(1831-1888)
Philip Henry Sheridan, Commander-in-chief of the United States Army,
and the last and most brilliant of the great generals of the North,
was born at Albany, N. Y. March 6, 1831. He had few advantages of
early education and training, but in 1848 he obtained a cadetship at
West Point. Sheridan's hot blood and impulsive temperament were
manifested even in his student days, and a quarrel with a comrade
resulted in his suspension for a year. He was consequently unable to
graduate in 1852, as he should have done, but in the following year he
concluded his studies and was appointed a brevet second lieutenant of
infantry. In 1854 he was assigned to the First Infantry in Texas, and
the same year he received his commission as second lieutenant of the
Fourth Infantry. With the latter regiment he served during the next
six years in Washington Territory and Oregon. In the attack upon the
Indians at the Cascades, Washington Territory, in April, 1856, the
United States troops landed under fire, and routed and dispersed the
enemy at every point. General Scott drew special attention to
Sheridan's bravery on this occasion.
[Illustration: Philip Henry Sheridan. [TN]]
But it was the great Civil War which developed Sheridan's talents, as
in the case of many other distinguished officers, and made promotion
rapid. The resignation of commanders with Southern sympathies and the
creation of new regiments secured Sheridan a first lieutenancy in the
Fourth Infantry in March, 1861, and a captaincy in the Thirteenth
Infantry in the following May. Yet that memorable year in the history
of the United States "brought him little employment and no laurels."
After various minor services he was commissioned as colonel of the
Second Michigan Cavalry on May 25, 1862. He at once engaged with the
regiment in Elliot's raid against the railroad, which was destroyed at
Booneville. During the month of June he commanded the Second Cavalry
Brigade in several skirmishes, and on July 1st gained a brilliant
victory at Booneville over a superior cavalry force. His appointment
as brigadier-general of volunteers dated from this action. In the
autumn of 1862 Sheridan received the command of the Eleventh Division
of the Army of the Ohio, under General Buell. Moving out of Louisville
with Buell, against Bragg, he took part, on October 8th, in the
stoutly contested battle of Perryville, where he manoeuvred his
division with conspicuous skill and effect, holding the key of the
Northern position, and using the point to its utmost advantage.
At the famous battle of Murfreesboro, which was one of the bloodiest
and most prolonged of the campaign, Sheridan held the key-point for
several hours in the first day's fighting, "displaying superb tactical
skill and the greatest gallantry." After repulsing four desperate
assaults his ammunition unfortunately gave out. He then ordered a
bayonet charge and withdrew his lines from the field; but by his
obstinate resistance invaluable time had been gained by his chief,
General Rosecrans, to make new dispositions. Sheridan's commission as
major-general followed upon these services. From this time little of
interest occurred until September 19 and 20, 1863, when Sheridan again
distinguished himself at the battle of Chickamauga, rescuing his
division from a perilous position. General Thomas was transferred to
the command of Rosecrans' besieged army at Chattanooga, and thither
General Grant arrived with reinforcements from Vicksburg. Grant was
determined to dislodge the Southern commander, Bragg, who was posted
on Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. Hooker carried Lookout
Mountain and Thomas captured the Ridge on November 25th. In the latter
operation Sheridan's division was the first to cross the crest, and it
pressed the enemy's rear-guard until long after dark, seizing wagons
and artillery. By his successful conduct in the West, Sheridan had now
thoroughly established his military reputation.
Grant, who had now become lieutenant-general, established his
head-quarters in Virginia in March, 1864. He was very badly off for an
energetic commander of cavalry there, and discussed the matter with
General Halleck. The latter at once suggested Sheridan, remembering
his splendid dash and bravery at Missionary Ridge. "The very man!"
