The Perry County Historical Society welcomes author William F. Drake to Somerset for a book signing on Sunday, April 24th from 1 to 3 pm on the Village Square. In the event of inclement weather the book signing will take place in the courthouse. Mr. Drake’s book is about the life and times of General Philip H. Sheridan entitled,
Little Phil, The Story Of General Philip Henry Sheridan. In this book the author has tried to show not only the history, but also the little things in the General’s life that have been ignored by other writings. Anyone interested in Civil War or Perry County history will not want to miss this event.
Mr. Drake has stated that the origin of the book goes back nearly 140 years ago. No…Mr. Drake is not that old, but on October 11, 1866, his great aunt, Kate Gallin, married John L. Sheridan, a brother of Gen. Sheridan.
Kate and John had two daughters, Nellie and Mary. Nellie was a woman ahead of her time. Nellie was appointed postmistress at the age of 19 by President Harrison. She was also the driving force behind the erection of the Gen. Sheridan Monument in Somerset’s townsquare in 1905.
In the same year that the Sheridan Monument was dedicate, Mr. Drake’s mother, Ruth Gallin Drake, was born. Ruth was the niece of Kate and John Sheridan. Ruth’s mother died when she 12 years old and Nellie Sheridan helped raise her. Therefore, there was always a closeness between Ruth, Nellie and Mary.
Ruth kept in touch with Nellie and Mary, even after she married. Mr. Drake often went with his mother to visit them throughout their lifetime. As a boy, he would play with Gen Sheridan’s uniforms, battle flag, medals and a Native American headdress. Mr. Drake grew up hearing fascinating stories about Gen. Sheridan, which lead him to write this book. Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to read about Gen. Sheridan from his family’s perspective.
The Perry County Historical Society has copies of this book available. For more information, visit the societies
Website @ http://www.PerryCountyOhioHistory.org
or call 740-743-1913.
