statues was not less. Mr. French was paid $50,000 for a bronze Lincoln, erected in Lincoln, Nebraska, and the standing Lincoln in Chicago, we are told, cost $100,000. Good art is expensive, but the best is none too good to memorialize our dead hero. We then became aware of the existence in plaster and ready for enlargement of a completed model of an equestrian statue of General Sheridan by John Quincy Adams Ward, which had been made upon the order of the Society of the Army of the Cumberland, for erection in Washington, and which could be procured and erected in the city of Albany under the direc- tion and supervision of Daniel C. French, America's most 32 eminent sculptcr, at the mere cost of its erection, plus a small honorarium to the widow of Mr. Ward. We then inquired concerning the statue, the art history of the sculptor and the artistic merit of the work itself. Con- cerning the sculptor and the statue we learned the following: John Quincy Adams Ward was born in Urbana, Ohio, on June 29, 1830. He studied under and assisted H. K. Brown in the making of the bronze equestrian statue of Washington, in Union Square, New York city, in the early fifties, and his career as a sculptor from that time until his death in 1910, covering a period of over sixty years, was one of most pronounced success. He was recognized as one of America's greatest sculptors, and his many works scattered throughout the Union testify to the appreciation in which he was held by the public and by his associates. He was the president of the National Sculptors Society, a National Academician and a trustee of many art societies and institutions, where his advice and ripened experience were greatly sought and always followed. Among his public statues may be mentioned the colossal Washington on the steps of the Subtreasury in 'New York city; Henry Ward Beecher in the City Hall Park, Brooklyn; Commodore Perry, Newport; Israel Putnam, Hartford; Gen. George H. Thomas, Washington; Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, Philadelphia, and the figures in the pediment in the Stock Exchange, New York city. John Quincy Adams Ward and Gen. Philip H. Sheridan were great friends, and the general upon various occasions expressed to Mr. Ward his desire that when it came to pass that a statue would be erected to him that Ward, if he were alive at the time, should do the work. He said to Ward, *' Be sure and give me a horse." When the general died, 33 and the Army of the Cumberland took up the task of erecting an equestrian statue to their former commander, they con- tracted with Ward to design the same. In due course of time, owing to the fact that the Army of the Cumberland was unable to collect the amount required for such a work, Congress, by acts approved March 2, 1889, and March 3, 1891, appropriated the sum of fifty thousand dollars for the erection in the city of Washington of a statue of the late Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, under the direction of the Secre- tary of War, the chairnjan of the joint committee on the library and the chairman of the Sheridan statue committee of the Society of the Army of the Cumberland. That action threw the selection of the artist into the maelstrom of the social and political activities which surround such things in Washington, with the result that the model of the proposed statue of the general which was submitted by Mr. Ward was not accepted, and another which Mrs. Sheridan preferred was erected. The nonselection of the Ward statue created a great furore of disapprobation among the leading sculptors of America, all of whom considered it among the best and finest models of an equestrian statue which had ever been submitted, but influence and sentiment were potent and the result was that the model was left upon Mr. Ward's hands. It represented Sheridan in the full-dress uniform of the general of the army passing in review, hat in hand at salute, the horse full of action, but walking slowly and in a dignified manner past the reviewing stand. Mr. Ward understood the horse and its anatomy as well as any sculptor in America, and at the time he was selected by the Army of the Cumber- land to prepare the model he bought one of the finest and most carefully selected and trained riding horses which could be 34 found in America. He had a special studio in which the horse had full range and could be studied in action under all con- ditions, and he spent three years in the modeling of the horse^ so that when the model was finished it met with the approba. tion not only of those who study the horse from the artist's standpoint but also of soldiers and others who know nothing about art, but who know much about a horse and how he should look in action. Your committee, with Mr. Edward B. Can tine, commander of Philip H. Sheridan Camp No. 200, Sons of Veterans, and Mr. Franklin M. Danaher of the Citizens' Committee, then went to New York and viewed the Ward model in Mr. French's studio. We were more than impressed, but acting with caution and not relying on our own judgment in such an important matter, we called to our aid, in an advisory capacity, Mr. Will H. Low, the Albany artist, who volunteered his services, with the result that the art of the statue, the propriety of its use and the great opportunity offered our State and city in the premises are duly set forth in the follow- ing appreciation, signed by some of America's great authori- ties in art, who are interested only as lovers of their profession in the advancement of municipal art, and whose approval could not be obtained for anything not worthy. What they say of and concerning the statue is as follows : New York, March 12, 1914 J. Harris Loucks, Esq., Philip H. Sheridan Camp No. 200, Sons of Veterans, Albany, N. Y.: Dear Sir.— In view of the project of erecting in Albany the equestrian statue of Gen. Philip H. Sheridan by J. Q. A. Ward, we, the undersigned, desire as artists to express our high appreciation of this statue as a work of art. Mr. Ward 35 occupied during a long life a most eminent position as a sculp- tor, while the professional honors accorded him comprised the presidency of the National Academy of Design and later that of the National Sculpture Society. His statues of Wash- ington, Greeley, Shakespeare, the Indian Hunter, The Puritan, and the Seventh Regiment Memorial in New York, his Garfield and General Thomas in Washington, and the equestrian statue of General Hancock in Philadelphia, comprise but a part of his varied work. The equestrian statue of Sheridan is the latest work of his full maturity, and in truth of portraiture and the spirit of its conception would make a notable monument for the birth city of the great general. Herbert Adams A. A. Weinman Kenyon Cox Edwin H. Blashfield Will H. Low Arnold W. Brunner H. a. MacNeil Walter L. Palmer The signers of the above document are Herbert Adams, a noted sculptor and president of the National Sculpture Soci- ety; A. A. Weinman and Herman Atkins MacNeil, leadmg sculptors, the latter being the designer of our Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial in Washington Park; Kenyon Cox, Edwin H. Blashfield, Will H. Low and Walter L. Palmer, four great painters and recognized writers on and authorities in art, and Arnold Brunner, architect and our city planner, for many years on the Municipal Art Commission of the city of New York, whose opinion in such matters is most valuable. The art of Mr. Ward's statue is beyond criticism. 36 Your committee then made inquiry into the cost of the enlargement of the plaster model of the Ward statue into heroic size, its casting into bronze, the cost of a suitable ped- estal and accessories and the final finishing touches, and its erection in the Capitol park, under proper supervision, and it found that such actual cost, at the lowest estimate, including an honorarium to the widow of the deceased for the use and ownership of the model and the right to erect the statue, was the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars. Mr. Daniel C. French, the premier of his profession in America, a most busy man, whose services as a sculptor are always in demand and can hardly be obtained, offered to give, without fee or reward, his personal supervision and direction to the completion and erection of the statue, at that sum, out of his regard for the deceased sculptor and in aid of American municipal art. Mr. French's offer was as follows : 125 West nth Street, New York City, March 10, 1914 J. Harris Loucks, Esq., Chairman Sheridan Monument Com- mittee, Gen. Philip H. Sheridan Camp, Sons of Veterans, Albany, N. Y.: Dear Sir.— I hereby propose to erect in the city of Albany, N. Y., according to plans and specifications hereafter to be made, upon a site to be selected by the proper authorities, the John Quincy Adams Ward bronze equestrian statue of Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, the model of which is now in my possession, for the sum of twenty-five thousand ($25,000) dollars; the statue to be of heroic size, not less than 13 feet 6 inches in height, complete in all respects, and to include a proper pedestal, to be agreed upon. 37 I also agree to give my personal attention and supervision to the work. The price above named to include the right to use the model and all claim for compensation whatsoever of the widow and estate of said J. Q. A. Ward, deceased, in the premises. The statue to be completed and in position within two years after the contract therefor has been signed. Yours very truly, Daniel C. French. The offer of Mr. French is most generous, one which he would give for no other purpose or person, and which we highly appreciate. The cost of probably a better pedestal, and the incidental expenses for the building of the approaches and the expenses of the dedication, will amount to about five thousand dollars. We have, therefore, a rare opportunity of erecting in the city of his birth a bronze equestrian statue of General Sheridan of heroic size for thirty thousand dollars, modeled by a great sculptor who knew the general, and which would have cost the government at Washington fifty- four thousand dollars (including the approaches), in addition to having the super- visory services of Daniel C. French gratis, so that the work will be done properly and in accord with the highest requirements of art. In the meanwhile, by force of Governor Glynn's interest in the matter, the State has appropriated toward the erec- tion of a suitable monument to the memory of Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, in the city of Albany, the sum of $20,000, pro- vided the citizens of Albany, by private subscription, raise an additional sum of $10,000 for the same. 38 We desirQ to express our high appreciation of Governor Glynn's action in the premises. Annexed to our report are photographs of the model of the Ward statue, from which we can know what we will get if Mr. French's offer is accepted. As part of our report we offer the following resolutions: Resolved, That we recommend to the commissioners for the erection of a monument to Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, in Capitol park, in the city of Albany, the purchase and erection of the Ward equestrian statue of Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, under the direction and supervision of Mr. Daniel C. French, as per his proposal. Resolved, That the joint committee be and it is hereby requested to raise, by private subscription, the sum of ten thousand dollars, in aid of the erection of a suitable monu- ment to the memory of Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, in Capitol park, in the city of Albany, pursuant to the provisions of chapter 100, Laws of 1914. All of which is respectfully submitted. J. Harris Loucks RoLLiN B. Sanford Edgar A. Vander Veer, M. D. Ben. V. Smith John Farnsworth Committee Albany, N. Y., April 4, 1914. The above report and both resolutions were unanimously adopted by the joint committees. The report of the subcommittee was followed by an appeal to the citizens of Albany by Mayor Joseph W. Stevens, chairman of the citizens' committee. The mayor's appeal was: 39 APPEAL BY THE MAYOR To the Citizens of Albany: An opportunity has been offered to us by the State of New York to do honor to a hero of the Civil War and to one of the great soldiers of the age, Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, by the erection of a monument to his memory, in our city, the place of his birth. The opportunity is ours, for the monument is dependent upon the citizens of Albany contributing the sum of ten thousand dollars to the fund for its erection as provided in the law authorizing it. It is needless for me to eulogize General Sheridan to the citizens of Albany, or to narrate his achievements in the war for the preservation of the Union. They are a part of our national history and enshrined in the hearts of all our loyal countrymen. In honoring the memory of the general we are honoring ourselves and our city. We can also consider its material benefits, for heroic eques- trian statues are few and if of good art they add distinction to the city in which they are erected. What great results can be accomplished for so small a con- tribution is set forth in the interesting report of the sub- committee having the matter in charge, which I commend to your careful consideration. We should be interested in the project from patriotic motives, and I urge upon our citizens to contribute freely according to their means to this fund. Joseph W. Stevens, Mayor and Chairman. Dated, Albany, N. Y., April 14, 1914. 