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PHILIP HENRY SHERIDAN. 
 
 
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 PHILADELPHIA : 
 
 J. B. LTPPINCOTT COMPANY. 
 
 1892. 
 
PHILIP HENRY SHERIDAN, 
 
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 PHILADELPHIA: 
 
 J, B. MPPINCOTT COMPANY. 
 
 1892. 
 
t ft. 7 
 
 
 Copyright, 1892, by J. B. Lippincott Company. 
 
 I 
 
PHILIP HENRY SHERIDAN. 
 
 Sheridan, Philip Henry, was born in 
 Albany, New York, March 6, 1831, but a few 
 weeks after the arrival of his Irish parents in the 
 New World. After attending a public school in 
 Ohio, to which state the family removed soon after 
 his birth, he was employed for a time as a shop- 
 boy. In July 1848 he was appointed a cadet at 
 West Point, graduated in ISoS, and was appointed 
 a brevet second-lieutenant in the Third Infantry. 
 In May 1861 he was a captain in the Thirteenth 
 Infantry, and in December of that year he was 
 made chief quartermaster of the army in south- 
 western Missouri. In April 18G2 he became chief 
 quartermaster under C4eneral Halleck ; b\it in May 
 he was given a regiment of cavalry (the Second 
 Michigan), and, being now in his proper sphere, 
 did such excellent work that he was soon pro- 
 moted to the command of a brigade, and then 
 to a division of the Arujy of the Ohio. In the 
 battle of Perry ville (8th October), and still more 
 in the battle of Stone River (Murfreesboro'), which 
 ended on 3d January 1863, and where his division 
 lost over 1600 men, he performed brilliant services, 
 and earned his promotion to major-general of 
 volunteers. He took part in the severe Ijattle of 
 Chickamauga, from which held the Northern army 
 fell back within the defences of Chattanooga, and 
 there, serving now under the immediate eonnnand 
 of General Grant, he was engaged in all the 
 operations of the campaign that followed, gaining 
 especial credit for the dash and gallantry with 
 which his division drove the enemy up the slope 
 and over the summit of Mission Ridge. Soon 
 afterwards transferred to Virginia, in April 1864 he 
 was given eonnnand of all the cavalry of the Army 
 
4 PHILIP HENRY SHERIDAN. 
 
 of the Potomac, took part in the battle of the 
 Wilderness, and made a notable raid (May 9-25) 
 on the Confederate lines of communication with 
 Richmond, advancing to the outer defences of that 
 city, cutting railroads, destroying dep6ts, and on 
 the 11th defeating the enemy's cavalry at Yellow 
 Tavern with the loss of their commander, General 
 Stuart. In the same month he was first into Cold 
 Harbor, and in June took part in the heavy battle 
 there, and fought a number of cavalry actions. In 
 all these his dash and skill attracted Grant's 
 admiration, and in August he placed Sheridan in 
 command of the Army of the Shenandoah, giving 
 him two cavalry divisions conmianded by Generals 
 Torbert and Wilson. The task set him was to 
 drive the Confederates out of the Shenandoah 
 Valley and to close this gate into Pennsylvania 
 and Maryland. In September he attacked the 
 enemy under General Early, drove them through 
 and many miles beyond Winchester, and captured 
 5000 prisoners and 5 guns ; and from Fisher's HillX 
 where Early halted, he again dislodged him, and 
 pursued him through Harrisonburg and Staunton. 
 These battles made him a brigadier-general in the 
 regular army. But Early's army, being largely 
 reinforced by General Lee, a^ain appeared in the 
 Shenandoah Valley, and on October 19, advancing 
 under cover of fog and darkness, succeeded in sur- 
 prising the Northern army .and driving it back in 
 confusion. Sheridan had lieen in Washington, and 
 at this time was at Winchester, twenty miles ?i^vay. 
 Hearing the guns, he put his horse to its speed, and 
 arrived on the field by ten o'clock, waving his li.at 
 and shouting to the retreating troops, ' Face the 
 other way, boys; we are going back.' His unex- 
 pected appearance restored confidence, the lines 
 were re-formed, and a serious defeat was suddenly 
 converted into a great victory. The enemy's left 
 Avas soon routed, the rest shared their fate, and 
 the Confederates were again, and finally, driven 
 from the valley, whieli Sheridan, by Grant's orders, 
 now devastated. For ^Vin(•llester he was promoted 
 to major-general and recei^•ed the thanks of con- 
 gress, and Grant's armies fired a salute of 100 guns 
 in honour of the victory. 
 
 Henceforward Sheridan fought always under 
 Grant's direct command, aiid took an active part 
 in the final battles which led to Lee's surrender 
 at Appomattox Court-house, April 9, 1865. His 
 ability as a general was nowhere better displayed 
 than in the action at Dinwiddle Court-house and 
 
PHILIP HENRY SHERIDAN. 5 
 
 the assault of Five Forks in March and April, 
 which drove Lee from Petersburg and Richmond. 
 After the war Sheridan was placed in command of 
 the military division of the Gulf, and later of the 
 department of the Missouri. When Grant became 
 president of the United States General Sherman 
 was made general-in-chief and Sheridan promoted 
 to lieutenant-general. In 1870 the latter visited 
 Europe to witness the conduct of the Franco- 
 (ierman war, and was with Von Moltke during 
 the battle of Gravelotte. On the retirement of 
 Sherman in 1883 he succeeded him as general-in- 
 chief. In May 1888 Sheridan became seriously ill, 
 and a bill was speedily passed by both Houses of 
 Congress restoring for him the full rank and 
 emoluments of general. He died at his countiy- 
 house in Nonquitt, Massachusetts, August 5, 1888, 
 leaving a widow and three children. He was 
 buried" at Arlington, Virginia, within sight of 
 Washington, where a beautiful monument marks 
 his grave. 
 
 Sheridan was the nineteenth general-in-chief of 
 the United States army. He never lost a battle, 
 and the confidence aiid affection which ' Little 
 Phil,' as they delighted to call him, inspired, in 
 his troops may be gauged by the story of Win- 
 chester. . Among the Northern generals he ranks 
 second only to Grant and Sherman. See his 
 Personal Mrmoirs (2 vols. 1888). 
 
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