Last updated: December 21, 2021
Person
Philip Sheridan
Philip Sheridan, 1864
Quick Facts
Significance:
U.S. Army General
Place of Birth:
Albany, N.Y.
Date of Birth:
March 6, 1831
Place of Death:
Nonquitt, Mass.
Date of Death:
August 5, 1888
Place of Burial:
Arlington, Va.
Cemetery Name:
Arlington National Cemetery
On August 6, 1864, Sheridan took command of what he would call the Army of the Shenandoah. Of about 50,000 troops in his department, nearly 10,000 would guard the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, a vital lifeline for the Union. Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, would serve as his base of operations.