40 JOHN QUINCY ADAMS WARD JOHN QUINCY ADAMS WARD JOHN QUINCY ADAMS WARD, sculptor of the Sher- idan statue which was unveiled in Capitol Park, Albany, October 7, 1916, was born in Urbana, Ohio, June 29, 1830. His ancestors had lived in Virginia for five generations, being descended from John Ward, of Norfolk, England, who landed at Jamestown in 1621. Among his progenitors who had served their country with distinction was James Ward, who, as ensign, had been with Washington in the frontier wars, and, as colonel, was killed in battle at Point Pleasant. His son. Col. William Ward, grandfather of J. Q. A. Ward, was one of the earliest settlers of Ohio, having laid out and named the town of Urbana on land obtained from the Indians. The subject of this sketch spent his early life on his father's farm. He began to show talent for modeling when a small boy, and in his nineteenth year he began the study of sculp- ture in the studio of Henry K. Brown, in Brooklyn. He remained with Mr. Brown till 1857, assisting him in many of his important works, particularly in the equestrian statue of Washington in Union Square, New York city, a replica of which was recently presented to West Point. Mr. Brown used to say: " Ward has more genius than Greenough, Craw- ford, Powers, and all the other American sculptors combined." Mr. Ward spent the winters of 1857-59 in Washington, D. C, where he modeled the busts of Alexander H. Stephens, Joshua R. Giddings, Hannibal Hamlin and other prominent 41 public men. It was about this time he made his first sketch of the Indian Hunter, the first statue erected in Central Park. To complete this work he made a special visit to the Indians in the Northwest. Mr. Ward opened his studio in New York in 1861 and was steadily engaged in the practice of his profession there until his death in 1910. He is justly regarded as one of the fore- most American sculptors, his work including some of the most important pieces of public statuary that have been erected in the United States. The following is a partial list of his statues somewhat in the order in which they were made: "Good Samaritan " in Public Gardens, Boston* " Indian Hunter," New York city; statue and reliefs on monument to Commo- dore M. C. Perry, Newport, R. I.; Seventh Regiment Citizen Soldier, Central Park, New York; Shakespeare, Central Park, New York; Gen. Israel Putnam, Hartford, Conn.; six emblem- atic decorative figures, State House, Hartford; Washington, Newburyport, Mass.; Lafayette, Burlington, Vt., Gen. Daniel Morgan, Spartanburg, S. C; Washington, Subtreasury, Wall street. New York; equestrian statue of Gen. George H. Thomas, Washington, D. C. ; Pilgrim, Central Park, New York; Gar- field monument, Washington, D. C; Henry Ward Beecher monument, Brooklyn, N. Y.; William E. Dodge, Herald Square, New York; Horace Greeley, City Hall Park, New York; Roscoe Conkling, Madison Square, New York; "Poetry," Congressional Library, Washington, D. C. ; eques- trian statue of Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pa.; equestrian statue of General Sheridan, Capitol Park, Albany, N. Y. His portrait busts, which include some of our most distinguished citizens, are too numerous to mention. But one should not omit the pediment on the 42 fagade of the Stock Exchange and the quadriga which crowned the Dewey Arch at Madison Square, and the magnificent sculptured column that marks the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Va. Among the many honors he attained were president of the National Academy of Design, first president of the National Sculpture Society, vice-president of the Fine Arts Federation, vice-president of the Century Association, trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, trustee of the American Acad- emy in Rome, member of the Municipal Art Society, Archi- tectural League, National Institute of Architects, American Academy and American Institute of Arts and Letters. Among the younger sculptors who call themselves Mr. Ward's pupils none has risen to greater eminence than Mr. Daniel Chester French, in whose studio Mr. Ward's model of the Sheridan monument was enlarged. He has generously assisted Mr. Ward's widow in effecting the successful erection of both the Hancock and the Sheridan equestrian statues. 43 DANIEL CHESTER FRENCH DANIEL CHESTER FRENCH DANIEL CHESTER FRENCH, who enlarged the plas- ter cast of the Sheridan equestrian statue, after the model by John Quincy Adams Ward, is well known in the United States as one of the foremost sculptors of his time. He was born at Exeter, N. H., in 1850, and during his youth attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for one year and studied under Dr. William Rimmer of Boston, and Thomas Bell, Florence, Italy. From 1876 to 1878 he had a studio in Washington, D. C, and in Boston and Con- cord, Mass., from 1878 to 1887. His best known works are the " Minute Men " at Con- cord, Mass.; statue of General Cass, Capitol, Washington; statue of Rufus Choate, court house, Boston; statue of John Harvard, Cambridge; the Milmore memorial which was awarded the third class medal at the Paris salon, 1892; colossal statue of the Republic at the Chicago Exposition; bronze doors of the Boston public library; statue of Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln, Neb. Mr. French has an ofhce at 12 West 8th street, New York city. 45 HENRY BACON HENRY BACON HENRY BACON, architect of the pedestal upon which the Sheridan equestrian monument rests, is among the most eminent in his profession in the United States. He was born in Watseka, 111., November 28, 1866, and was graduated from the University of Illinois in 1888, after which he traveled in Europe for two years. From 1885 to 1888 he studied in the office of Chamberlin and Whidden, Boston. ^ He married Miss Laura Florence Calvert, of Dar- denelles, Turkey, in 1893, and from 1897 to 1903 was a member of the firm of Brite and Bacon, since which time he has prac- ticed alone. He is the designer of the Lincoln memorial at Washington, which cost $2,000,000. Mr. Bacon has an office at 101 Park avenue. New York city. 47 PARADE AND UNVEILING THE commission set Saturday, October 7th, as the day for the unveiling of the monument in Capitol Park, and issued more than fifteen hundred invitations to per- sons throughout the country to be present and participate in the ceremonies. Among the honor guests invited were Mrs. Philip H. Sheridan and Miss Mary Sheridan, of Washington, D. C, widow and daughter of the general; Capt. Thomas H. Sheridan, a son, and Brig. -Gen. Michael V. Sheridan, a brother of General Sheridan. Captain Sheridan was unable to attend because he was on duty with his regiment on the Mexican border. Gen. Michael V. Sheridan, whose home is at Carlisle, Pa., was obliged to send his regrets on account of his age. Mrs. Sheridan and her daughter accepted the invitation from their summer home at Nonquitt, Mass., where the general died in August, 1888. Other honor guests of the commission were: Gen. J. W. Keifer, of Ohio, who commanded a division under Sheridan in the Shenandoah valley; General Nelson A. Miles, Washing- ton, D. C. ; Benjamin B. Odell, former governor of the State, and sixty-nine veterans who served with Sheridan. The weather was ideal for Sheridan day, and the crowd, which began to assemble early in the day, continued to grow until it became a mighty throng in the afternoon. Mayor Joseph W. Stevens a week before had issued an appeal to the people of Albany to suspend their usual occupations for the afternoon in the following proclamation: 49 MAYOR'S PROCLAxMATION URGING HALF-HOLIDAY To the People of Albany: On Saturday afternoon next, October 7th, will take place the dedication of the monument now being erected in Capitol Park to the memor^^ of the soldier son of Albany, Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, whose valorous deeds in the war for the preserva- tion of the States won for him a conspicuous place in American history, thereby reflecting glory upon this, the city of his birth. In view of the importance of the event from an historic and civic viewpoint, it seems to me to be eminently fitting and proper that I comply with the request of the New York State Sheridan Monument Commission and urge upon the business men of Albany that, in so far as they can do so with- out detriment to their commercial interests, they observe Saturday afternoon next as a half-holiday, thereby giving themselves and their employees an opportunity to witness the parade and other ceremonies in connection with the dedication of the monument and participate otherwise in honoring Sheridan's memory. Furthermore, I urge upon our people generally that they display the American colors from their homes and places of business in recognition of the day's important event. Every citizen, it seems to me, should display at least one American flag, the emblem of the Union of States for which Sheridan fought. Let Saturday, October 7, 1916, be known throughout the length and breadth of the land as Sheridan day in Albany, the 50 day when the State of New York and the citizens of Albany- paid deserved tribute to one of the nation's greatest soldier characters ! Joseph W. Stevens, Done at the mayor's office in the] Mnvnr city hall, Albany, N. Y., this 30th [ -^ " day of September, 1916. J Unveiling day began with a solemn high mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception which was attended by Mrs. Sheridan, her daughter, Governor Whitman, former Governor Glynn, state officials, members of the Sheridan commission and other distinguished citizens. Mass was celebrated in the presence of the Rt. Rev. Thomas F. Cusack, bishop of Albany. The Rev. Mons. Joseph H. Delaney was celebrant and the Rev. Joseph Scully preached the sermon. The musical program was rendered by the cathedral choir. The parade of military and civic organizations, led by Col. Chauncey P. Williams, grand marshal, moved promptly at noon from Clinton Square, the route being: North Pearl street to South Pearl, to Hudson avenue, to Willet street, to State street to Eagle street. The column formation was as follows: Detachment of police, mounted. Mounted orderly section, Headquarters Company, 2d Infantry, as escort to the Sheridan Monument Commission, speakers and invited guests, in carriages as follows: Carriage No. 1. — Governor Charles S. Whitman, Doctor Cadman, Mayor Stevens, Mr. Cantine. Carriages Nos. 2, 3 and 4. — General Stotesbury, the Adjutant-General; mem- bers of the Governor's staff; the Governor's military secretary. Carriage No. 5.^ Ex-Governor Glynn, Ex-Governor Odell, Lieutenant- Governor Schoeneck, Mr. Winchester. 51 Carriage No. 6.^ Attorney-General Woodbury, General Miles, Colonel Tid- ball, Mr. Farnsworth. Carriage No. 7. — Bishop Cusack, Bishop Nelson, Colonel Beckwith, Speaker Sweet. Carriage No. 8. — General Patterson, General Keifer, General Parker, Colonel Stegman. Carriage No. 9. — Mrs. Charles S. Whitman, Miss Olive Whitman, Miss Sallie Davis and governess. Marshal and staff, mounted. FIRST DIVISION Provisional Battalion, U. S. Coast Artillery Corps, Major Robert F. McMillan, C. A. C, commanding, consisting of: 12th Band, C. A. C, U. S. A. 4th Company, C. A. C, U. S. A., Fort Totten, N. Y. 5th Company, C. A. C, U. S. A., Fort Totten, N. Y. 2d Company, C. A. C, U. S. A., Fort Hamilton, N. Y. 3d Company, C. A. C, U. S. A., Fort Wadsworth, N. Y. Detachment of Sanitary Troops, U. S. A. Firing detail and two guns, Field Artillery, U. S. A. U. S. Navy recruiting detachment, Albany, Lieut. P. F. Hambsch, U. S. N., commanding. Two battalions 2d Infantry, N. G., N. Y., Col. James M. Andrews, commanding. 2d Infantry band. Supply and machine gun companies. 1st Battalion, 2d Infantry, N. G., N. Y., composed of: Company A, Troy. Company B, Cohoes. Company C, Troy. Company D, Troy. 2d Battalion, 2d Infantry, N. G., N. Y., composed of: Company E, Schenectady. Company F, Schenectady. Company G, Gloversville. Company H, Amsterdam. Company M, Hoosick Falls. 1st Battalion, 10th Infantry, N. G., N. Y., Capt. Albert S. Callan commanding, and consisting of: 10th Infantry band. Company A, Albany. Company B, Albany. 52 Company C, Albany. Company D, Albany. Hospital Corps detachment. Christian Brothers' Academy Cadet Battalion, Lieut. Thomas Powers commanding. U. S. Naval Reserves. SECOND DIVISION Philip H. Sheridan Camp No. 200, Sons of Veterans, J. Harris Loucks commanding. Jacob H. Ten Eyck Camp No. 154, Sons of Veterans, John Davey commanding. Spanish- American War Veterans, Archibald R. McFarland commanding. Admiral Farragut's Garrison No. 25, Army and Navy Union, Daniel F. Lawlor commanding. Admiral Coghlan Post No. 36, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Alfred V. Kennedy commanding. Old Guard, Company A, 10th Infantry (Albany Zouave Cadets), Col. Adrian W. Mather commanding. Old Guard, Company B, 10th Infantry (Washington Continentals), Harry Simmons commanding. Old Guard, 3d Signal Corps and Troop B, Major Harry S. Richmond commanding. Loyal Legion. Sons of the Revolution, Albert E. Hoyt commanding. Founders and Patriots, Addison J. Hinman commanding. Society of the Colonial Wars. THIRD DIVISION Sheridan's Shenandoah survivors. Lew Benedict Post No. 5, G. A. R., Henry Reineck commanding. George S. Dawson Post No. 63, G. A. R., Samuel H. Wentworth commanding. Lew O. Morris Post No. 121, G. A. R., Louis H. La Vallee commanding. W. A. Jackson Post No. 644, G. A. R., William F. Mullin commanding. State and city officers and members of the common council in automobiles. 53 Sheridan's Shenandoah survivors who led the third division were enthusiastically acclaimed all along the line by the thousands of people who had come from near and far. There was also generous applause for the two battalions of the Second Regiment of regulars who had just returned from the Mexican border as well as for the companies of Coast Artillery sent to Albany for the occasion from Forts Totten, Wadsworth and Hamilton. Governor Whitman reviewed the parade from a balcony at the southeast corner of the Capitol, leading from the executive chamber. Among those who accompanied the Governor to the reviewing stand were Mrs. Sheridan and her daughter. Meanwhile the 1,000 school children, who were to take part in the unveiling ceremony, had been assembled at the State Education building under supervision of George D. Elwell and Prof. Edward Futterer, musical directors. They marched to the front of the Capitol and were formed on the front steps close to the Sheridan statue in two sections, leaving an aisle down the center of the steps. The children were dressed in white and wore red, white and blue hats. As Governor Whitman and party appeared at the top of the steps and slowly descended to the speaker's stand at the foot of the staircase, the 1,000 children burst out in singing "America," accom- panied by the band stationed between them and the statue. In the Governor's party were: Edward Schoeneck, lieutenant governor; Egburt E. Woodbury, attorney general; Thaddeus C. Sweet, speaker of the Assembly; Edward B. Cantine, Charles M. Winchester, John Farnsworth, the state monument commission, and Mrs. Philip H. Sheridan, Miss Sheridan, Mrs. J. Q. A. Ward, Miss MacVey, the Rev. S. Parks Cadman, Col. 54 Zan L. Tidball, Ex- Governor Martin H. Glynn, Ex- Governor B. B. Odell, Jr., Gen. Nelson A. Miles, Col. Lewis R. Stegman, Col. Clinton Beckwith, Gen. J. W. Keifer, Daniel C. French, sculptor; Henry Bacon, architect; Senator Robert F. Wagner, James A. Parsons, Col. Solomon Russell, the guests. The singing was continued until all had been seated on the platform. PROGRAM Music — " America " — Official band and chorus. Invocation — Rt. Rev. Thomas F. Cusack. Introductory Address — Hon. Edward B. Cantine. Member of Commission. Address — Hon. Joseph W. Stevens. Mayor of the City of Albany and Presiding Ofificer. Music — " Reminiscences of the North and South " — Band. Unveiling of the Monument — Miss Olive Whitman and Miss Sally Davis. Presented by Mr. J. Harris Loucks. Commander of Philip H. Sheridan Camp No. 200, Sons of Veterans. General's Salute — United States Field Artillery. Address — Hon. Charles S. Whitman. Governor of the State of New York and Chairman of the Commission. Music — " The Red, White and Blue "— Band and chorus. Oration — Rev. S. Parks Cadman. Chaplain 23d Infantry, N. G., N. Y. Music — " Battle Hymn of the Republic "— Band and chorus. Address — Hon. Martin H. Glynn. Former Governor and Honorary Chairman Citizens' Committee. Address — Col. Zan L. Tidball. Representing the Grand Army of the Republic. Benediction — Rt. Rev. Richard H. Nelson. Salute — United States Field Artillery. Music — " Star Spangled Banner." Official band directed by William T. Wendell. Chorus — Children of the public schools, directed by George D. Elwell. 