Yellowstone National Forest was first established by the United States General Land Office on March 30, 1891 as the Yellowstone Park Timber Land Reserve of 1,239,040 acres (5,014.2 km). On May 22, 1902 it became the Yellowstone Forest Reserve with lands of 6,580,920 acres (26,632.0 km).
123-398: The reserve was first suggested by General Philip Sheridan in 1882 after a visit to Yellowstone National Park . Sheridan recommended that the park be expanded 40 miles (64 km) to the east and 10 miles (16 km) to the south. Legislation was introduced by Senator George Graham Vest to accomplish this, but it was stalled by local opposition. The American Forestry Association took up
246-655: A Union victory, with Haw's Shop, Trevilian Station, Meadow Bridge, Samaria Church, and Wilson-Kautz defeats in which some of Sheridan's forces barely avoided destruction. Throughout the war, the Confederacy sent armies out of Virginia through the Shenandoah Valley to invade Maryland and Pennsylvania and threaten Washington, D.C. Lt. Gen. Jubal Early , following the same pattern in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 , and hoping to distract Grant from
369-551: A circuitous route and did not participate in the fighting as some histories claim. His return to the battlefield ensured that he did not suffer the fate of Rosecrans who was falsely accused of riding off to Chattanooga leaving the army to its fate, and was soon relieved of command. During the Battle of Chattanooga , at Missionary Ridge on November 25, 1863, Sheridan's division and others in George Thomas's army broke through
492-477: A commander, writing Sheridan and playfully confessing his reassessment of the relatively short officer, "When this peculiar war began, I thought a cavalryman should be six feet four inches, but I have changed my mind. Five foot four will do in a pinch." Sheridan spent the next several months occupying Winchester , and was the national military governor of the city after the previous six-month long occupation of his predecessor, national general Robert H. Milroy . He
615-466: A court of inquiry that convened in 1879 and, after hearing testimony from dozens of witnesses over 100 days, found that Sheridan's relief of Warren had been unjustified. Unfortunately for Warren, these results were not published until after his death. Sheridan's aggressive and well-executed performance at the Battle of Sayler's Creek on April 6 effectively sealed the fate of Lee's army, capturing over 20% of his remaining men. President Lincoln sent Grant
738-614: A dishonest man". He also dismissed Texas Governor James W. Throckmorton , a former Confederate, for being an "impediment to the reconstruction of the State", replacing him with the Republican who had lost to him in the previous election Elisha M. Pease . Sheridan had been feuding with President Andrew Johnson for months over interpretations of the Military Reconstruction Acts and voting rights issues, and within
861-466: A district judge. Following widespread anti-segregation protests in New Orleans, railroad company leaders met with Sheridan to try to get him to support their efforts to maintain the segregated "star car" system. He rejected their requests, thereby forcing them to desegregate New Orleans street cars. He later removed Louisiana Governor James M. Wells , accusing him of being "a political trickster and
984-509: A fifth star may have assisted Powell (a Republican) had he decided to run for office. An effort was also made to promote General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. to General of the Army, although it was not carried out. As recently as the late 2000s, some commentators proposed that the military leader in the Global War on Terrorism be promoted to a five-star rank. In January 2011, the founders of
1107-523: A fixed bayonet in reaction to a perceived insult on the parade ground. He graduated in 1853, 34th in his class of 52 cadets. Sheridan was commissioned as a brevet second lieutenant and was assigned to the 1st U.S. Infantry Regiment at Fort Duncan in Eagle Pass, Texas , then to the 4th U.S. Infantry Regiment at Fort Reading in Anderson, California . Most of his service with the 4th Infantry
1230-528: A high opinion of the officer corps. His words on the French were much more harsh; he criticized the French army for not taking numerous opportunities to halt the German advance, for advancing slowly and clumsily themselves, for not taking any of the numerous good opportunities to cut the enemy's unguarded lines of communication, and for being routed frequently. He remarked: "I am disgusted; all my boyhood's fancies of
