Personal　Memoirs　of　P。H。Sheridan　V1　of　2
  by　Philip　Henry　Sheridan
  PREFACE
  When；　yielding　to　the　solicitations　of　my　friends；　I　finally　decided
  to　write　these　Memoirs；　the　greatest　difficulty　which　confronted　me
  was　that　of　recounting　my　share　in　the　many　notable　events　of　the
  last　three　decades；　in　which　I　played　a　part；　without　entering　too
  fully　into　the　history　of　these　years；　and　at　the　same　time　without
  giving　to　my　own　acts　an　unmerited　prominence。　　To　what　extent　I　have
  overcome　this　difficulty　I　must　leave　the　reader　to　judge。
  In　offering　this　record；　penned　by　my　own　hand；　of　the　events　of　my
  life；　and　of　my　participation　in　our　great　struggle　for　national
  existence；　human　liberty；　and　political　equality；　I　make　no
  pretension　to　literary　merit；　the　importance　of　the　subject…matter　of
  my　narrative　is　my　only　claim　on　the　reader's　attention。
  Respectfully　dedicating　this　work　to　my　comrades　in　arms　during　the
  War　of　the　Rebellion；　I　leave　it　as　a　heritage　to　my　children；　and　as
  a　source　of　information　for　the　future　historian。
  P。　H。　SHERIDAN。
  Nonguitt；　Mass。；　August　2；　1888
  PERSONAL　MEMOIRS
  P。　H。　SHERIDAN。
  VOLUME　I。
  CHAPTER　I。
  ANCESTRYBIRTHEARLY　EDUCATIONA　CLERK　IN　A　GROCERY　STORE
  APPOINTMENTMONROE　SHOESJOURNEY　TO　WEST　POINTHAZINGA　FISTICUFF
  BATTLESUSPENDEDRETURNS　TO　CLERKSHIPGRADUATION。
  My　parents；　John　and　Mary　Sheridan；　came　to　America　in　1830；　having
  been　induced　by　the　representations　of　my　father's　uncle；　Thomas
  Gainor；　then　living　in　Albany；　N。　Y。；　to　try　their　fortunes　in　the
  New　World：　They　were　born　and　reared　in　the　County　Cavan；　Ireland；
  where　from　early　manhood　my　father　had　tilled　a　leasehold　on　the
  estate　of　Cherrymoult；　and　the　sale　of　this　leasehold　provided　him
  with　means　to　seek　a　new　home　across　the　sea。　　My　parents　were
  blood　relationscousins　in　the　second　degreemy　mother；　whose
  maiden　name　was　Minor；　having　descended　from　a　collateral　branch　of
  my　father's　family。　　Before　leaving　Ireland　they　had　two　children；
  and　on　the　6th　of　March；　1831；　the　year　after　their　arrival　in　this
  country；　I　was　born；　in　Albany；　N。　Y。；　the　third　child　in　a　family
  which　eventually　increased　to　sixfour　boys　and　two　girls。
  The　prospects　for　gaining　a　livelihood　in　Albany　did　not　meet　the
  expectations　which　my　parents　had　been　led　to　entertain；　so　in　1832
  they　removed　to　the　West；　to　establish　themselves　in　the　village　of
  Somerset；　in　Perry　County；　Ohio；　which　section；　in　the　earliest　days
  of　the　State；　had　been　colonized　from　Pennsylvania　and　Maryland。　　At
  this　period　the　great　public　works　of　the　Northwestthe　canals　and
  macadamized　roads；　a　result　of　clamor　for　internal　improvementswere
  in　course　of　construction；　and　my　father　turned　his　attention　to
  them；　believing　that　they　offered　opportunities　for　a　successful
  occupation。　　Encouraged　by　a　civil　engineer　named　Bassett；　who　had
  taken　a　fancy　to　him；　he　put　in　bids　for　a　small　contract　on　the
  Cumberland　Road；　known　as　the　〃National　Road；〃　which　was　then　being
  extended　west　from　the　Ohio　River。　　A　little　success　in　this　first
  enterprise　led　him　to　take　up　contracting　as　a　business；　which　he
  followed　on　various　canals　and　macadamized　roads　then　building　in
  different　parts　of　the　State　of　Ohio；　with　some　good　fortune　for
  awhile；　but　in　1853　what　little　means　he　had　saved　were　swallowed　up
  in　bankruptcy；　caused　by　the　failure　of　the　Sciota　and　Hocking
  Valley　Railroad　Company；　for　which　he　was　fulfilling　a　contract　at
  the　time；　and　this　disaster　left　him　finally　only　a　small　farm；　just
  outside　the　village　of　Somerset；　where　he　dwelt　until　his　death　in
  1875。
  My　father's　occupation　kept　him　away　from　home　much　of　the　time
  during　my　boyhood；　and　as　a　consequence　I　grew　up　under　the　sole
  guidance　and　training　of　my　mother；　whose　excellent　common　sense　and
  clear　discernment　in　every　way　fitted　her　for　such　maternal　duties。
  When　old　enough　I　was　sent　to　the　village　school；　which　was　taught　by
  an　old…time　Irish　〃master〃one　of　those　itinerant　dominies　of　the
  early　frontierwho；　holding　that　to　spare　the　rod　was　to　spoil　the
  child；　if　unable　to　detect　the　real　culprit　when　any　offense　had　been
  committed；　would　consistently　apply　the　switch　to　the　whole　school
  without　discrimination。　　It　must　be　conceded　that　by　this　means　he
  never　failed　to　catch　the　guilty　mischief…maker。　　The　school…year　was
  divided　into　terms　of　three　months；　the　teacher　being　paid　in　each