55 Edward B. Cantine, as a member of the Sheridan commit- tee, introduced the Rt. Rev. Bishop Cusack, who offered the following invocation: O Almighty and Eternal God from whom flows every gift; every grace; who giveth courage to the soldier and love of Country to all of us, grant, we beseech Thee, that this monument which we erect today, may keep alive the memory of a great soldier, who deserved well the gratitude of this nation and of this city honored in his birth. May it serve to impress upon our children that next to God their duty is to their Country. May the principles for which Sheridan fought be ever maintained — a union of independent states in one unbreakable federation, a union of many races fused into one people which, though it worships God with many creeds, may claim the equal protection of one flag. Implant in us, O God, a Hving sense of this unity that we may keep our Country great, glorious and free. Amen. Edward B. Cantine delivered the introductory address in which he briefly set forth the beginning and genesis of the movement to erect the statue of Sheridan. When he referred to the presence of the sixty-nine Sheridan veterans he asked each to rise and answer the rollcall. Mr. Cantine spoke as follows: 56 INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS BY EDWARD B. CANTINE Albany extends greetings and an invitation to over one hundred million American people to join with her in doing honor to the memory of one of our nation's greatest heroes. A brief reference to the facts which make possible this large gathering today may be of interest. At the annual dinner given by the members of Philip H. Sheridan Camp No. 200, Sons of Veterans, at the Hotel Ten Eyck in this city February 11, 1914, it was my privilege as commander of that organization to present as the principal speaker, Hon. Martin H. Glynn, then Governor of this State. The subject assigned him was " Lincoln." In the course of his address he referred to the many brave deeds and heroism of Sheridan, in honor of whom the association was named. He suggested that Philip H. Sheridan camp institute a public movement to secure a statue of General Sheridan to be erected in this, the city of his birth. This suggestion was received with enthusiasm, and on motion of J. Harris Loucks a com- mittee was appointed to take steps to accomplish the desired object. Joint Sheridan camp and citizens' committees were organized, ten thousand dollars was generously contributed by our citizens, which amount was increased by a legislative act which added twenty thousand dollars more to the fund. The law also provided for a commission of seven who were empowered to carry out its provisions. That commission today presents the results of the combined efforts of all who have aided to build this heroic statue of Gen. Philip H. 57 Sheridan. To the youth of today and future generations it will stand as an inspiration of loyalty to and service for country. The school boy trudging up the hill will find the fever of patriotism throbbing in his veins at the sight of this statue of the little Albany boy who made his name known and honored in every part of the land by his valorous deeds. May the flag which veils it forever stand for protection, and may we learn by Sheridan's life the lesson of duty, patriotism and loyalty. There are present here today a number of the Boys in Blue who followed Sheridan's colors and helped fight the battles which made his name resound throughout the world; who knew his dash, his valor and his vim; who felt the thrill of his conquering cry of "on and ever onward " to victory and to fame; who heard the shouts of triumph amid the moanings of the wounded, the cries of the dying and the burst of cannon's shell; who rode with him by night and fought with him by day; who loved him as a man and revered him as a leader; who in the pursuit of Lee saw the sun rise in the east, the sun sink in the west and the stars in southern skies grow dim until the task was finished and the cause was won — a few of the men who helped make Sheridan famous and for whom Sheridan won eternal fame. To them these ceremonies will have an especial significance and an added interest, and it seems appropriate that the names of these comrades who are here should now be mentioned and I ask them to rise as their names are called. At this point in his address, Mr. Cantine called the name of Col. William H. Terrell, 53 Ten Broeck street, Albany, and Colonel Terrell, rising, answered " Here." The following names of veterans, who had also served under Sheridan, were called and each of the old soldiers rose and answered the roll call : 58 VETERANS WHO FOUGHT UNDER SHERIDAN Col. William H. Terrell. Charles E. Houghtaling. Michael Buchanan. Brayton F. Kinne. Silas H. Hooghkerk. George W. Hunt. William Martin. B. Franklin Raze. Dr. Herman L. Bendell. John McCormick. Francis Van Hoesen. Charles D. Thurber. Col. Solomon Russell. John Tallmadge. Charles C. Clements. Newton Ketchum. David J. Crounse. Charles Secor. A. B. Heusted. James McGuiness. William E. Glenhill. Edward Casey. William H. Lonergan. Alphonse Dubos. Corp. J. Edward Rapp. J. H. Bruce. Emerson F. Prouty. Kennedy DriscoU. Conrad Pauley. John E. Jones. P. H. Garrity. Jacob M. Erwin. Lewis Tremmell. John Ryall. Henry Planz. Edmund Martin. George Tompkins. William Scheffler. W. H. Cahill. Patrick Lyons. George A. Carlton. E C. Van Valkenburgh. C. M. Woolsey. C. A. Brown. William H. Wellington. Peter J. Ogsbury. A. J. Osborn. H. D. Pierce. E. G. Garner. Daniel Walters. Lewis H. La Vallee. M. D. Hartford. David H. Dyer. Clark N. Witbeck. Capt. Thomas A. Fearey. Gen. John F. Kent. E. G. Sherley. Albert H. Earl. William Stafford. John W. Mahoney. William H. Flint. William H. Wallace. J. D. Kingsbury. John White Robert Edwards. Alonza Lohnes. Albert Eddy. George C. Payne. James A. Brownell. 59 And lastly, the man who guides the destinies of our city. He also served in the Civil War in Sheridan's division; the commission has selected him as your presiding officer on this historic occasion, and to me has come the pleasure and honor of presenting to you Hon. Joseph W. Stevens, mayor of Albany. 60 ADDRESS BY MAYOR STEVENS Mayor Stevens in assuming the chairmanship spoke as follows : Over half a century has passed since the close of the Civil War and I feel a deep sense of gratitude that I am permitted to be here today and take part in the ceremonies of the unveil- ing of a monument to my old commander, Gen. Philip H. Sheridan. I want to express the appreciation of the city of Albany, the heartfelt appreciation of the survivors of Sheridan's com- mand who are assembled here today, the appreciation of the survivors of Sheridan's command scattered throughout the state of New York. I want to express this appreciation, through Governor Whitman, to the State of New York and to the commander and members of Philip H. Sheridan Camp, Sons of Veterans, and to the citizens of Albany who contributed so gener- ously to the fund that made this event possible, and I am not unmindful of the valuable services rendered by the eminent citizen of Albany, the man who inspired the sentiment that brings us here today, the Hon. Martin H. Glynn. I do not possess the eloquence to do so, nor is it my function to speak of the great military genius, the great services ren- dered to the Nation by General Sheridan. This will be dwelt upon by the eminent speakers whom I shall have the honor to introduce. 61 My only desire is to express the appreciation of all con- cerned for this beautiful memorial — dedicated to the memory of Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, in the city of his birth. The band struck up the patriotic medley " Reminiscences of the North and the South." Signaled by Boy Scouts the artillery companies boomed forth the general's salute. This was the signal for Miss Olive Whitman, daughter of the governor, and Miss Sallie Davis, grand-daughter of Mayor Stevens, to pull the strings and unveil the statue. As the flags which had covered the huge bronze figure fell to the base a mighty cheer went up from the great throng which filled every spot of Capitol Park from Washington avenue to State street, while the cannon boomed and the band played. 62 MR. LOUCKS PRESENTS THE STATUE Representing the Sheridan camp, Sons of Veterans, J. Harris Loucks then formally presented the statue to the State and to the city. He said: From the earliest pages of history, we read of princes and generals returning from their victorious fields of conquest, amid the plaudits of the multitude, and the smiles of the lovely. Great towering shafts and triumphant arches were erected to celebrate their glorious conquests. Today we raise no monument to celebrate the conquest of any nation. We raise no huge figure of Victory over any people. We dedicate rather, this magnificent statue as a token of our love, affection and pride, in that great American general, that peerless cavalry leader, that splendid citizen and lovable man, Gen. Philip Henry Sheridan. Albany gave Sheridan to the nation. It is the privilege of Albany today to honor ourselves, by honoring this dis- tinguished general. The line of great men may or may not stretch out to the end of time, but the memory of this great general, this hero of so many battlefields, will never fail to impress upon the generations yet to come, as an example which all may well imitate but which none can excel. It is my honored privilege to present to the people of the State of New York and to the people of the city of Albany, through you. Governor Whitman, and you, Mayor Stevens " this statue placed on high, Under the dome of the Union sky" this splendid monument, in granite and bronze, to the memory of the hero of the Shenandoah. 63 ADDRESS BY GOVERNOR WHITMAN Governor Charles S. Whitman, responding for the State, said: PhiUp Henry Sheridan was a figure of peculiar appeal to the American imagination. His dash and his daring, coupled with military genius of the highest order, gave him high place among the brilliant chieftains of his day, and his splendid democracy made him loved by the people of the United States no less than by his men. It is well that the place of his birth should erect this statue to his memory, but Albany may hardly lay special claim to him merely by virtue of the fact that he first saw light of day here in the capital of the Empire State. The nation called him, a country claimed him, and the whole people hold him as their own. When disaster threatened the Union, of all the thousands that rallied, there was none who came with a finer enthusiasm than did Sheridan. As one reads his life, the fact most driven home is the almost religious fervor that marked his devotion to America. It was not merely a land to him, a stretch of country with certain definite boundaries — it was a faith. Before his eyes was the vision that led the Pilgrims here. In his soul, I believe, was the dream that inspired Wash- ington — the vision and the dream of a government of all the people in which there should be no injustice but every freedom. America is not a military nation. Aggressions and con- 64 w w < u > u w w H Pi < a, < y ti-, o quests have never been our aims, nor have we reared our youth in devotion to martial ideals. Yet it is a fact that America has never failed in time of war to produce military geniuses that have won the admira- tion of the world, receiving recognition in history along with the gigantic figures of all time. Even as military Europe acclaimed the genius of Washing- ton, so was it ungrudging in its admission of the genius of Sheridan, and even as a passion for liberty drove both men to the heights of achievement so do I make bold to believe that as long as liberty remains a passion in the heart of America, other Washingtons and other Sheridans will rise in every hour of the country's need. The greatness of a nation may not be marked by its wealth or by its population. The past is piled high with ruins of civilizations which put their faith in gold and in numbers. The driving force of a people is a spiritual force, and when a country begins to put its pocket above its soul, it turns its face away from progress and from permanence. We honor ourselves today as we do honor to the memory of a great soldier and a great American. This heroic statue stands as an expression of our love for a patriot, a reaffirmation of our faith in liberty as the governing principle in American life. It stands as a sign that we have not forgotton the heroic past or the lessons of freedom that great men have written in blood for our guidance. Sad indeed will be the day when Americans cease to remember America's struggles, America's temptations and America's heroes, for in them is warning, in them is stead- fastness and in them is constant inspiration. There were many in the thirteen colonies who had small sympathy with the aspiration that burst forth finally in the Declaration of Independence. There were those who put 65 property rights above human rights, and out of their regard for the profits that came to them, they were wilUng to rest in subjection and to bow in servile submission to every tyranny. In later time, there were many even in the North who held the prosperity of peace in higher regard than the honor of a just struggle against the shame of human slavery. In order that no danger might come to them and their incomes, there were those who were willing that America should continue to deny its faith and to defy its sacred principles. Again, as in the days of Washington, as in the days of Sheridan, we are faced by conditions that make demand upon all that is fine and true and unselfish in our national life. As in 1776 and in 1861, we are called upon for decisions that will determine our future as a nation, our course as a people. We can not ignore these conditions nor may we evade the decision. Before the world we took our stand in a great declaration that lifted us above the world in point of high idealism and pure aspiration. By virtue of that declaration, we are the champion of humanity, the foe to cruelty, injustice and oppression. The Civil War, terrible in its grapple between brothers, proclaimed the integrity of our intentions. Against Spain we struck a blow in defense of free institu- tions, and a liberated, enlightened Cuba stood forth as a proof that America had not repudiated the ancient faith. On occasions like this, recalling the memories which are here revived, may we not measure the present by the standards of the past, searching our hearts to see if America means as much to us as it meant to the men whom the hero of the Shenandoah led to battle and to death. Patriotism is a word of vast significance. It does not confine itself to the bloody test of battle. Citizens may show 66 it as well as soldiers. City and State, as well as Federal Government, make demand upon it. Bad government may betray and shame the nation as surely as any treason of war. Injustice, oppression, corruption, false and evil leadership are enemies as menacing as the attack of any foreign foe. It is well, of course, to look to the future, and the past must never become a dead weight upon progress, but we must not lose the inspiration that is to be found in the past nor forget the great lessons of sacrifice and courage and patriotism that are our heritage from vanished yesterdays. We honor the hero dead, and we pay our tribute of loving respect to his old soldiers who are here today to look upon the form in bronze of their great commander. Fast and faster they are going from us — these veterans in the uniform of the Grand Army of the Republic. Few and fewer remain on earth to tell to the children and the children's children of the tremendous events with which their names will be forever associated. Every succeeding Memorial Day witnesses ever thinning lines and 'ere long the flowers that mark a nation's love and a people's reverence will fall on all. We can not too resolutely address ourselves to the task of erecting monuments and memorials, patriotic altars, that may serve to keep holy the glories of the ideals to which their lives were dedicated. Let us forever remember the things for which Sheridan and Sheridan's men fought and the spirit which characterized their every act. No greed of gain, no promise of personal advantage, no dream of conquest, urged them forward. Sheridan and the soldiers of Sheridan ventured love and life and youth and all that man holds dear for an ideal that shines more lofty and more pure than any cause that ever drove men to battle and to death before. 