exclaimed the laconic Grant, and Sheridan accordingly became commander
of the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac. Sheridan's progress
during the campaign of 1864 was like a whirlwind. His troops covered
the front and flanks of the infantry through the battle of the
"Wilderness" until May 8th, when the greater part of the force was
withdrawn, and next morning Sheridan started on a raid against the
enemy's points of communication with Richmond. Getting within the
Confederate lines he dashed upon the outworks of Richmond itself,
where he took one hundred prisoners, and thence moved to Haxall's
Landing, from which point he returned to the Northern army, having
destroyed many miles of railroad track, besides trains and a great
quantity of rations, and liberated Union soldiers. This expedition
included repulses of the enemy at Beaver Dam and Meadow Bridge, and
the defeat of the enemy's cavalry at Yellow Tavern, where their best
cavalry leader, J. E. B. Stuart, was killed. From May 27th to June
24th Sheridan was engaged in almost daily engagements and skirmishes,
harassing the enemy, and, with that good fortune which sometimes
attends the most daring soldiers, resisting all attempts to defeat or
capture him.
The Middle Department and the Department of West Virginia, Washington,
and Susquehanna were constituted the "Middle Military Division" in
August, 1864, and General Grant put Sheridan in command of the same.
He chafed for opportunities of further distinguishing himself and
justifying his appointment; but the enemy, under General Early, had
been reinforced, and for six weeks Sheridan was kept on the defensive
near Harper's Ferry. At length, when Early's forces had been
diminished, Sheridan expressed such confidence of success if he were
allowed to attack, that Grant gave him permission in only two words of
instruction, "Go in!" Sheridan went in, attacking Early with great
vigor, on September 19th, at the crossing of the Opequan. After a
severe battle the enemy was routed; Sheridan captured three thousand
prisoners and five guns, and sent Early, as he expressed it, "whirling
through Winchester." Next day President Lincoln, on Grant's
recommendation, appointed the victorious soldier a brigadier-general
in the regular army. Taking up the pursuit of Early in the Shenandoah
Valley, Sheridan found him on the 20th strongly posted on Fisher's
Hill, just beyond Strasburg. Quietly moving Crook's command through
the wood, he turned the enemy's left on the 22d, and drove him from
his stronghold, capturing sixteen guns.
The losses of Sheridan and those of Early in these two battles were
almost precisely equal, being about fifty-four hundred men each; but
the Northern general had captured many guns and small arms. Sheridan
continued the pursuit up the valley, but finding it impracticable to
proceed either to Lynchburg or Charlottesville, he returned through
the valley, devastating it on his way and rendering it untenable for
an enemy's army. By Sheridan's successes Grant obtained the
unobstructed use of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the Chesapeake &
Ohio Canal, whereas his defeat would have exposed Maryland and
Pennsylvania to invasion.
Sheridan's next operations, however, were the most important, as they
have become the most renowned, in his career. Passing through
Strasburg, he posted his troops on the further bank of Cedar Creek,
while he himself, on October 16th, went to Washington, in response to
a request from Secretary Stanton, for consultation. Before the sun
rose on the morning of the 19th, Early, who had been reinforced,
surprised, during a fog, the left of the Union army and uncovered the
position also of the Nineteenth Corps, capturing twenty-four guns and
about fourteen hundred prisoners. General Wright succeeded in
retaining his grasp on the turnpike by moving the Sixth Corps to its
western side and the cavalry to its eastern; but the whole army in the
process had been driven back beyond Middletown.
Sheridan was at Winchester at this time, on his return from
Washington. Hearing the noise of battle, he dashed up the turnpike
with an escort of twenty men, rallying the fugitives on his way, and
after a ride of a dozen miles reached the army, where he was received
with indescribable enthusiasm. This famous incident gave rise to
Buchanan Read's stirring poem of Sheridan's ride, now one of the most
popular pieces in the repertories of public readers, both in England
and the United States. After the lapse of a few hours, spent in
preparing his forces, Sheridan ordered an advance, and literally swept
the enemy from the field in one of the most overwhelming and decisive
engagements of the war. All the lost Union guns were retaken, and
twenty-four Confederate guns and many wagons and stores were captured.
Congress passed a vote of thanks to Sheridan and his troops for the
"brilliant series of victories in the valley," and especially the one
at Cedar Creek. Sheridan was appointed by the President a
major-general in the army "for the personal gallantry, military skill,
and just confidence in the courage and patriotism of your troops," as
the order expressed it, "displayed by you on October 19th."