1353-551: A month of the second firing, the president removed Sheridan, stating to an outraged Gen. Grant that, "His rule has, in fact, been one of absolute tyranny, without references to the principles of our government or the nature of our free institutions." Sheridan was not popular in Texas, and he did not have much appreciation for Texas, either. In 1866, he quipped that, "If I owned Texas and Hell, I would rent Texas and live in Hell." During
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#17327803212461476-435: A noisy diversion, and reported critical intelligence about enemy dispositions. His actions so impressed the division commanders, including Brig. Gen. William S. Rosecrans , that they recommended Sheridan's promotion to brigadier general . They wrote to Halleck, "Brigadiers scarce; good ones scarce. ... The undersigned respectfully beg that you will obtain the promotion of Sheridan. He is worth his weight in gold." The promotion
1599-400: A pentagonal pattern, with points touching. The five officers who have held the 1944 version of General of the Army and the date of each's appointment are as follows: The timing of the first four of these appointments was coordinated with the first three of the following appointments of the U.S. Navy 's first five-star Fleet Admirals : This was to establish both an order of seniority among
1722-483: A rank of field marshal , however George C. Marshall , the first officer to be nominated for the rank, objected to the proposed title as he did not want to be known as "Marshal Marshall". A Marshal is, in the United States, traditionally a law enforcement or fire department official. The five-star rank and authority of General of the Army and equivalent naval Fleet Admiral were created by an Act of Congress on
1845-400: A resident wrote: ....my pen fails me when I attempt to recall and picture the many disagreeable, contemptible acts committed under General Sheridan's orders, under the name of war measures. I knew him personally from an observation of nearly seven months' duration, and although history records him as a great military man, in some respects he was a low vulgarian. But the proof of this assertion
1968-466: A soldier and in response to some of his critics he stated, "My duties are to protect these people. I have nothing to do with Indians but in this connection…The wife of a man at the center of wealth and civilization and refinement is not more dear to him than is the wife of the pioneer of the frontier. I have no hesitation in making my choice. I am going to stand by the people over whom I am placed and give them what protection I can." Sheridan
2091-660: A telegram on April 7: "Gen. Sheridan says 'If the thing is pressed I think that Lee will surrender.' Let the thing be pressed." At Appomattox Court House , on April 9, 1865, Sheridan blocked Lee's escape, forcing the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia later that day. Grant summed up Little Phil's performance in these final days, saying, "I believe General Sheridan has no superior as a general, either living or dead, and perhaps not an equal." After Gen. Lee's surrender, and that of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston in North Carolina,
2214-416: A temporary basis when Pub. L. 78–482 was passed on 14 December 1944, which provided only 75% of pay and allowances to the grade for those on the retired list. The rank was temporary, subject to reversion to permanent rank six months after the end of the war. The temporary rank was then declared permanent on 23 March 1946 by Pub. L. 79–333 , which also awarded full pay and allowances in
2337-401: A victory at Fisher's Hill . As Early attempted to regroup, Sheridan began the punitive operations of his mission, sending his cavalry as far south as Waynesboro to seize or destroy livestock and provisions, and to burn barns, mills, factories, and railroads. Sheridan's men did their work relentlessly and thoroughly, rendering over 400 square miles uninhabitable. The destruction presaged
2460-564: Is a five-star general officer rank in the United States Army . It is generally equivalent to the rank of Field Marshal in other countries. In the United States, a General of the Army ranks above generals and is equivalent to a fleet admiral and a general of the Air Force . The General of the Army insignia consisted of five 3 ⁄ 8 -inch (9.5 mm) stars in a pentagonal pattern, with touching points. The insignia
2583-649: Is no evidence the nineteenth-century Texas legislature ever considered a bill to outlaw or regulate the hide hunt." These erroneous charges against Sheridan first surfaced in the 1907 memoir of buffalo hunter John Cook. Eventually the Indians returned to their designated reservations. Sheridan's department conducted the Red River War , the Ute War , and the Great Sioux War of 1876–77 , which resulted in