67 Whatever the future may contain, it is ours to hold fast to the faith of the fathers, to hve true to the memory of those who offered up their lives for freedom, for justice and for humanity. At the conclusion of Governor Whitman's address, the chorus of children, accompanied by the band, sang the " Red, White and Blue." The Rev. S. Parks Cadman, chaplain of the Twenty-third infantry, N. G. N. Y., who had just returned from the Mexican border, was the next speaker. 68 ADDRESS BY S. PARKS CADMAN, D.D. Nothing is lighter or less tolerable than mere praise. Hence when we deal with those who have completed their part upon the stage of life we should avoid the beaten paths of undis- criminating eulogy and useless panegyric. The dispassionate critic is the true friend of noble memories, the ally of reality, the companion of the historic conscience. As men and women advance in morality and intelligence, they resent the intrusion into occasions of this sort of that species of oratory which is mere heart-foam, disdainful of facts, credulous of exaggerated reference and comparison, given to intense and highly colored recitals which have neither pith nor meaning. The hero of the hour was a simple, direct, highly gifted soldier; accustomed to plain, unadorned speech; taught by repeated and phenomenal experiences to respect what has been justly called the majesty of facts. He would, I am sure, deprecate any attempt to belaud him without reason, or to indulge those partisan proclivities which are fed by sentimentalism rather than by that veracity which, as the Greek adage had it, was the fellow-citizen of the gods. The knowledge of the main lines of his career, of the sources from which it derived, of the motives at the root of his singularly steadfast patriotism, of the shaping power of eminent events, acting and reacting upon his vigorous personality, are prime requisites for the successful interpretation of that favored son of war's fearful engagements, Philip Henry Sheridan. Few of his companions in arms have escaped "the contagion of the world's slow stain." They were in closest fellowship 69 with the hosts they directed, and the fierce after fight has beaten upon them and their deeds. Yet stiU fewer among them sacrificed principle to power or ambition, while ever and anon appeared among them those who redeemed the credit of their profession, exalting it, and showing what could be effected by un trammeled character and service. Among these, General Sheridan has found an honorable place. He takes rank, not alone as a military chieftain, but as a most useful agent for the sovereignty of the people. His arduous endeavors materially aided the ever-deepening conviction that democracy is the best basis for political morality, and the true source of just and beneficial government. This con- viction gave rise to the American Republic, regenerated France, transformed the rule of Britain both in the homeland and in her colonies and still strives for an adequate formula- tion among other peoples of mankind. It would seem to me, and I hope, to you, that Sheridan's attitude toward our national political genius was not the least of his meritorious achievements. Not that he fought, and fought strenuously, but the causes which induced him to fight and held him as their bondsman in days of storm and stress, should ever be emphasized in any mention of his name. Allusion has been made here to his birth in this city, which took place on March 6, 1831. Albany has a right to be proud of Sheridan's advent thus made in the capital of our State. But I would remind you that Ohio also claims him for her own, and has named him as one of the sons of her training whom she gave to the preservation of the Union. This, of course, is due to his having spent his earlier years in Perry county, Ohio, from a rural district of which county he pro- ceeded to West Point in 1848 and was graduated there in 1853. Yet neither of these localities should be allowed to obscure his real origin. His parents, John and Mary Sheridan, were 70 natives of County Cavan, Ireland, God-fearing folk, who had emigrated from that beautiful province the year previous to the birth of their third and most distinguished child. They were Celts in every sense of the term, devout Roman Catholics, thrifty and enterprising souls, who scrupulously reared their family in the ancestral faith and inculcated in them the virtues of reverence, obedience and piety. The ancient Church of Ireland, which had spread the Christian religion throughout Brittany, Spain and far-off wintry, inhospitable Iceland; the church whose incurably nomadic monks entered the sister island of Britain and there became the founders of the Rule of Columba, was the spiritual mother of this man whom we celebrate. Her monasteries were once the centers of western civilization and learning. They alone retained some knowledge of Greek when that language was lost to the remainder of Europe. In the sixth century she nourished and sent forth the courageous and sacrificing missionaries who were found at Finnian, Ciaran, Comgell, and Brenlan. In the early ninth century whoever knew the classics on the adjoining continent was either an Irish monk or taught by an Irish monk. Day was turned into night when this living church and the Irish race were ravaged by Norsemen and Danes; pirates and out- laws of the sea, who swept away in a hurricane of blood and fire the spiritual movement so scantily known by many historians. Nevertheless no ruthlessness could permanently repress the children of a consecrated land. In reviewing their past one is struck by the extent and variety of their activities beyond the seas, and filled with wonder that any nation, leave alone one harassed and oppressed, had the enormous mental and physical resources to undertake and accomplish so much for other nations. Both Empire and Republic are debtors to Ireland for soldiers, administrators, poets, patriots, for men of faith and vision, of action and realization. The country 71 that gave Sheridan to the United States in the hour of her gravest peril has given a goodly number of their bravest and best public servants to Britain, Canada, Australia, France, and Spain. The monument in Somerset, Ohio, and this one we dedicate today, should be succeeded by one erected in county Cavan, Ireland. As a rule, the greatest reputations and the greatest results have been obtained by the concentration of human powers upon a single object. This observation applies to Sheridan. His distinctive attribute was an exhaustless energy; his wisest one, the prudence which guarded that energy from waste and projected it toward a carefully ascertained object. Hence, he left his impress, and an ineffaceable one, as a soldier. This seed, as a military magnate, was in him- self. He was guided to the heights he attained in his chosen calling by the radiance of his own breast. Educationally, he was nothing notable, yet as a boy in a country store on a salary of $24 a year he studied history and mathematics, and soon began to chafe against the dull routine of his lot. The Mexican war aroused his instinct for the fray. What he thought about the righteousness of our conflict with Mexico I do not know, and perhaps he was too young to have matured opinions on the issue. One thing is apparent, that from the moment of its outbreak his determination was made, and he applied to the Hon. Thomas Richey, member of Congress from his district, for a cadetship at West Point. The letter was unaccompanied by the usual flood of testimonials from influential politicians. The writer was poor and friendless. He asked that the assignment might be given to him and subscribed his petition, "Phil Sheridan." Fortunately for the commonwealth Mr. Richey knew him and his father before him, and with admirable prescience, the Congressman gave Sheridan the appointment. He was graduated thirty-fourth 72 in a class of fifty-two. Cadet Henry W. Slocum was his roommate and afterwards his life-long intimate. Here again, while not deprecating for a moment the value of the discipline he received, and which, in some respects, he sorely needed. West Point does not explain his fortune. The academy polished the metal which it did not produce. For Sheridan was a fighting man by nature, and the stubborn valor, adaptability, skill, and at intervals, overwhelming onslaught of his attack were as congenital to him as ballad poetry to Robert Burns and oratory to John Bright or Daniel O'Connell. It would be superfluous for me to dwell on the triumphs of his work, which have or will receive ample treatment from Governor Whitman, Governor Glynn and other eloquent speakers. Assuredly his environment and associations after he left the academy were not permitted to quench his zeal, and when the Civil War began, the full force of his individu- ality, the inflexibility of his purpose, the thoroughgoing faith he had in Mr. Lincoln and the Union soon made themselves felt. It was evident to his superiors that here was no ordinary officer, but one whose nature, aristocracy of military mind, must predominate. As a young and intrepid leader of forlorn hopes, a rising cavalryman whose comrades passed his name from camp to camp and called him the bravest of the brave, he surged onward and upward to a dazzling and even romantic celebrity; a sturdy, indomitable, and at intervals, inspired warrior whose presence in the field of action was worth ten thousand men. Perhaps this aspect of his character has been unduly magnified. There was, at any rate, another and, as I venture to think, a larger side to Sheridan, hidden from the superficial, but palpable to those who understood the mighty game in which they were severally engaged, and keenly appreciated by them. This was the cool, calculating strategy that lay beneath his terrific drives and dictated their 73 course. The divine madness that sometimes possessed him never escaped the control of cool, calculating method. Sagacity pointed out the path to risky undertakings. Every detail was discussed, all possibilities considered, all contingencies provided for. It was no stroke of luck that made him one of the foremost lieutenants of Grant while he was still a young man. The ardor with which he fulfilled every duty laid upon him by his idolized commander was impatient of the slightest neglect in others or in himself. He exacted from his sub- ordinates that which he freely rendered, a steady and per- sistent drill in things great or small. This rigorous training, though odious to the effeminate delicacy of our enervated multitudes, produced the mounted paladins who eventually rode down the gallant chivalry of the South in the fertile valleys of Virginia. Thus he ripened for the last phases of the tremendous and tragic drama of the war. By these ways and means I have briefly indicated he was made meet for the momentous climax. In the crash of battle a sudden change came over him. His short, compacted form grew even more erect, the grasp upon his saber tightened, his eyes flashed with unwonted fires, his nostrils dilated, his sinews stiffened, his entire bearing was transformed. Yet the fortitude, the daring, the matchless boldness of which his chroniclers have told, were restrained at every point by con- summate equipoise and knowledge of the situation involved. It is not too much to say that he forged the cavalry weapon he wielded with such effect, he compelled it to receive his own stamp, he bathed it in sacrificial struggle, and made its onfall as sure and deadly as the thrust of the Household brigade at Waterloo, or the Light cavalry at Balaklava. As to whether he was capable of the higher strategies which Lee showed in the Wilderness, and Grant at Vicksburg, and Thomas at Nashville, I am not competent to determine. 74 Grant seems to have believed he was, and gave him a place by the side of Sherman. We think of them as a trinity of generals; and their troops, some of whom are here today, will not have it other than that Sheridan was in the foremost line of the world's commanders. In any case, we call a truce to this debate on the day when we honor him. Lee and Jackson, Grant, Sherman and Sheridan, Meade and Thomas, are now with God, and their records as soldiers stand fast and are illustrious. As a man, Sheridan was a contrite, humble and devoted Christian, loyal to his Maker, his Redeemer and his Church; compassionate toward the afflicted and the outcast, uncompromising in his opposition against injustice and wrong, immovable in his resolution that he would not barter his soldierly character in the devious ways of politics. As a citizen he regarded his land and her institutions first and foremost. To lay violent hands upon these was, for him, the vilest anarchy and an unforgivable treason. As a soldier he was as untamable and formidable in war as he was modest in peace; full of enterprise and initiative, liable to appear where the enemy least expected him, and at a time and a place which he chose for their discomfiture and his own advantage. These veterans whose presence with us lends pathetic sig- nificance to our dedicatory acts loved and trusted and fol- lowed him to the last. Of his doings and of theirs the genera- tions have since heard and will continue to hear. That we shall revere his memory and exult in his fame is beyond ques- tion. Yet better, far better, were it for us not to mimic, but to be inspired by his greatness to a more adequate ideal of our duty as citizens and an unshrinking resolution to discharge it to the last item and at any hazard. The world today is torn with war, and Sheridan's brothers in blood are, as usual, enduring the apocalyptic horrors of a sanguinary epoch with their old-time courage and devotion. 