General Phillip H. Sheridan Statue

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This equestrian statue honors General Philip H. Sheridan, a U.S. Army officer who played an important role in securing Union victories against the Confederacy during the Shenandoah Valley Campaigns of 1864.

On March 2, 1889, Congress authorized a memorial of General Sheridan to be constructed and appropriated $50,000 for the project. The monument was sculpted by Gutzon Borglum, an artist best known for his work on Mount Rushmore. The sculpture depicts Sheridan assembling his troops during the Battle of Cedar Creek on October 19, 1864 following his famous ride from Winchester, Virginia. His horse, Renzi, is slightly reared back while standing on a rocky ground, creating an unusual placement of the horse’s legs as he tries to find footing on the uneven ground where he has been brought to a sudden stop. The active dramatic use of the horse and rider convey a sense of the power of the animal and the commanding presence of the general, who waves his hat behind him to rally the retreating troops.

Dedicated on November 25, 1908, prominent guests at the unveiling ceremony included President Theodore Roosevelt, diplomats, high-ranking military officers and veterans from the Civil War and Spanish–American War. Congress paid for the granite plaza and base, while veterans of the Army of the Cumberland paid for the statue itself. 

The bronze equestrian statue is located in the center of Sheridan Circle, a traffic circle located at the intersection of 23rd Street, R Street and Massachusetts Avenue NW in the Sheridan-Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

Part of Civil War Monuments
DC Inventory: March 3, 1979
National Register: September 20, 1978