Civil War hero, Indian fighter, and General-in-Chief of the U.S. Army

"I believe General Sheridan has no superior as a general, either living or dead, and perhaps not an equal." Quote from General Ulysses S. Grant

(1831-88) Born in Albany, New York, Sheridan was small in stature, but large in courage, and stood only 5 feet 5 inches tall, earning him the sobriquet of, "Little Phil." A very prominent Civil War commander, he graduated in the West Point class of 1853. Appointed brigadier general of volunteers, on September 13, 1862, and major general of volunteers, on March 16, 1863, Sheridan fought in the battles of Perryville, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, in the Chattanooga campaign, at Missionary Ridge, and Yellow Tavern, (where his men killed the legendary Confederate cavalry General J.E.B. Stuart), Hawes' Shop, Trevilian Station, and in the 1864 Shenandoah Valley campaign, including the battles of Winchester, Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek, where General Sheridan, a brilliant battlefield tactician, made his famous twenty mile ride from Winchester, arriving on the field just in the nick of time to rally his army from the jaws of defeat, and lead them on to victory. Having made a wasteland of "The Valley," he famously said that "a crow would have to carry its own rations." For this achievement he received the "Thanks of Congress," and was promoted to the rank of Major General, in the Regular U.S. Army, on November 14, 1864. General Sheridan then moved to the front at Petersburg, Va., which put him in position to play a critical role in the 1865 Appomattox campaign, resulting in the Union victories at Five Forks, and Sailor's Creek. Sheridan once again led his troops with great distinction and smashed the Confederates which ultimately led to the surrender of the renowned Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by arguably the Civil War's greatest commander, General Robert E. Lee. Sheridan was present at the McLean House, at Appomattox Court House, where General Lee signed the formal surrender treaty, on April 9, 1865. General-in-Chief of the Union armies, Ulysses S. Grant, summed up Sheridan's performance in the final days of the war with the following quote, "I believe General Sheridan has no superior as a general, either living or dead, and perhaps not an equal." During the Indian Wars, General Sheridan saw much action against the Plains Indians, in the 1870's. Upon the retirement of General William T. Sherman in 1884, Philip H. Sheridan became commanding general of the United States Army. In 1888, Sheridan suffered a series of massive heart attacks two months after sending his memoirs to the publisher. His family moved him from the heat of Washington to his summer cottage in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, where he died of heart failure on August 5, 1888. His body was returned to Washington, and he was buried on a hillside facing the capital city near Arlington House in Arlington National Cemetery.

Wet plate, albumen carte de visite photograph, mounted to 2 3/8 x 4 card. Half view, seated pose, of "Little Phil," wearing a double breasted frock coat with rank of major general, and his famous "pork pie" hat. Gen. Sheridan is written in period ink on the front mount. No back mark. Light age toning. Bottom right corner of the card mount is slightly bumped. Very fine image. A real popular pose.