75 Many dangers threaten us: the prejudices and provincialism of our citizenship not least among those dangers. But so long as we can bring forth, and honor, and be influenced by, such heroes as Philip Henry Sheridan, so long can we have confidence in the future of America. The band and chorus then rendered the " Battle Hymn of the Republic," after which Hon. Martin H. Glynn, former Governor of the State, was introduced by Mayor Stevens. 76 ADDRESS BY HON. MARTIN H. GLYNN This statue is a monument to merit and a proclamation of pride; a monument to the merit of one of the greatest miUtary chieftains in the history of the world, a proclamation of pride that New York gave Phil Sheridan to the nation and Albany gave him to the world. This statue is an illustration of American opportunity. In no other country under the sun would the road for advance- ment have been opened from the humble cottage on Fox street where Phil Sheridan was born, just a stone's throw from here, to this majestic pedestal of granite, this magnificent statue of bronze with its laurel of reward, its incentive for endeavor. Within this statue lies the lesson that under the Stars and Stripes for which Phil Sheridan fought with the fury of a demon and the patience of a saint, Worth makes the man and Genius carves the place he holds in the panorama of his time. This statue is a tribute to every man who fought to save a single star from falling out of this old flag of ours, and none would have it more so than Phil Sheridan himself, who called the privates in the ranks the heroes of the war and to them gave the credit for his honor and his fame. But, my friends, this statue singularly epitomizes and graphically symbolizes one of the most romantic, one of the most picturesque careers in the annals of war. Napoleon alone can match its splendor or rival its glory. Within the short space of six months Phil Sheridan fought his way from a captain to a colonel, from a colonel to a brig- 77 adier, from a brigadier to a major-general by a series of vic- tories that thrilled the North and startled the South. This record stands without a superior. It has about it the mystery of Alexander the Great, the splendor of Julius Caesar and the lustre of Napoleon. And to Phil Sheridan's credit be it said that no social influ- ence, no political manipulation, no magic clink of gold ever won him a star of promotion or an epaulet of distinction. With his sword he won his own way. Victory was his passport to promotion, merit his claim to distinction; and every pro- motion he received beai's the date of some famous battle that he won. And he won battles so fast, earned promotions so rapidly, that he was a general long before his commission as a colonel ever reached him. So just though, so merited, were these imprecedented promotions that no criticism ever marred them, no jealousy ever dimmed them. In all our history, he is probably the only man who ever commanded a regiment, a brigade and a division as a colonel and brigadier while actually commissioned as a captain of the line. For brilliancy of performance and rapidity of promotion the career of Phil Sheridan stands unrivalled and alone. In all his career he never lost a battle; he fought in seventy engagements and always fought where the bullets flew the thickest and death stalked without a mask; he seldom made an unsuccessful attack; and every time the enemy hurled itself on Sheridan's lines, Sheridan hurled the enemy back to disaster and defeat. Five brigadier-generals told Abraham Lincoln that " Phil Sheridan was worth his weight in gold;" General Sickles said " his mere presence doubled the fighting strength of any command for he could do as much with ten thousand soldiers as any other commander could do with twenty thousand; " Count Von Moltke declared " he taught Europe new lessons 78 in warfare;" General Scofield called him "the beau ideal of a soldier and commander;" General Butterfield said "as a leader Phil Sheridan never had a superior in any army at any time;" and in a talk with Prince Bismarck, General Grant ranked Sheridan with Napoleon and Frederick the Great and declared " that no better general than Phil Sher- idan ever lived." Time has made the opinion of these warriors the opinion of mankind. And so, fortified by the wisdom of the years, in this statue we pay a tribute to merit and proclaim our pride that New York gave Phil Sheridan to the nation and Albany gave him to .the world. And if we were to write his record on this statue, this is what we'd write; and then not write it half: In three score and more of engagements the sword of Sher- idan flashed like a meteor in the sky. At Booneville he whipped an army ten times larger than his own; at Perry ville he saved the day; at Stone River he repulsed the proudest army the Confederates ever sent into the West; at the great battle of Tennessee he helped Thomas win the title of "The Rock of Chickamauga ; " at Spottsyl- vania he taught Wade Hampton how to fight; at Cold Harbor Meade sent him word to " Hold the fort for I am coming," and Sheridan held the fort; at Yellow Tavern he overwhelmed the ablest cavalry leader of the south; at the battle of the Wilderness he was here, there and everywhere, a tongue of fire, an arm of might; at Winchester he freed Washington from fear of invasion and danger of the torch. In the raid around Richmond he dismayed the South and foretold the beginning of the end; in the raids through the Shenandoah Valley he made the Confederacy feel the pangs of need and taste the miseries of starvation. For three years we tried 79 and tried in vain to gain control of the Shenandoah Valley: Sheridan gained control of it in three months. For four years we tried and tried in vain to open the road to Richmond: Sheridan opened it in six weeks. Nor is this all. Three of his battles, at least, have a mystic charm that time cannot destroy. At Missionary Ridge, while in obedience to orders others remained at the foot of the hill, Sheridan, with a cry to his men to take all before them, swept up the hill on his own initiative; captured the Ridge; won "the battle above the clouds," now famed in song and story; and then, by the light of the moon, chased the army of Bragg down the mountain and far into the night. At Cedar Creek he won the most poetic, the most individu- alistic victory in American history. Sheridan's ride from Winchester, " twenty miles away," will live forever in rhyme and lore. Its appeal will never die, its story never grow old. For fifty years and more it has fired the public fancy and stirred the patriot pulse. As school boys it thrilled us; as men it inspires us. Turn to your histories, my friends, and read its magic story once again ! Turn to your histories, and with Sheridan ride five, ten, fifteen, twenty miles from Winchester down amid "the rumble and the grumble and the roar;" ride with him on a steed as black as night, whose hoofs beat like the thunder's roll, whose wild eyes flash with fire; ride with him among the runners, the stragglers and the trailers; ride down his struggling lines with him, amid the shot and shell of enemies, the shouts and cheers of friends; ride with him from the rising to the sinking of the sun, and see him, single- handed and alone, rally as no other man ever rallied a whipped, a cowed, a routed and retreating army into victorious bat- talions that swept everything before them — into dashing, 80 charging cohorts that won the most amazing battle of the war. And for this victory, of which poets sing and artists dream, congress gave Phil Sheridan a vote of thanks, Lincoln pro- moted him, and Grant honored him with a volley of a hundred guns in every army of the North. And- what he did at Cedar Creek, at Five Forks he repeated. At Five Forks he won the decisive battle of the war; the battle that made the watchword of this country — one heart, one hand, one land, one mind, one flag, and one nation now and forever; the battle that for all time made the Star Spangled Banner the flag of the North, the flag of the South and the emblem of the nation. Lee might outflank Grant one night, and Meade the next night ; but he could not shake off Sheridan with his thundering horsemen, who slept in the saddle by night and fought on foot by day. Not even Grant did more than Phil Sheridan to smash the Confederacy and conquer Lee. Grant needed Sheridan as much as Sheridan needed Grant. One was the complement of the other ; and alongside the immortal name of Grant the name of Phil Sheridan will go thundering down the ages. "Wherever he was needed, there Phil Sheridan was sure to be." Grant said this, and Grant knew. " The only orders Sheridan ever needed was the command to ' Go in.'" Grant said this, and Grant knew. And when Sheridan went in, he came out with a victory. Grant issued the orders and Sher- idan did the rest. And in doing it he never tired and he never quit. On almost every day for three successive months he fought an engagement and won a victory against the armies of the South. Think of that, my friends! Think of fighting for three months — day in and day out — with always a victory and never a defeat! Think of it, and point me out its equal if you can ! 81 I say, and history proves, that Phil Sheridan was a veritable thunderbolt of war, an incarnation of energy and action, a cyclone of disaster and dismay, a wrester of victory from conditions which almost spelled defeat. All this he was and more. He was a thinker, a planner, a reservoir of resource, a master of detail. For centuries the world had gone wrong; Sheridan set it right. For centuries the world had used cavalry simply as a weapon of offense; Sheridan taught it to use cavalry as a bulwark of defense. The lesson he taught still survives, and in the survival Sheridan lives, a teacher of tactics, a master of strategy. And, as a master, his care in preparation equalled his fearlessness in execution. His men were always fit; his powder always dry. Like Napoleon, he believed " Victory goes to the general who best knows his map; " and Sheridan always knew his map. True, he had the reckless dash of a mere dragoon; but equally true is it that he had the qualities, the instinct and the talents which shape the battle's issue and create the conquering host. No argument is needed to prove this; Sheridan proved it on a hundred battlefields. From the day Grant placed him at the head of the Army of the Shenandoah until the day Lee surrendered at Appo- mattox, Phil Sheridan mastered every military situation that confronted him, solved every military problem that faced him, with honor to his comrades and advantage to his flag. Throughout all his career, my friends, "Little Phil" was a fighting Irish game-cock, whose comb was never cut and whose wings were never clipped. These are the reasons why we love to dwell on this glorious career of Albany's most distinguished son and with the poet sing — 82 There's one we love to call our own, Renowned by sword and pen, His plume alone, where'er it shone, Was worth ten thousand men ; 'Twas he snatched victory from defeat, Our hearts' commander still ; Whene'er we meet, his name we greet, Our matchless Little Phil. We love to call Phil Sheridan our own, for upon his unique, his magnetic career Albany has a claim peculiarly her own. West Point did not make this career; training did not produce it; experience did not beget it. It came from a mother's milk and a father's blood. This career is what it is because Phil Sheridan was what he was through the attributes of birth and the heritage of ancestors. Great soldiers are bom, not made; and Phil Sheridan was born a soldier. The energetic resolution of a soldier was in his brain; the spur of a soldier was in his blood. He did not get his tactics out of books or from the schools; he got them from the University of Nature. Instinct fathered them, intuition mothered them, genius developed them. He had the glow of heart that endowed him with an invincible impetu- osity, an unconquerable intensity. He had the white heat of brain that transformed occasions into opportunities, and opportunities into victories. His coiirage was contagious; his bravery multiplied the chances of success. His vim, his zest, his zeal made two men out of every man within his command ; his care, his caution and his watchfulness deprived the enemy of half its strength. God loves the brave; fortune favors the brave; and Phil Sheridan was bravery personified. His mind never sagged in doubt, his heart never shook in fear, his courage never wav- ered, his bravery never faltered, his valor never languished ^ this " lion-hearted " leader of a fratricidal war. 83 But this invincible impetuosity of Sheridan's, this uncon- querable intensity, was no ebullition of nervous energy, no effervescence of animal spirits, no frenzy of physical powers. It was an emphatic expression of patriotism born of a deter- mination that no impious hand should ever snatch a star from out the blue of our flag, no sinister touch besmirch its red or pollute its white ; it was an absolute consecration of body and soul, a devout dedication of heart and head and hand to the fortifying faith, the inspirational belief that baptized m the blood of patriots, sanctified by the spirit of the fathers and the loyalty of their sons, blessed by the benedictions of myriads who find protection beneath its sheltering folds, the flag of our Union, with its red stripes and white bars and blue field of stars, gives us something to hope for, something to work for, something to live for, something to fight for, and something to die for. But in all his greatness Phil Sheridan was human, so intensely human as to be extremely lovable. He loved sunlight and starlight, music and flowers, women and men. He loved his soldiers, and his soldiers loved him. A more beloved general never lived. He never needlessly sacrificed a human life; he never asked his men to go where he would not lead, and he always cared for his soldiers as if they were his sons. Happy he would be, and happy must everybody else with him be. From caution or from policy other generals might conceal their camp, smother their fires and still their bands; but in the army of Phil Sheridan the fires must burn at night and the bands play by day, the soldiers sing while on the march and flags forever flutter in the breeze. In love and admiration the soldiers of France called Napoleon the " Little Corporal." In admiration and love the sojdiers of the Union called Sheridan " Little Phil." 84 And " Little Phil " he always will remain. The world loves the name, his men loved the name, he loved the name; he gave it to his son and he died with it upon his lips. As "Little Phil," on his black horse, Rienzi, he rode into an eternity of fame. As " Little Phil," with the capitol of his native State behind him, the city of his birth before him, on this bronze horse whereon we place him today with a crown of approbation and a tumult of applause, he will ride down the centuries — a monument to merit, an illustration of American opportunity, a tribute to every man who fought to save a single star from falling out of this old flag of ours, a proclamation of pride that New York gave Phil Sheridan to the nation and Albany gave him to the world. 