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UNHORSED TROOPERS RETIRING FROM SHERIDAN'S RAID.

SHERIDAN’S RICHMOND RATI).

BY THEO. F. RODENBOUGII, BREVET BRIGADIER-GENERAL, U. S. A.

rpHE Army of the Potomac had been hibernating_1 on the left bank of the Ifapidan River, whenas the season for active operations was about toopen (April, 1864) there arrived a lieutenant-gen-eral commanding and a chief of cavalry. The onewas not unknown to fame; the other was almostan entire stranger to his new command.

During the first two years of the war the Unioncavalry lacked the paternal care essential to itsproper development. Its first father was GeneralHooker, who organized a multitude of detachmentsinto a compact army corps of 12,000 horsemen;transforming that which had been a by-word and areproach into a force that, by its achievements inwar, was ultimately to effect a radical change inthe armament and use of mounted troops by thegreat military powers.

The winter of 1803-64 brought little rest to thecavalry. While the artillery and infantry werecomfortably quartered, the cavalry was “hutted”three miles in front of the infantry picket lines,and a part was distributed as escorts and orderliesat infantry headquarters. Although the infantrymaintained a picket line of its own, where it wasuseless, the cavalry was compelled to keep up achain of videttes sixty miles in length, besides thenecessary patrol duty and reconnoissances. Uponhis arrival, Grant seems to have noted this mal-administration and to have taken steps to correctit. For a chief of his cavalry, he told the Presi-dent, he “wanted the very best man in the army,”and few will deny that he got that man.

I remember Sheridan’s arrival at the headquar-ters of the Cavalry Corps. We all thought a com-mander might have been selected from homomaterial. One or two things that he did, how-ever, met with warm approval. lie set aboutreforming the abuses above referred to. On oneoccasion he was about to send a staff-officer todemand the immediate return to the corps of a

small regiment which had been acting as “bo'Pguard” for an infantry general. The officer, ®siring for certain reasons to secure a modified* 1of the order, sounded General Sheridan, who siwP*'.turned to him and in a low but distinct tone sa J ^“Give my compliments to General X. and sayI have been placed in command of tho cavalrythis army, and by-I want it all."

Tho 15,000 “paper strength” of tho corps

sifted to 12,424 effectives. There were t-M^divisions, subdivided into sovcn brigades. Gw ^eral A. T. A. Torbert was assigned to comm 1111the First Division, with General G. A. Oust® ^Colonel T. C. Devin, and Gonoral Wesley Merritt 1 ^brigade commanders; General D. McM. Greggthe Second Division, with General II. E. D ilV ,and Colonel .T. Irvin Grogg to brigades; Gei> e . g.T. II. Wilson to the Third Division, with Col OI ‘ e aiJ. H. McIntosh and G. II. Chapman to brig !lTo oach division were, attached two batten® 8horse artillery, with the same numbor as a rose*

Sheridan’s lioutonants wore well chosen.

bert had already distinguished himself as tinfantry commander; Gregg had come from ^regular cavalry and possessed tho confidence ofwhole corps for good judgment and coohW^Wilson, promoted from tho corps of ongiK® $was very quick and impetuous; Merrittpupil of tho Cooko-Buford school, withvirtues well proportioned, and to him wastho Reservo Brigado of regulars — tho OldCuster was the meteoric mbreur; McIntosh, th®of a fighting race; Devin, tho “Old WarDavies, polished, genial, gallant; Chapmaffistudent-like; Irvin Gregg, tho steadfast. fwere,besides, Graham,Williston, Butler, Fit 7, * JJji,Du Pont , Pennington, Clark, Randolph, BroW®'Randol, Dennison, Martin, all tried men 0horse artillery. ^.p

The campaign was oponod May 3 d—tth, 1°

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