  term　a　certain　sumthree　dollars；　I　think；　for　each　pupil…and　having
  an　additional　perquisite　in　the　privilege　of　boarding　around　at　his
  option　in　the　different　families　to　which　his　scholars　belonged。
  This　feature　was　more　than　acceptable　to　the　parents　at　times；　for
  how　else　could　they　so　thoroughly　learn　all　the　neighborhood　gossip？
  But　the　pupils　were　in　almost　unanimous　opposition；　because　Mr。
  McNanly's　unheralded　advent　at　any　one's　house　resulted　frequently　in
  the　discovery　that　some　favorite　child　had　been　playing　〃hookey；〃
  which　means　（I　will　say　to　the　uninitiated；　if　any　such　there　be）
  absenting　one's　self　from　school　without　permission；　to　go　on　a
  fishing　or　a　swimming　frolic。　　Such　at　least　was　my　experience　more
  than　once；　for　Mr。　McNanly　particularly　favored　my　mother's　house；
  because　of　a　former　acquaintanceship　in　Ireland；　and　many　a　time　a
  comparison　of　notes　proved　that　I　had　been　in　the　woods　with　two
  playfellows；　named　Binckly　and　Greiner；　when　the　master　thought　I　was
  home；　ill；　and　my　mother；　that　I　was　at　school；　deeply　immersed　in
  study。　　However；　with　these　and　other　delinquencies　not　uncommon
  among　boys；　I　learned　at　McNanly's　school；　and　a　little　later；　under
  a　pedagogue　named　Thorn；　a　smattering　of　geography　and　history；　and
  explored　the　mysteries　of　Pike's　Arithmetic　and　Bullions'　English
  Grammar；　about　as　far　as　I　could　be　carried　up　to　the　age　of
  fourteen。　　This　was　all　the　education　then　bestowed　upon　me；　and
  thiswith　the　exception　of　progressing　in　some　of　these　branches　by
  voluntary　study；　and　by　practical　application　in　others；　supplemented
  by　a　few　months　of　preparation　after　receiving　my　appointment　as　a
  cadetwas　the　extent　of　my　learning　on　entering　the　Military
  Academy。
  When　about　fourteen　years　old　I　began　to　do　something　for　myself；　Mr。
  John　Talbot；　who　kept　a　country　store　in　the　village；　employing　me　to
  deal　out　sugar；　coffee；　and　calico　to　his　customers　at　the　munificent
  salary　of　twenty…four　dollars　a　year。　　After　I　had　gained　a　twelve…
  months'　experience　with　Mr。　Talbot　my　services　began　to　be　sought　by；
  others；　and　a　Mr。　David　Whitehead　secured　them　by　the　offer　of　sixty
  dollars　a　yearTalbot　refusing　to　increase　my　pay；　but　not　objecting
  to　my　advancement。　　A　few　months　later；　before　my　year　was　up；
  another　chance　to　increase　my　salary　came　about；　Mr。　Henry　Dittoe；
  the　enterprising　man　of　the　village；　offering　me　one　hundred　and
  twenty　dollars　a　year　to　take　a　position　in　the　dry…goods　store　of
  Fink　&　Dittoe。　　I　laid　the　matter　before　Mr。　Whitehead；　and　he
  frankly　advised　me　to　accept；　though　he　cautioned　me　that　I　might
  regret　it；　adding　that　he　was　afraid　Henry　（referring　to　Mr。　Dittoe）
  〃had　too　many　irons　in　the　fire。〃　His　warning　in　regard　to　the
  enterprising　merchant　proved　a　prophecy；　for　〃　too　many　irons　in　the
  fire〃　brought　about　Mr。　Dittoe's　bankruptcy；　although　this　misfortune
  did　not　befall　him　till　long　after　I　had　left　his　service。　　I　am　glad
  to　say；　however；　that　his　failure　was　an　exceptionally　honest　one；
  and　due　more　to　the　fact　that　he　was　in　advance　of　his　surroundings
  than　to　any　other　cause。
  I　remained　with　Fink　&　Dittoe　until　I　entered　the　Military　Academy；
  principally　in　charge　of　the　book…keeping；　which　was　no　small　work
  for　one　of　my　years；　considering　that　in　those　days　the　entire
  business　of　country　stores　in　the　West　was　conducted　on　the　credit
  system；　the　customers；　being　mostly　farmers；　never　expecting　to　pay
  till　the　product　of　their　farms　could　be　brought　to　market；　and　even
  then　usually　squared　the　book…accounts　by　notes　of　hand；　that　were
  often　slow　of　collection。
  》From　the　time　I　ceased　to　attend　school　my　employment　had
  necessitated；　to　a　certain　degree；　the　application　of　what　I　had
  learned　there；　and　this　practical　instruction　I　reinforced　somewhat
  by　doing　considerable　reading　in　a　general　way；　until　ultimately　I
  became　quite　a　local　authority　in　history；　being　frequently　chosen　as
  arbiter　in　discussions　and　disputes　that　arose　in　the　store。　　The
  Mexican　War；　then　going　on；　furnished；　of　course；　a　never…ending
  theme　for　controversy；　and　although　I　was　too　young　to　enter　the
  military　service　when　volunteers　were　mustering　in　our　section；　yet
  the　stirring　events　of　the　times　so　much　impressed　and　absorbed　me
  that　my　sole　wish　was　to　become　a　soldier；　and　my　highest　aspiration
  to　go　to　West　Point　as　a　Cadet　from　my　Congression