85 ADDRESS OF COL. ZAN L. TIDBALL Col. Zan L. Tidball, of Bath, N. Y., past department com- mander of New York Grand Army of the Republic, was the last speaker. He spoke as the representative of the G. A. R. and said: In this time of general enlightenment it is reasonable to suppose that before coming here everyone within hearing of my voice was familiar in some degree with the history, and more or less informed of the wonderful achievements, of the great man, Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, whose memory we cele- brate today. If perchance anything of importance in that connection was lacking, it surely was told you by the eloquent gentlemen who have preceded me. In such circumstances, what is left for me to say more than to express to the monument commission my sincere appreci- ation of its courteous invitation to participate in the cere- monies of this never-to-be-forgotten occasion, and the very great honor bestowed upon me to appear before this vast assemblage as the representative of the remnant of that mighty, invincible host, the Grand Army of the Republic — the boys of '61 and '65 who helped to develop the genius of Sheridan and under his direction snatched victory from defeat ? Still it may not be amiss to review briefly some of the events of Sheridan's early life that clearly indicated the trend of his youthful mind, which time and opportunity developed and broadened in a masterful way. From childhood Sheridan possessed the spirit of leadership. He chafed under restraint and was inclined to be belligerent when opposed. You were 86 told of the little misunderstanding between him and School- master McNally, when Sheridan ran away from school to escape the birch. That event came about through Sheridan's lack of discipline ; of his disrespect of authority. The incident has been referred to rather facetiously and declared to be "Sheridan's first and only retreat." I do not quite agree with this conclusion. It may have been his first, but surely not his most serious defeat, for history records the fact that while a cadet at West Point, and when about half through with his studies, Sheridan committed a breach of discipline that well-nigh cost him his cadetship. Angered by what he considered a contemptuous remark of the drill sergeant, his superior in command, and unable to control his belligerent disposition, he assaulted the sergeant. For this grievous military offense he was suspended for a period of nine months, and but for the fact that his standing in class and his general deportment were exceptionally good, he would no doubt have been dishonorably dismissed from the army. The authorities, however, while in duty bound to enforce strict discipline, foresaw great possibilities in Sheridan and wisely decided to make of him an example rather than a sacrifice. The shock of the sentence, however, had the effect of awak- ening Sheridan's judgment and of arousing his pride, and caused him to reflect upon the importance of thorough dis- cipline; and from that time forward, while always ready to act, he was able to control his naturally quick and sensitive temper. Sheridan in his " Personal Memoirs " refers to this incident which he considered the most important of his early experiences, as it made him master of himself and capable of understanding the importance of discipline and to properly appreciate the need of respect for superior authority. Sheridan possessed several noticeable characteristics. He always aimed to be the best among those with whom he was 87 associated, and this desire prompted him to do the best he could in every position in which he was placed. This dis- position was manifest from the days of his boyhood when he was a clerk in the grocery in the little town of Somerset, Ohio, even before he ever dreamed of West Point. His good old employer saw and recognized it, and urged it as a recom- mendation to secure his appointment to the military academy, and later on, all the way up the line, it was recognized by his fellow officers and personally acknowledged by the President. Sheridan was but little past seventeen when he entered West Point. He was small of stature, standing only five feet five inches and weighing one hundred and fifteen pounds. It is doubtful whether he would have been admitted at a later day on account of his size. He was popular among his classmates who nicknamed him " Little Phil," an endearing title destined to endure so long as memory holds sway. But whatever may have been lacking in stature was more than offset by a superior quality of brain that placed Sheridan among the greatest men of his time. Sheridan was intensely loyal to his country and its flag. At the outbreak of the rebellion he was a second lieutenant in command of a small frontier post in Oregon. The news of the attack on Sumter reached him in July, 1861, and he immediately applied for a transfer to some command at the seat of war, but before his request could be granted he learned that the officer selected to relieve him was a secessionist and in sympathy with the cause of the South, so he refused to turn over the command until he could communicate with his commanding officer at San Francisco, to whom he made known his discovery. The result was that another and a loyal officer was sent to relieve Sheridan. Considerable delay ensued and Sheridan did not get away until September, when he was assigned to duty with the Department of Missouri. From that time until the close of the war Sheridan was every- where at the call of duty, always at the front, always in the thick of the fight and always victorious. In whatever situation Sheridan was placed his sole object seems to have been to win without thought of the result to himself personally, in the way of promotion or advancement. It is said that he never solicited promotion nor asked his friends to aid him in that respect. He simply did his work the best he knew how and left those in superior authority to pass judgment upon it, and in recognition of his invaluable service all promotions, from the grade of second lieutenant to the rank of general of the army, came to him as rewards of merit. No one had a higher opinion of Sheridan's prowess and glorious achievements than General Grant, whose first act after becoming President, in 1869, was to appoint him lieutenant-general in the regular army. Subsequently, upon the retirement of General Sherman, Congress restored the rank of general and Grant con- ferred it upon Sheridan when he assumed supreme command. Sheridan died at the age of fifty-seven, too soon, too soon, we are wont to say. Yet we rejoice that he was spared to see his country reunited and on the high road to prosperity, and asserting itself among the foremost nations of the earth. Few men in all history accomplished so much as Sheridan achieved in the cause of freedom, national unity and sound government, and his fame will live forever. Much of Sheridan's success was due to his constant care of his men. He demanded great things of them and to make certain the result of their work he made it a part of his daily business to know that they were well cared for. He looked upon his men as a part of himself, and as time passed and victory after victory was won, his regard for his men took on the form of sincere affection. Proof of this was shown at the time Sheridan was relieved of command in the Shenandoah 89 Valley and ordered to the command of the cavalry corps of the Army of the Potomac. Speaking of this event, Sheridan said that he was so overcome by the thought of separation from his brave men that he did not dare trust himself to take a formal farewell of them, and with heavy heart he quietly departed for the new field of duty. Albany has good right to be proud of her distinction as the birthplace of Philip H. Sheridan, whose every act reflected credit upon the city and his native land, and whose distin- guished military career established his fame throughout the civilized world. My friends, the hour is growing late and I know that you must be weary, so I shall not longer delay you than to pay special respect to the ladies present. I observe in this great congregation many women whose presence is unmistakable proof of their interest in everything appertaining to good government, and of their regard and sympathy for the men who participated in the dreadful struggle for the preservation of the Union. In those dark, uncertain days the women were the guardian angels of the men on the battle line. With- out their aid and sympathy, without their affection and devotion the men who did the fighting would have fought in vain. The presence of the women on this peaceful occasion is a joy and inspiration. They are welcome here; they are always welcome wherever veterans of the Civil War assemble, and too much cannot be said in their praise. I sincerely thank you for your patient and respectful attention. The Right Reverend Richard H. Nelson, bishop of the Episcopal diocese of Albany, then pronounced the benedic- tion. This was followed by a salute by the United States artillery and the singing of the " Star Spangled Banner." 90 1-. O O Q Q > ,_ r, i- C,j C aj 'r1 c O < ^ ^:j u RECEPTION AT EXECUTIVE MANSION FROM the time of their arrival in Albany, Mrs. Sheridan and her daughter, Miss Mary Sheridan, as the principal honor guests of the occasion, were warmly welcomed and entertained by the people of the city. They were met at the railroad station by a committee consisting of Gen. Amasa J. Parker, John Farnsworth and Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Visscher, and conveyed to the Ten Eyck hotel. The visitors spent the first evening with Mrs. John E. McElroy, who was a sister of the late Chester A. Arthur, president of the United States. As the " Lady of the White House " during her brother's administration Mrs. McElroy was an intimate friend of Mrs. Sheridan. After the unveiling ceremony Mrs. Sheridan and Miss Sheridan were the guests of Mrs. Whitman at the executive mansion, at a tea and reception given in their honor. Among those present at the mansion to meet the visitors were: Mrs. J. Harris Loucks, Mrs. George Curtis Treadwell, Mrs. Justus Davis, Mrs. Edgar A. Vander Veer, Mrs. Peter G. Ten Eyck, Mrs. Ben V. Smith, Mrs. Edward B. Cantine, Mrs. Harold J. Hinman, Mrs. James A. Wendell, Mrs. Charles Van Merrick, Mrs. Charles M. Winchester, Mrs. Roelif H. Brooks, Mrs. Edward W. Visscher, Mrs. M. L. Ryder, Mrs. John S. McEwan and Mrs. Clarence E. Mullens. Other guests were Mrs. Peter J. Callan, Mrs. Russel Headley, Mrs. William A. 91 Wheeler, Mrs. Francis Shields, Miss Marion Cantine, Mrs. Frederick W. Cameron, Mrs. Oliver A. Quayle, Miss Edith Quayle, Mrs. Francis M. Hugo, Mrs. Fannie J. Bailey, Mrs. Warren L. Bradt, Mrs. A. T. Palmer, Mrs. James M. Morris, Mrs. A. A. Dayton, Mrs. A. S. Newcomb, Mrs. Edgar C. Leonard, Mrs. William A. Murray, Miss Mary B. Lambert, Mrs. Ralph Parker, Mrs. Robert Adams, Mrs. G. D. Burdick, Mrs. A. M. Brown, Mrs. William G. Furlong, Mrs. David B. Comstock, Miss Nan Cotrell, Mrs. Frank A. McNamee, Mrs. Parkes D. Wendell, Mrs. R. G. Finch, Mrs. John Suderly of Coeymans, Mrs. E. H. Gallup, Miss Helen Dearstyne, Mrs. Montgomery Throop, Mrs. Randall J. Le Boeuf, Mrs. William J. McKown, Miss Sprong, Mrs. Charles C. De Rouville, Mrs. C. T. Whitman, Mrs. Harold Hayford, Mrs. Henry Hudson, Miss Lydia Hotaling. 92 DINNER AT THE TEN EYCK MRS. SHERIDAN and her daughter were escorted by a committee to the mezzanine floor of the Ten Eyck hotel in the evening, to Usten to the speeches at the dinner given by the PhiUp H. Sheridan Camp, Sons of Veterans. The dinner was the last number on the program of the unveiling ceremonies. Addresses were delivered by Governor Charles S. Whitman, former Governor Benjamin B. Odell, former Governor Martin H. Glynn, General J. Warren Keifer, Mayor Joseph W. Stevens, William Barnes, J. Harris Loucks and Edward B. Cantine. General Keifer, who commanded a division of Pennsylvania troops at the battle of Cedar Creek, under Sheridan, gave an interesting account of events when Sheridan made his famous ride from Winchester to Cedar Creek and saved the day for the Union army. Those who attended the dinner were: TABLE A Hon. Charles S. Whitman. Hon. Joseph W. Stevens. Mr. J. Harris Loucks. General Zan L. Tidball. General J. Warren Keifer. General Nelson A. Miles. Dr. Roelif H. Brooks. Hon. Benjamin B. Odell. Hon. William Barnes. Hon. Martin H. Glynn. Hon. Edward B. Cantine. TABLE No. 1 Mr. Charles M. Winchester. Hon. Thaddeus C. Sweet. Mr. John Famsworth. Hon. James A. Parsons. Lieut-Col. Loriliard Spencer. Mr. George A. Cantine. Hon. Egburt Woodbury. 93 TABLE No. 2 Col. Chauncey P. Williams. Lieut.-Col. William Taylor. Col. George Curtis Treadwell. Captain Karl Isburg. General W. W. Wotherspoon. Col. James H. Manning. Col. James W. Andrews. Mr. E. W. Visscher. Mr. James A. Wendell. Mr. Thomas Ward. Mr. William L. Visscher. TABLE No. 3 Mr. Frank A. Hoyt. Mr. A. W. Fuller. Col. Franklin W. Ward. Dr. George A. Sullivan. Mr. Ben V. Smith. Dr. James N. Vander Veer. Mr. William G. Furlong. Dr. J. L Dowling. Mr. Joseph C. McClelland. Mr. Edwin W. Sanford. Mr. William E. Foskett. Mr. William J. Kattrein. Mr. Clifford S. Sims. Hon. Lynn J. Arnold. Hon. Cornelius F. Burns. Hon. William P. Rudd. Mr. Walter J. Fitzpatrick. Mr. Russell Suter. Mr. William Briggs. Mr. Charles P. Wagoner. Mr. Ellis J. Staley. Mr. Ledyard Cogswell, Jr. Hon. Charles S. Wilson. Mr. Alwin C. Quentel. TABLE No. 4 Mr. Thomas F. Behan. Mr. Charles C. DeRouville. Mr. Warren L. Bradt. Mr. Nicholas T. Brady. TABLE No. 5 Mr. John H. Kattrein. Mr. Hanford C. Whitbeck. Mr. Franz Sigel. Dr. Ralph Sheldon. TABLE No. 6 Mr. Oliver A. Quayle. Hon. Peter G. Ten Eyck. Dr. Albert Vander Veer. General Amasa J. Parker. TABLE No. 7 Mr. John A. Palmer. Mr. Charles V. Merrick. Mr. Arthur P. Smith. Mr. George E. Cantine. TABLE No. 8 Hon. Frank M. Williams. Hon. Louis L Waldman. Mr. Charles M. Stern. Mr. George A. White. 