Consider the General Philip Henry Sheridan Monument a frozen moment from a pivotal battle. Here in Lincoln Park stands a tribute to a celebrated Civil War general. The General Philip Henry Sheridan Monument commemorates Philip Henry Sheridan. He is most famous for leading the campaign to defeat Confederate troops in the Shenandoah Valley.
Locally, Sheridan was admired for maintaining law during the Great Fire of 1871. As commander of the army headquarters in Chicago, Sheridan bombed buildings. This prevented flames from spreading along the South Side. Chicagoans formed the Philip Sheridan Monument Association to honor his contributions.
Gutzon Borglum was commissioned by the group. Borglum also sculpted an earlier Sheridan Monument in Washington D.C. He also sculpted the John Peter Altgeld Monument in Chicago. Borglum trained in Paris and was influenced by Auguste Rodin. He sought a distinctly American expression in art. Borglum was fascinated with sculpting extremely large works. He later created the Presidential Memorial at Mount Rushmore.
For both Sheridan monuments, Borglum depicted General Sheridan on his horse. He is rallying against the surprise Confederate attack of October 19, 1864. Sheridan quickly rode his horse Rienzi from Winchester, Virginia to the battlefield. It was twelve miles away. He led his troops in a counterattack. This victory prompted Sheridan to rename his horse Winchester.
Sculptors often use a formula for equestrian statues. One leg raised means the rider was wounded. Two legs raised means the rider died in battle. All four legs on the ground means the rider escaped unscathed. Borglum dismissed this convention for the Philip Henry Sheridan Monument. The sculpture depicts Sheridan’s horse with one leg raised. Sheridan did not suffer battle wounds. This is one of the few equestrian sculptures that does not adhere to this visual system.
The General Philip Henry Sheridan Monument stands at the beginning of Chicago’s Sheridan Road. The statue looks like a rodeo cowboy on a horse. The sculptor portrayed Sheridan’s horse with his mouth open and hind legs bent. One front leg is raised. The horse’s tail curves upwards.
Rienzi was given to Sheridan in 1862. Two years later, Sheridan commanded the Cavalry Corps. On October 19, 1864, Sheridan heard cannon fire in the distance. He rode to Cedar Creek, where his men were defending against a surprise attack. The monument shows Sheridan looking over his shoulder. His arm is outstretched and hat in hand. He is rallying his troops to regain control.
His victory at the battle was significant. Sheridan changed his horse’s name to Winchester. Winchester died in 1878. The horse’s body was preserved. Sheridan presented it to a military museum in New York. It is now part of the Smithsonian Institution collections.
So, as you stand before the General Philip Henry Sheridan Monument, remember the man. Remember the horse. Remember the artist, Borglum. He also memorialized Illinois Governor John Peter Altgeld in Lincoln Park. Consider the stories of courage, leadership, and artistic vision. They are forever captured in bronze.