Sheridan, Philip Henry

(March 6, 1831-August 5, 1888), one of the great Unionist generals of the war, was born at Albany, and graduated at West Point in 1853. In the first stages of the Civil War he was quartermaster, but in 1862 he received a cavalry command. At the battle of Perryville he led a division, and on the bloody field of Murfreesboro he especially distinguished himself. Appointed major-general of volunteers, he fought at Chick am aug a, and at Mi ionary Ridge he shared with Hooker and others the honors of the day. The great h period of his career was now approaching. Grant gave him, in 1864, the charge of the cavalry corps in the Army of the Potomac; he was present at the Wilderne , fought the battle of Todd’s Tavern, conducted an extended raid in May and June, and was in August placed in charge of the Army of the Shenandoah. He defeated Early at Winchester and Fisher’s Hill, and was absent at Winchester, when, on October 19, 1864, the cue my made a sudden attack on his army at Cedar Creek. “Little Phil's”? ride from ‘Winchester, twenty miles away," to the battle-field, his reforming the army and turning defeat into a brilliant victory, is the theme of story and poetry. He was made a major general in the regular army. In the operations of 1865 he took the leading part, won the battle of Five Forks, April 1, and helped mate-. - rially in the dénouement at Appomattox. In 1869 he was promoted to be licutenant-general and in 1888 general. In 1883 he succeeded General Sherman as commander-in-chief of the army. He wrote ‘‘ Personal Memoirs.”’ Sheridan’s Raid in Virginia. On the day of the battle of Spottsylvania Court House, May 8, 1864, Grant ordered Sheridan to ride with his cavalry entirely around the Confederate army, destroying bridges and depots, tearing up railroads and capturing trains. Sheridan followed his commands to the letter. He destroyed ten miles of railroad, captured several trains, cut all the telegraph wires and recaptured 400 prisoners, who had heen taken by the Confederates in the Wilderne . The Confederate cavalry under J. FE. B. Stuart was immediately dis-, patched to intercept him. They met at Yellow Tavern, and a hot engagement took place. The Confederates were finally defeated, and Stuart himself, the most famous cavalryman of the Southern army, was mortally wounded. Sheridan then rode on toward Richmond. The outer defenses were at that time quite weak, and the Union leader found little difficulty in dashing through the Confederate lines and capturing a large number of prisoners. The inner works were too strong for him, so he retreated and rejoined Grant May 25. 219