94 Hon. James R. Watt. Mr. Philip Bender. Mr. Valentine Komfort. Hon. Henry Hirschfeld. Mr. Luther C. Warner. Mr. Warren S. Hastings. Hon. Rollin B. Sanford. Hon. Harold J. Hinman. TABLE No. 9 Hon. Edward J. Halter. Mr. Walter L. Hutchins. Mr. Perla S. Kling. Mr. David E. Pugh. TABLE No. 10 Dr. James F. Rooney. Hon. Henry M. Sage. Mr. Thurlow Weed Barnes, Jr. Mr. Louis F. O'Neil. Dr. Clarence E. Mullens. Dr. Edward G. Cox. Mr. Harry Simmons. Mr. Harry G. Eyres. Mr. Morton Havens, Jr. Mr. O. F. Kinney. Mr. John F. Heidenreich. Mr. George Heidenreich. TABLE No. 11 Mr. Howard Townsend Terrell. Mr. Arnold G. Chapman. Mr. Harman W. Warner. Mr. Frank L. Reuss. TABLE No. 12 Mr. Charles P. Brett. Mr. George D. Elwell. Dr. A. B. Van Loon. Mr. George E. Green. Mr. John S. McEwan. Dr. Edgar A. Vander Veer. Mr. R. M. Chalmers. Mr. C. B. Staats. TABLE No. 13 Mr. Carl H. Graf. Dr. Vander Veer (guest). Mr. Willard M. Douglas. Mr. Frank A. McNamee. Mr. Frank E. Dodds. Mr. John M. Taylor. Mr. Leo M. Lasch. TABLE No. 14 Mr. William P. Davis. Mr. James D. Shoemaker. Mr. William F. Campion. Major Oscar Smith. Col. William H. Terrell. Col. Lewis R. Stegman. Col. Clinton Beckwith. TABLE No. 15 Col. Solomon Russell. Mr. John M. Walker. Mr. Edward B. Roe. Mr. Henry Hudson. 95 Mr. Charles A. Tremmel. Mr. John A. Langan. Mr. Daniel W. Spillane. Mr. Lewis E. Carr, Jr. Mr. George C. Hawley. Mr. M. L. Ryder. Mr. William E. Burnham. Mr. Thomas Aldrich. Mr. J. B. Dutcher. Mr. John G. Crary. Mr. Charles McTigue. Mr. Alden P. Coates. Mr. Andrew Schreiber. Mr. Bowen Staley. Mr. William B. Coates. TABLE No. 16 Mr. Thomas G. Kenny. Mr. Ambrose J. Boylan. Mr. Ben Franklin. Mr. John A. McArthur. TABLE No. 17 Mr. Walter Melius. Mr Fred C. Rockwell. Mr. William S. Hackett. TABLE No. 18 Mr. George N. Sheridan. Mr. Albert O. True. Mr. Peter Shoemaker. TABLE No. 19 Newspaper Men Mr. Edward Bates. Mr. Michael V. Dolan. TABLE No. 20 Mr. Gustavus Sniper. Mr. Louis L. Gowdy. Mr. William Peters. Hon. John G. Malone. The Rev. Roelif H. Brooks, rector of St. Paul's Episcopal church, Albany, said grace: O God, our Father, from Whom all good things do come, make us mindful of the sacrifices which men have made to protect this great nation which we believe has been singularly blessed by Thee and over which there has ever been Thy protecting care. We are grateful for the opportunity which this day has offered to honor a man and a soldier who gave of his services that the Union might be preserved. We thank Thee for these gifts of Thy mercy to us. Bless this food to our use and sanctify us to Thy service. For Christ's sake we ask it. Amen. 96 During the dinner George D. Elwell, assisted by Ben Franklin, led in the singing of hymns and songs of the Civil War. Mr. Loucks was toastmaster. At the beginning of his speech Governor Whitman paid a graceful compliment to Mrs. Sheridan, who, with her daughter, sat in the balcony of the dining-room, surrounded by about two hundred women who had taken an active part in the day's proceedings. The governor asked the diners to rise and drink a toast to Mrs. Sheridan. He invited Mrs. Sheridan to stand, whereat the diners cheered and waved their napkins in honor of the widow of Sheridan. Governor Whitman said he hesitated to speak in the pres- ence of so many men who had served under General Sheridan, referring to General Keifer, General Miles, Mayor Stevens and other veterans at the dinner. " I congratulate Sheridan Camp, the city of Albany and State of New York in the erection of the statue," said the governor, who spoke briefly. 97 REMARKS BY WILLIAM BARNES William Barnes, in part, said : Sheridan was not concerned with public opinion. He was following his instructions. No picture of himself which might exist in the minds of others interested him. He was con- cerned solely with his duty. He was as we say nowadays, in common speech, " on his job." Others might think what they like — that was not his affair. This note of singleness of purpose which we find in Sheridan was conspicuous in the life of the time. It was upheld as the ideal of human character. Lack of it was despised. Few public men were able to run the gamut of a public career who did not possess it. The man whose act did not conform with his word, was soon relegated to private life. Lack of coherence between promise and conduct was the unpardon- able sin. It is interesting that only in time of war this virtue, vital as it is to human achievement and happiness at all times, discloses its greatest vigor. The stress of conflict involves the maintenance of faith. The spirit of nationality with which Sheridan and the others were imbued, held them in the grip of truth. In them, engaged in violent conflict to protect the whole, that the individual might continue to live, free within the whole, the vices of peace had no chance to grow. It is well that we should commemorate in monument our Sheridans. It is well that the spirit of nationality should be kept alert and vigorous by examination of past achievement 98 and patriotism, that we may not fail in the realization of the truth that we live in jeopardy, and that that jeopardy can be reduced to a minimum only by the spirit of a gallant, self- reliant and responsible people. Not in envy of others, not in malice towards those who have succeeded, not in jealousy of fame, can a free people continue to maintain their freedom of existence. 99 REMARKS BY GENERAL J. WARREN KEIFER General Keifer complimented Governor Whitman and others assembled on the success of the unveiling of the splendid equestrian statue to General Sheridan. He spoke of his per- sonal acquaintance, begun in the Civil War, with Generals Grant, Sherman and Sheridan; also Lieut.-Gen. Nelson A. Miles, U. S. A. (who was present), and others of the great commanders of the Civil War, distinguishing the different types of commanders they represented, particularly that of General Sheridan, from other also successful leaders of armies in campaigns and battles. In substance, among other things, he said : Sheridan at the outbreak of the Civil War was a lieutenant on the Pacific coast. His patriotism and ambition led him to write a friend that he hoped he could, during the war, do something to raise him to the rank of a major in the United States army. This vaulting ambition he never enjoyed. He became a captain, a colonel, brigadier-general and major- general of volunteers, during the war; and a brigadier-general, major-general, lieutenant-general and general of the United States army, which last rank he held at his death. His only predecessors who held the rank of general in the United States army were Washington, Grant and Sherman, and he has had no successor in that rank; it was abolished by law. Others have spoken of Sheridan's early entry in the Civil War, and his activities in the Mississippi Valley under Grant, 100 and under General Rosecrans and others in the West, where he displayed that capacity to lead and successfully fight battles which distinguished him throughout the war of the rebellion. While he did not become especially prominent at the front until in the last of the four years of the Civil War, his later superior eminence was always foreshadowed in all his opera- tions even when he was a subordinate, commanding cavalry or infantry in large or in minor engagements. It must be remembered that to be a successful leader in minor campaigns and battles often requires the exercise of the highest military skill as well as the most intelligent bravery. Bravery, neces- sary and important as it always is in an officer, is still minor in importance to steady poise and skill in putting an army into battle and in getting the best results from it while the conflict lasts, and, if victorious, in securing the best fruits of success, and, if defeated, in so handling his troops as to prevent disaster. Sheridan was the embodiment of confidence in himself and in success, and this enabled him to imbue his army with a like confidence in him. The intelligent American subordinate officers and private soldiers easily understand the spirit and skill of those over them, and, if satisfied with them, the utmost effort will be put forth to attain victory. Sheridan did not order his army to fight battles; he led it into battle, and attended and par- ticipated in the conflict to the end. A marked distinguishing element in Sheridan's conduct of a battle was to confide in his corps, division, brigade, etc., commanders; and to give them wide discretion to meet sudden crises in a battle, and to avail themselves of opportunities for successful attack in his absence and without orders. His army was, however, fought as a unit; no part of it was allowed to be sacrificed while another substantial part of it was idly 101 looking on, as was the case at Antietam and other earher bloody, but badly fought, battles. Perhaps Sheridan's immortal fame as a successful military hero rests largely on his achievements at Opequon (Sept. 19, 1864), Fisher's Hill (Sept. 22, 1864), and Cedar Creek (Oct. 19, 1864). (T. Buchanan Read's poem — " Sheridan's Ride " — helped to immortalize Sheridan.) These battles each ended with the day, and each was a complete defeat of the Confederate army under Gen. Jubal A. Early, composed of experienced troops; its corps, divisions, brigades, etc., commanded by the most celebrated Confed- erate officers, such as Gen. John C. Breckenridge, John B. Gordon, Kershaw, Ramseur, and others. Victories in the Civil War in 1864 and later were not won by accident, but by skill and hard fighting and the sacrifice of much blood and life. Sheridan's career did not end in the Shenandoah Valley. The early spring of 1865 (March) found him again, with the army under Grant, and the army of the Potomac under General Meade, in command of the Union cavalry, confronting General Lee, fortified in front of Richmond and Petersburg, Va. At Five Forks (April 1, 1865), commanding both infantry and cavalry, under great difficulties and disadvantages he won the initial battle, against odds, that led to the evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond; the flight of Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy, and his cabinet from Richmond, its capital; the retreat of General Lee's army; its signal defeat (April 6, 1865) at Sailor's Creek (the last field battle of the Civil War), Sheridan with his cavalry participating in the battle, and the capitulation of the Confederate army under General Lee (April 9, 1865) at Appomattox Courthouse, and the practical ending of the Civil War, the downfall of the 102 Confederacy and the restoration of the Union of the States. Early on the morning of April 9, 1865, the encompassing Union forces, with battle flags and guidons leaning to the front while charging, under Sheridan's leadership and orders, upon the last stand of General Lee's gallant and well-com- manded army, were halted by the display of a white flag ; and the surrender at Appomattox followed. Sheridan thus participated in the momentous closing scene of the long, bloody, costly Civil War, which, in the providence of God, re-cemented the Union of the States of our great republic, in which harmony, peace and prosperity now uni- versally prevail in a degree unparalleled in the world's history. Sheridan's personal characteristics, though peculiar to him- self, marked him for leadership and success in war. He had no ulterior purposes to accomplish for himself. His devotion was to his country and to its institutions. He was honest and frank, even to bluntness. That he was ambitious to succeed and to win a name and fame for himself and those who served with and under him, is to his credit. True greatness is never attained unmixed with persona ambition and pride. He was not of the type or temperament of Grant, or of Sherman, or of Meade, or of Thomas, or of other great generals of the Civil War who fairly won renown. It is more than doubtful whether General Grant, the great leader of them all, could have filled General Sheridan's place in leading, personally, large bodies of cavalry in battle, or even by personal presence in the conflict of battle inspiring those under him to deeds of valor; and the same may be said as to General Sherman, whose fiery spirit more nearly corre- sponded to that of Sheridan. General Meade, who success- fully, within five days of his succeeding to the command of 103 the Army of the Potomac, met and overthrew General Lee's then confident army at Gettysburg, hardly possessed the essential and intrepid qualities of Sheridan to have filled his place and accomplished the same or equivalent results at the head of cavalry or otherwise. General Thomas, who, with his sturdy poise and inspiring steadiness, won, in the presence of disaster, the designation " The Rock of Chickamauga," could hardly have attained the varied success accorded Sheridan. So of other great generals of the Civil War. On the other hand, it is fair to say that Sheridan might not, if he had been called on to perform the high duties and to fill the important places any one of these famous officers filled, have succeeded in the same degree each such officer did. This is not saying anything to lessen the fame and glory each and all these great heroes achieved. Together, with their diverse characters and attainments, they, in necessary coop- eration, achieved that success this nation and all mankind will enjoy, let us hope, forevermore. I take occasion to again thank the commission, and all others in authority, for the honor of an invitation to be present on this occasion to meet the distinguished persons here assembled and to witness the unveiling of the statue to my friend and one-time commander, one of the most famous military heroes of the ages, a typical representative product of our country, developed from humble citizenship, possible only under the benign equal individual, political and civil liberty enjoyed and guaranteed by the constitution and laws of our free republic. 104 REMARKS BY HON. BENJAMIN B. ODELL Benjamin B. Odell, former governor of the State, said: It is always a pleasure to meet the men who have had a large part in the history of our country; who have contributed by their valor and their courage in upholding that which is the cardinal principle of a true democracy and of a republican form of government. While many are still spared to gladden the hearts of the men of liberty-loving impulses by their presence, alas, the great majority of those who were the leaders in that great struggle between the North and South have long since answered the call and have joined the innumerable throng. While men may die, the memory of their deeds and achieve- ments lives after them, and through a succession of ages those who are the beneficiary of their sacrifices should keep before them those deeds and achievements that serve to stimulate patriotism, as well as to mold American citizenship along those higher lines which were laid down and were the aims of the founders of our republic. Albany in all of the earlier periods of the colonial times, down to the present, has occupied a conspicuous place in the history of the United States. Perhaps no one, however, has imparted a greater luster to this city than he whom we love to call the hero of Winchester; that great leader of men whose mere presence was always an omen of victory upon the battlefields. 