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COMMANDER // 1831–1888

Philip Sheridan

General of the ArmyUnited StatesUnited States7 battles1 war

Lifespan

1831 – 1888

18401850186018701880American Civil War · 1861–1865Battle of Cedar Creek — October 19, 1864 · United States · American Civil WarBattle of Opequon — September 19, 1864 · United States · American Civil WarBattle of the Wilderness — May 5, 1864 · United States · American Civil WarBattle of Trevilian Station — June 11, 1864 · United States · American Civil WarBattle of Yellow Tavern — May 11, 1864 · Union · American Civil WarAppomattox — 9 Apr 1865 · United States · American Civil WarBattle of Five Forks — April 1, 1865 · Union · American Civil War

Active service 1864–1865 — 7 battles across 1 war; first command at age 33.

Profile

Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with General-in-chief Ulysses S. Grant, who transferred Sheridan from command of an infantry division in the Western Theater to lead the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac in the East. In 1864, he defeated Confederate forces under General Jubal Early in the Shenandoah Valley and his destruction of the economic infrastructure of the Valley, called "The Burning" by residents, was one of the first uses of scorched-earth tactics in the war. In 1865, his cavalry pursued Gen. Robert E. Lee and was instrumental in forcing his surrender at Appomattox Courthouse.

Source · Wikipedia · Q355452

Battles (7)

Last verified June 2026
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