SCRIBNER'S MAGAZINE. VOL. IV. NOVEMBER, 1888. No. 5. FROM GRAVELOTTE TO SEDAN. By Philip H. Sheridan.* FTER I had for a year been commanding the Division of the Missouri, which embraced the entire Rocky Mountain region, I found it necessary to make an inspection of the military posts in northern Utah and Montana, in order by personal observation to inform myself of their location and needs, and at the same time become acquainted with the salient geographical and topographical features of that section of my division. Therefore in May, 1870, I started west by the Union Pacific Railroad, and on arriving at Corinne Station, the next beyond Ogden, took passage by stagecoach for Helena, the capital of Montana Territory. Helena is nearly five hundred miles north of Corinne, and under ordinary conditions the journey was, in those days, a most tiresome one. As the stage kept jogging on, day and night, there was little chance for sleep, and there being with me a sufficient number of staff officers to justify the proceeding, we chartered the "outfit," stipulating that we were to stop over one night on the road to get some rest. This rendered the journey more tolerable, and we arrived at Helena without extraordinary fatigue. war between Germany and France. I was anxious to observe the conflict, if it was to occur, but reports made one day concerning the beginning of hostilities would be contradicted the next, and it was not till I reached Helena that the despatches lost their doubtful character, and later became of so positive a nature as to make it certain that the two nations would fight. I therefore decided to cut short my tour of inspection, so that I could go abroad to witness the war, if the President would approve. Having received word from General Sherman that there would be no objection to my going to Europe, I began making arrangements to leave, securing passage by the steamship Scotia. President Grant invited me to come to see him at Long Branch before I should sail, and during my brief visit there he asked which army I wished to accompany-the German or the French. I told him the German, for the reason that I thought more could be seen with the successful side, and that the indications pointed to the defeat of the French. My choice evidently pleased him greatly, as he had the utmost contempt for Louis Napoleon and had always denounced him. as a usurper and a charlatan. Before we separated, the President gave me the following letter to the representatives of our government abroad, and with it I not only had no trouble in obtaining permission to go with the Germans, but was specially favored by being invited to accompany the headquarters of the King of Prussia: Copyright, 1888, by Charles Scribner's Sons. All rights reserved. Before I left Chicago the newspapers were filled with rumors of impending * Copyright, 1888, by P. H. Sheridan. Personal Memoirs of P. H. Sheridan. |