Sheridan brought order out of
confusion and in the battle that followed drove Early's army from the
field in utter rout.
Great was the rejoicing in the North over this victory, and Sheridan
himself was raised to the rank of major-general.
This victory was largely due to Sheridan's magnetic influence over his
men. The following incident illustrates this remarkable power of "Little
Phil": At the battle of Five Forks, which took place near Richmond the
next spring (1865), a wounded soldier in the line of battle near Sheridan
stumbled and was falling behind his regiment. But when Sheridan cried out,
"Never mind, my man; there's no harm done!" the soldier, although with a
bullet in his brain, went forward with his fighting comrades till he fell
dead.
TWO GREAT GENERALS
Let us now return to Grant. After remaining near Petersburg all winter, in
the spring of 1865 he pressed so hard upon the Confederate army that Lee
had to leave Richmond and move rapidly westward in order to escape
capture. For a week Grant closely followed Lee's troops, who were almost
starving; all they had to eat was parched corn and green shoots of trees,
and the outlook was so dark that many had deserted and started for home.
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