The Opportunity for Every Man in a Republic--The Depth Below a White Man's Poverty--The Starting Point whence Fred Douglass Raised Himself--His Mother--Her Noble Traits--Her Self Denial for the sake of Seeing him--She Defends him against Aunt Katy--Her Death--Col. Loyd's Plantation--The Luxury of his own Mansion--The Organization of his Estate--"Old Master"-- How they Punished the Women--How Young Douglass Philosophized on Being a Slave--Plantation Life--The Allowance of Food --The Clothes--An Average Plantation Day--Mr. Douglass' Experience as a Slave Child--The Slave Children's Trough--The Slave Child's Thoughts--The Melancholy of Slave Songs--He Becomes a House Servant--A Kind Mistress Teaches him to Read-- How he Completed his Education--Effects of Learning to Read-- Experiences Religion and Prays for Liberty--Learns to Write-- Hires his Time, and Absconds--Becomes a Free Working-Man in New Bedford--Marries--Mr. Douglass on Garrison--Mr. Douglass' Literary Career. 380 CHAPTER XIII.--PHILIP H. SHERIDAN. Sheridan a Full-Blooded Irishman--The Runaway Horse-- Constitutional Fearlessness--Sheridan Goes to West Point-- Sheridan's Apprenticeship to War--The Fight with the Apaches at Fort Duncan--He is Transferred to Oregon--Commands at Fort Yamhill in the Yokima Reservation--The Quarrel among the Yokimas--Sheridan Popular with Indians--He Thinks he has a Chance to be Major Some Day--Sheridan's Shyness with Ladies--He Employs a Substitute in Waiting on a Lady-- Sheridan's Kindness and Efficiency in Office Work--He Becomes a Colonel of Cavalry--His Shrewd Defeat of Gen. Chalmers-- Becomes Brigadier--The Kentucky Campaign against Bragg-- Sheridan Saves the Battle of Perrysville--Saves the Battle of Murfreesboro--Gen. Rousseau on Sheridan's Fighting--Sheridan at Missionary Ridge--Joins Grant as Chief of Cavalry--His Raids around Lee--His Campaign in the Valley of Virginia --He Moves Across and Joins in the Final Operations--His Administration at New Orleans--Grant's Opinion of Sheridan. 405 CHAPTER XIV.--WILLIAM T. SHERMAN.