The biographical encyclopœdia of Ohio of the nineteenth century:

BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA.
them with a portion of his own zeal for the profession. He
was admitted to the bar in September, I852, by Judges
Ranney, Stillwell, Jewett, and Alexander, who examined
him in person, without the usual form of appointing a committee. In the autumn of the same year he located in
Ironton, Lawrence county, Ohio, where he has since resided. Filled with an honorable emulation, with a fair
to a vacancy at West Point, and he tells this story: "At last
there came a letter accompanied.by no testimonials, no influential recommendations or appeals from wealthy parents.
It simply asked that the place might be given to the writer,
and was signed' Phil. Sheridan.' The boy needed no
recommendation, for I knew him and his father before him,
and I appointed him at once." When the future general
entered West Point he was seventeen years old, and he
found himself in the same class with James B. McPherson,
afterwards general, and who met his death in the late war.
Among his other classmates were Schofield, Terrell, Tyler,
Sill, and the rebel General Hood. His high animal s pirits
made his career at West Point a troublesome one for his
preceptors, and though above the average, he was not high
in his recitations because of his frequent appearance in the
coluint of demerits. He was continually transgressing the
rules, and on one occasion flogged a classmate for an
alleged insult. For this he was compelled to stay an additional year at the academy. This little incident explains
why, though the date of his admission was in the year I848,
he was not admitted to the service till I853. His suspension had thrown him over into the class succeeding that in
which he should have graduated. When in his twentythird year, having finished his course, he was assigned to
the ist Infantry as Brevet Second Lieutenant, and ",as soon
promoted to a full Second Lieutenancy in the 4th Infantry.
His first service was on the Texas frontier against the Indians. One story of the way his promotion was brought
about is as follows:
field before him, it was not long before he became known
as a rising man in his profession. In I858 he was elected
Judge of the second subdivision of the Seventh Judicial
District, and was twice re-elected. With an interval of
two years at the bar, he continued on the bench until I873,
when he resigned to try the benefits of a change for his
health. II I874 he was nominated by the Republican
Convention to fill the vacancy in the Supreme Court occasioned by the resignation of the late Judge Stone. The
nomination was by acclamation and a marked testimonial
to his standing as a Judge. After his resignation, above
referred to, he took charge of the Second National Bank of
Ironton, where he continued until February, I876, when
he accepted the appointment tendered him by Governor
tlayes, as one of the Supreme Court Commission-under
the amendment to the Constitution of the State-to dispose
of the accumulated docket of the Supreme Court. In the
community where he resides he enjoys the entire confidence
of all who know him, regardless of part)y or condition, as
one of the purest of men, reliable in every respect, though
modest and retiring, passing for less than his real worth-a
man of great and substantial attainments. He was married
in I854 to Ella, daughter of the late Judge Blocksom, of
Zanesville, Ohio.
"Lieutenant Sheridan had ere long to try his powers
with the Apache warriors. One day he was outside the
fort with two others, when a band of those savages suddenly sprang upon them. The chief, not dreaming of
resistance from three men amid several times their number,
leaped from his'fiery mustang' to seize his prisoners. In
an instant Sheridan was on the back of the wild charger
and galloping away to Fort Duncan. He summoned the
troops to arms, seized his pistols without dismounting, and
hastened back like a flying warrior to the aid of the two
companions who were heroically fighting for life. Dashing
up to the enraged chief, he levelled a pistol at his head,
'crack' went the little weapon, and, with a mad leap into
the air, the Indian fell dead at the feet of the Lieutenant's
horse. The soldiers that followed him then came up, and
the just now exulting band was ridden down and most of
the number killed. The valiant deed, however, won no
commendation firom the commandant of the fort, who
seemed to have a Southern prejudice against the' Western
boy.' The irritated, jealous officer charged his lieutenant
with breach of discipline because he was away from his
command. That commander was a Confederate general in
the late civil war. For two years Sheridan was thus employed in the defence of the Southern frontier; at one time
leading a company of soldiers to a threatened settlement,
and at another cautiously making explorations, not knowing
where the stealthy savage would rise firom ambush, or fire
his weapon firom its unknown seclusion. But the unfortunate displeasure of his superior officer, and the collisions
attending, induced Sheridan to seek a different post of duty.
Accordingly the War Department, in the spring of I855,
27T
- 6 11
HERIDAN, LIEUTENANT-GENERAL
PHILIP HENRY, was born in the village of
Somerset, Perry county, Ohio, March 6th, I83 I His parents were recent emigrants from county
Cavan, in the north of Ireland, and were devout
Catholics. He was scrupulously reared in this
faitb. About his native village there bad lon been gatberin, a Catholic population, and the-', Church of St. Joseph
there was Doted as one of the oldest houses of worship in
the State. He received the usual advantages of the rural
schools, and when old enough to help in the support of the
family, he was placed as store clerk with a Mr. Talbot, a
small hardware dealer, where he remained for some time.
His employer, taking:in interest in him, taught him matbe.matics and encouraged him to study history. The boy was
intelligent, active, and faithful. An opportunity to do
better being offered, be entered the service of a Mr. Henry
Dutton, also as a store clerk. Meantime his studies in
mathematics and history were progressing with success, and
be began to aspire to something better than the life of a
clerk in a country store. There was quite a pressure being
brought upon General Thomas Ritchey for the appointment