105 We are not a nation that seeks renown in the cannon's mouth; we are slow to anger, maintaining at all times in our individual, as well as our national character, a poise that is often misunderstood, but when roused into activity knows no other end than victory, an absolute victory that brings to our country lasting and enduring peace. War is a terrible calamity; one in these latter days that brings with it greater horrors, more devastation and ruin. There is progression in the art of warfare, as in all other branches of trades, of science and of arts. The Civil War revolutionized, through the inventive genius of Americans, this art, just as today American genius is responsible for much that has occurred abroad, and for that which has made the mailed fist more terrible, the toll of death more appalling than ever before in the world's history. To keep alive all that goes to make up patriotic impulses, there is nothing so potent as in recounting the deeds of our great men, to measure their achievements and to keep ever before the young the example of their lives, to the end that the Republic may continue and exist in spite of pessimism of the weak, the anarchy of those who confound freedom with license, and in spite of that modern conglomeration of humanity — the genus pacifists. Memorials, such as we have dedicated today, would fail of their purpose were the object of the demonstration which we have witnessed the mere pandering to personal vanity rather than that there should always be something to com- mand the attention of the young, that would serve to awaken within their minds a desire for not alone knowledge, but also to inspire emulation that leads people to gratefully commemorate in enduring bronze the deeds of men who unselfishly devoted their lives to the happiness of their fellow men. 106 A nation never can endure unless it has respect for its heroes. Its end is near when its citizenship becomes icono- clastic or carping critics. Whatever, therefore, serves to awaken inquiry, to make our patriotism more intense, is or should be the object of every man who has the future of our country at heart. One should be impressed by the story of the battles as recounted by General Keifer, an active participant with Sheridan in his campaign, as well as by the facts of history that the devotion of Sheridan and his followers was an unselfish devotion with little thought of future glory, but intense ambi- tion for present success. This it was that made victory cer- tain; that has enshrined Sheridan along with Grant and Sherman among the heroes of the dark days of 1861 to 1865. The people of Albany should be proud of the fact that from her purlieus there should have come so distinguished a par- ticipant in that great struggle; that among the directory of famous men one of her citizens should occupy so foremost a place. Standing as it does, this statue will always be a reminder of those great sacrifices that were necessary in order not only to reconstruct, but to read into our constitution and into our laws the fact that liberty in our country is not a mis- nomer, but means the enjoyment by all, without reference to creed or color, of freedom to the fullest extent. This is the result of Sheridan's devotion. To us comes the duty of maintaining and upholding that which was made possible by the sacrifice of the men who live today by their deeds, and whose force is manifested by the patriotism of the American people devoted to all that is necessary to per- petuate our Republic. 107 in Oh W H c/) h4 O H U o CO U O ID a, c w Q o fa o CO D Pi O o INCIDENTS OF THE UNVEILING CEREMONIES BRIG.-GEN. MICHAEL V. SHERIDAN, brother of Philip H. Sheridan, who resides in Carlisle, Pa., was unable to attend the ceremonies. In reply to the invitation sent by the committee General Sheridan wrote: Brig.-Gen. Michael V. Sheridan regrets that because of advanced years and failing health he is unable to accept the kind invitation of the Sheridan monument commission of the State of New York to be present at the unveiling of the statue of Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, on October 7, 1916, in Albany N. Y. Carlisle, Pa., October 2, 1916. General Sheridan, when he wrote, was 76 years old. He was with his distinguished brother throughout the Civil War, and was on his personal staff in the Shenandoah Valley campaign. One of the eminent soldiers who attended the unveiling was Gen. Nelson A. Miles, major-general retired, who resides at Washington. He won distinction in the Civil War at Reams Station, Va., for which he was promoted to brigadier-general, and for service at Chancellorsville, where he was severely wounded. He also was famous as an Indian fighter against Chiefs Sitting Bull and Geronimo in the west. 109 Gen. J. Warren Keifer, one of the guests, served as an officer in the Civil War from April 27, 1861, to June 27, 1865: first (1861) in Virginia (now West Virginia), under Generals McClellan and Rosecrans, then under Generals Buell, Mitchell and other generals in Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama (1862) ; and again, in the last months of 1862, in what is now West Virginia, under Generals Rosecrans and Milroy; then during January and succeeding months to June 15, 1863, in the Shenandoah Valley (Winchester), under General Milroy; and then under General French at Harper's Ferry and Mary- land Heights, joining, with his command, the Third Army Corps, July 6, 1863, then commanded by General French. Thereafter General Keifer served in the Army of the Potomac, commanded by General Meade, participating in its campaigns and battles to the surrender of General Lee at Appomattox, April 9, 1865, and to the end of the war. General Keifer' s personal acquaintance with and service under General Sheridan in campaigns and battles enabled him to speak of his distinguished qualities as a great soldier and commander. James Tanner, register of wills at Washington, D. C, known throughout Grand Army circles as Corporal Tanner, was among those invited to the Sheridan unveiling. In replying to Edward B. Cantine he said his infirmities, owing to a recent operation, would prevent his attendance. Mr. Tanner was born at Richmond ville, Schoharie county, N. Y., in 1844. He enlisted when a boy and lost both legs in the second battle of Bull Run. no R. W. Edwards, writing from 567 Sixth avenue, Troy, said: " I was a bugler in a famous old regiment that served as Sheridan's personal escort during six months of his hottest campaign and still possess the last of my old trumpets." Edward Leary, 85 years old, residing at 273 Elm street, Albany, wrote: Early in April, 1865, the battle of Five Forks was fought and it was the last. The Fifth Corps was forming for battle when the " Little Tiger," as we called him, rode from left to right on our front. The air was full of rebel bullets, and Sheridan cried out: "General Warren, I relieve you from further command." Sheridan took charge of the corps and was with us until the end. Later in the day, when we were ankle-deep in mud, he called out: "Boys, boys, you are working hard, I know; but keep it up. I will have Lee and his whole damned army in twenty-four hours." And he did. Sure enough, at seven o'clock the next morning we saw the flag of distress hanging from a tree. Edward C. Garner, another of the Albany Sheridan vet- erans, told how he had carried an important message to General Sheridan at Five Forks: While we were reconnoitering near Gravelly Run about the first of April, 1865, my lieutenant startled me with the exclama- tion, " There are the Johnnies." He asked me if I could get to General Sheridan, some distance away, with a message, and back to my company in safety. I swung onto my horse, " Little Mack," named after General McClellan, and galloped to Five Forks, where I found Sheridan on his horse. I didn't 111 dismount, but, saluting, said: "Here is a message from Lieutenant Crasper." Sheridan ordered me to wait — I think he wanted me to guide him to the ambushed rebels — but when he came back he did not find me, for I was on the way back to my regiment. Mayor Joseph W. Stevens of Albany served under Sheridan in the Forty-third New York regiment and took part in seven engagements. Speaking of the famous ride from Winchester to Cedar Creek, the mayor said: I was on the left of my regiment which rested on the Win- chester pike when Sheridan arrived. He stopped his foam- spattered and tired horse within forty feet of me. He stayed there a few minutes and talked to some of the officers, then rode away, but came back shortly on a fresh horse. He again stopped near me and talked with the officers about the action, wheeled, and with his head down on the neck of his horse for protection he dashed down the front of our line with the Confederate army in full view until he reached an opening in a fence where he turned in and joined his staff in the rear. This was about eleven o'clock in the morning and he at once ordered a charge which was successful. When he reached the Union forces at eleven o'clock he found a defeated and disorganized army, but by three o'clock in the afternoon he had reorganized the army, brought up his artillery and turned defeat into victory. Silas Hooghkerk of Albany also remembers seeing Sheridan when he made his famous ride from Winchester. Mr. Hooghkerk said: 112 I can see General Sheridan now as he rode along the line on that eventful day in October. He finally came to Major Wood and said to him: " What spirits are the boys in? " to which Major Wood replied, " Damned bad, general." Then Sheridan dashed up and down the line calling out to the troops as he passed: " Boys, keep up good courage, you'll be on your old camp ground tonight." And we were on our old camp ground that night, and our regiment took 1,000 prisoners that day with all the Confed- erate artillery and a lot of artillery that they had formerly captured from us. Sheridan really won the battle by a clever ruse. He told us to cheer as we charged, and every mother's son of us did. The Confederates thought Sheridan had brought reinforce- ments, and fell back to Fisher's Hill. 113 SHERIDAN'S RIDE NOTHING that has been written about Gen. PhiUp H. Sheridan has done so much to place him among the miUtary heroes of the nation as the poem " Sheridan's Ride," by Thomas Buchanan Read. The ride from Win- chester to Cedar Creek was made October 19, 1864, and the great feat of Sheridan in turning, as he did, a defeat into a victory for the Union side, electrified the North and had brought from President Lincoln a telegram of thanks to Sheridan. Six days after the battle of Cedar Creek — October 25 — there was opened in Cincinnati, Ohio, a sanitary relief fair. James E. Murdoch, one of the citizens interested in the success of the fair and a friend of Mr. Read, the poet, then visiting in the city, urged him to write an original poem for the opening ceremonies. He showed him newspaper accounts and pictures already appearing of Sheridan's ride, and suggested that the event was a good theme for a poem. Mr. Read at first demurred, remarking that " rides " had been done to death. But Murdoch continued to urge him, expressing faith in his ability to turn out something worth while. Mr. Read retired to his room and in three hours and a half composed the poem as it finally appeared, with the exception of the third verse. Lacking this verse it was read by Mr. Read at the fair that night and created great enthu- siasm. William Cullen Bryant, then a poet of world-wide fame, complimented Mr. Read, predicting that " Sheridan's Ride " would live as long as Sir Walter Scott's " Lochinvar." 115 SHERIDAN'S RIDE By Thomas Buchanan Read Up from the south at break of day, Bringing to Winchester fresh dismay, The affrighted air with a shudder bore, Like a herald in haste to the chieftain's door, The terrible grumble, and rumble, and roar. Telling the battle was on once more. And Sheridan twenty miles away. And wider still those billows of war Thundered along the horizon's bar; And louder yet into Winchester rolled The roar of that red sea uncontrolled ; Making the blood of the listener cold. As he thought of the stake in that fiery fray And Sheridan twenty miles away. But there is a road from Winchester town, A good broad highway leading down; And there, through the flush of the morning light, A steed as black as the steeds of night Was seen to pass, as with eagle flight. As if he knew the terrible need; He stretched away with his utmost speed; Hills rose and fell; but his heart was gay, With Sheridan fifteen miles away. Still sprang from those swift hoofs, thundering south The dust, like smoke from the cannon's mouth, Or the trail of a comet, sweeping faster and faster, Foreboding to traitors the doom of disaster. The heart of the steed and the heart of the master Were beating like prisoners assaulting their walls, Impatient to be where the battlefield calls; Every nerve of the charger was strained to full play, With Sheridan only ten miles away. 116 Under his spurning feet the road, Like an arrowy Alpine river flowed, And the landscape sped away behind Like an ocean flying before the wind; And the steed, like a bark fed with furnace ire. Swept on, with his wild eye full of fire, But lo he is nearing his heart's desire: He is snufling the smoke of the roaring fray. With Sheridan only five miles away. The first that the general saw were the groups Of stragglers, and then the retreating troops; What was done? What to do? A glance told him both. Then striking his spurs with a terrible oath. He dashed down the line, 'mid a storm of huzzas, And the wave of retreat checked its course there, because The sight of the master compelled it to pause. With foam and with dust the black charger was gray; By the flash of his eye and the red nostrils' play He seemed to the whole great army to say " I have brought you Sheridan all the way From Winchester down, to save the day." Hurrah! hurrah! for Sheridan! Hurrah! hurrah! for horse and man! And when their statues are placed on high. Under the dome of the Union sky. The American soldier's Temple of Fame, There with the glorious general's name. Be it said, in letters both bold and bright — " Here is the steed that saved the day By carrying Sheridan into the fight. From Winchester, twenty miles away." 117 VP.JUP V.rMKY SH^RI. "Deed 7\(oi,qam<^^Q^'u^tJ(^m^ TFf E CTTrZF.K^S OF A LEANT ond THE S'TATE OF HEW YORK binder Cfapfer iOO offJ\e ^ ;:^&^ ■%./ •■^^^'^ %^ ^^ ;;^^ %/ :-S^A^ %^ :^% %/ ^ yj^. ' . • ' ,0 '^. ', s ^ O N O ^^•^^ .0^ S' a"