On February 27, 1865, Sheridan, with his cavalry, 10,000 strong, moved
up the valley, destroying the Virginia Central Railroad, the James
River Canal, and immense quantities of supplies, and defeating Early
again at Waynesboro. He then made his way toward Grant's army and
arrived at the White House on March 19th. In subsequent operations he
acted immediately under General Grant. The final campaign of the war
began, and on March 31st Sheridan was attacked by a heavy force of
Lee's infantry, under Picket and Johnson; but on the following day,
being reinforced by Warren, he entrapped and completely routed Picket
and Johnson's forces at Five Forks, taking thousands of prisoners.
Sheridan displayed great tactical skill and generalship on this
occasion, and the decisive battle of Five Forks compelled General Lee
to evacuate Petersburg and Richmond. Lee was soon in flight, but
Sheridan was speedily on his trail, and, far away in the Northern van,
he constantly harassed the enemy. Overtaking the flying army at
Sailor's Creek, he captured sixteen guns and four hundred wagons, and
detained the enemy until the Sixth Corps could come up, when a
combined attack resulted in the capture of more than six thousand
prisoners.
On April 8th Sheridan again engaged the Confederates at Appomattox
Station. Early on the morning of the 9th the enemy endeavored to break
through, but abandoned the attempt when Sheridan, moving aside,
disclosed the infantry behind. Sheridan mounted his men and was about
to charge, when the white flag betokening surrender was displayed in
his front. This brought the war in Virginia to a close, though in
Alabama and other districts the conflict continued to a somewhat later
period. The Confederate power, however, was broken by the surrender at
Appomattox Court-house, which practically ended the Civil War.
Sheridan subsequently conducted an expedition into North Carolina. On
June 3, 1865, he took command of the Military Division of the
Southwest, at New Orleans, and was appointed to the Fifth Military
District (Louisiana and Texas) in March, 1867. President Johnson,
being dissatisfied with his administration, relieved him of his
appointment during the reconstruction troubles in Louisiana, and
transferred him to the Department of the Missouri. He continued in
command until March 4, 1869, when he was promoted to the rank of
lieutenant-general, and assigned the command of the Division of the
Missouri, with head-quarters at Chicago.
During the Franco-German War of 1870-71 General Sheridan visited
Europe, and was present as a spectator with the German forces at
several celebrated engagements. He was held in high esteem by Prince
Bismarck and Count Von Moltke. After the sanguinary battle of
Gravelotte, which Sheridan witnessed, Bismarck returned with the King
to Pont-a-Mousson, and on the evening of the next day the German
Chancellor entertained at dinner General Sheridan and his American
companions, "with whom he talked eagerly in good English, while
champagne and porter circulated." At one point of the Franco-German
War, when Bismarck was at Versailles, anxiously desiring a French
government with which he could conclude a durable peace, "it almost
seemed," says Mr. Lowe, in his "Life of Bismarck," "as if he had no
other resource but to pursue the war on the principles laid down by
General Sheridan." The American soldier had said to the Chancellor:
"First deal as hard blows at the enemy's soldiers as possible, and
then cause so much suffering to the inhabitants of the country that
they will long for peace and press their government to make it.
Nothing should be left to the people but eyes to see and lament the
war."
[Illustration: Sheridan ride.]
In 1875, during the political disturbances in Louisiana, General
Sheridan was sent to New Orleans, returning to Chicago on quiet being
restored. On the retirement of General Sherman, in March, 1884, he was
appointed Commander-in-chief of the Army of the United States. He
died August 5, 1888. General Sheridan was the most brilliant cavalry
officer whom America has produced. In addition to conspicuous personal
bravery, he had an eagle eye for piercing through the designs of an
enemy and for detecting at a glance all their weak points. He
possessed wonderful energy, remained undepressed in the presence of
overwhelming odds, and had a superb confidence in moments of the
greatest danger. His career was one of the most romantic and
adventurous called forth by the great American civil struggle.