General Philip Sheridan, (sculpture).

General Philip Sheridan, (sculpture).

Borglum, Gutzon, 1867-1941, sculptor.

Winslow, Henry, architect.

Gorham Manufacturing Company, founder.

Malnati Stone Company, contractor.

Mohegan Granite Company, fabricator.

General Philip Sheridan, (sculpture).

General Philip H. Sheridan, (sculpture).

Commissioned July 2, 1907. Modeled May 29, 1908. Dedicated Nov. 25, 1908.

Digital Reference:

Sculpture: bronze; Base: granite.

Sculpture: approx. 10 x 12 ft. x 5 ft.; Base: approx. 3 x 37 x 4 ft.

(Proper left of sculpture:) GUTZON BORGLUM 1908 (Proper right of sculpture near base:) GORHAM CO FOUNDERS (Front of base:) SHERIDAN signed Founder's mark appears.

Figure of General Sheridan astride his horse as he gathers his retreating troops near Winchester, Virginia on October 19, 1864. He rides his horse Rienzi, his body turned slightly to his proper right as he extends his proper right arm out behind him. He holds his hat in his proper right hand and the reins of his horse in his proper left hand. He is dressed in a military uniform consisting of a long coat belted at the waist. Sheridan is depicted with a moustache and short wavy hair. His horse is rearing back perched on the top of a rocky surface. The sculpture is installed on a small rectangular base which is surrounded by a large plaza with curved benches along the inside facing the sculpture. The plaza is designed with five steps at the front and back and on the exterior sides there are two pairs of lion head fountain spouts which once poured water into square basins below.

Portrait male -- Sheridan, Philip Henry -- Full length

Occupation -- Military -- General

Animal -- Portrait -- Winchester

Animal -- Portrait -- Rienzi

Outdoor Sculpture -- District of Columbia -- Washington

Administered by United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Washington, District of Columbia

Located Sheridan Circle, Massachusetts Avenue at 23rd Street, N.W., Washington, District of Columbia

General Philip Sheridan served as commander of the Union cavalry forces and the army of the Shenandoah during the Civil War. He is credited with defeating the Confederate troops in the Shenandoah on October 19, 1864 near Winchester, Virginia after driving his horse across twenty miles to reach the battle scene. After this victory, he then changed the name of his horse, Rienzi, to Winchester.

The memorial was authorized by an act of Congress on March 2, 1889. John Quincy Adams Ward, the first artist selected, completed a sketch model in 1892 which was not approved. Borglum later received the contract for the memorial on July 2, 1907. Henry Winslow was the architect of the base and the setting. Mohegon Granite Company was responsible for the stonework and Malnati Stone Company set the stones in place. The site for the installation was chosen by Mrs. Philip H. Sheridan and their son, Second Lieutenant Philip H. Sheridan, Jr., was the model for the statue of his father.

IAS files contain an excerpt from Jannelle Warren-Findley's Aug. 1, 1985 report for the National Park Service entitled, "A Guide to Selected Statues, Monuments and Memorials," National Capital Parks - Central, National Park Service, Washington D.C. (RFQ 3-4-1919) which includes a brief maintenance history, a list of bibliographic sources, and notes to additional material found in National Park Service files. IAS files also contain an unidentified article which includes a photograph of Borglum working on the clay model of the sculpture in his New York studio.

Index of American Sculpture, University of Delaware, 1985

National Park Service, American Monuments and Outdoor Sculpture Database, DC0050, DC5001, 1989.

Goode, James M., "The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, D.C., A Comprehensive Historical Guide," Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1974, pg. 300.

Monumental News, March 1894; March, July, and Aug. 1908.

Smithsonian Institution Research Expeditions Volunteer Project, 1991.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, District of Columbia survey, 1993.

Michael Richman, SAAM curatorial assistant, 1967-1969.

Goode, James M., "The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, D.C., A Comprehensive Historical Guide," Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1974, H-23.

For model see: 9C520001.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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