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#17327803212462706-430: Is not for these pages. It makes my cheeks fairly burn now when I remember going there one morning on business. I wore my hair curled and caught up in a bunch with a comb at the back of my head. Coming up to me in a most famil-iar way he took hold of one of my curls; toying with it, he said, "If you give me this I will send you a bridal present when you marry." Having captured several of Mr. Macon's [Her betrothed] letters, he
2829-621: Is today commemorated on the signs denoting Interstate Highways as part of the Eisenhower Interstate System , which display five silver stars on a light blue background. Arnold, a general in the Army, was the Commanding General of the Army Air Forces throughout World War II, when he was promoted. After his United States Air Force became a separate service on 18 September 1947, Arnold's rank
2952-663: The 13th U.S. Infantry . He departed from his command of Fort Yamhill in Oregon by way of San Francisco , across the Isthmus of Panama , and through New York City to home in Somerset for a brief leave. On the way to his new post, he made a courtesy call to Maj. Gen. Henry W. Halleck in St. Louis, who commandeered his services to audit the financial records of his immediate predecessor, Maj. Gen. John C. Frémont , whose administration of
3075-623: The Army of the Potomac at Petersburg . He wrote in his memoirs, "Feeling that the war was nearing its end, I desired my cavalry to be in at the death." His finest service of the Civil War was demonstrated during his relentless pursuit of Robert E. Lee 's Army, effectively managing the most crucial aspects of the Appomattox Campaign for Grant. On the way to Petersburg, at the Battle of Waynesboro , on March 2, 1865, he trapped
3198-490: The Battle of Perryville . Under orders from Buell and his corps commander, Maj. Gen. Charles Gilbert , Sheridan sent Col. Daniel McCook 's brigade to secure a water supply for the army. McCook drove off the Confederates and secured water for the parched Union troops at Doctor's Creek. Gilbert ordered McCook not to advance any further and then rode to consult with Buell. Along the way, Gilbert ordered his cavalry to attack
3321-585: The Battle of the Wilderness (May 5–6, 1864), the dense forested terrain prevented any significant cavalry role. As the army swung around the Confederate right flank in the direction of Spotsylvania Court House , Sheridan's troopers failed to clear the road from the Wilderness, losing engagements along the Plank Road on May 5 and Todd's Tavern on May 6 through May 8, allowing the Confederates to seize
3444-632: The Department of the Missouri was tainted by charges of wasteful expenditures and fraud that left the status of $ 12 million in debt. Sheridan sorted out the mess, impressing Halleck in the process. Much to Sheridan's dismay, Halleck's vision for Sheridan consisted of a continuing role as a staff officer. Nevertheless, Sheridan performed the task assigned to him and entrenched himself as an excellent staff officer in Halleck's view. In December, Sheridan
3567-697: The Grant administration , while Sheridan was assigned to duty in the West , he was sent to Louisiana on two additional occasions to deal with problems that lingered in Reconstruction. In January 1875, federal troops intervened in the Louisiana Legislature following attempts by the Democrats to seize control of disputed seats. Sheridan supported Republican governor William P. Kellogg , who won
3690-603: The James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 authorized Ulysses S. Grant to be posthumously promoted to the rank, 137 years after his death. President Joe Biden signed the Act into federal law on December 23, 2022. Toward the end of the American Civil War , Ulysses S. Grant achieved the first fixed promotion to lieutenant general in the U.S., since George Washington . On 25 July 1866,
3813-670: The Siege of Petersburg , attacked Union forces near Washington and raided several towns in Pennsylvania . Grant, reacting to the political commotion caused by the invasion, organized the Middle Military Division , whose field troops were known as the Army of the Shenandoah . He considered various candidates for command, including George Meade, William B. Franklin, and David Hunter , with the latter two intended for
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3936-505: The U.S. Congress further established the rank of "General of the Army of the United States" for General Grant. His pay was "four hundred dollars per month, and his allowance for fuel and quarters", except "when his headquarters are in Washington, shall be at the rate of three hundred dollars per month." (His combined monthly pay and allowance of seven hundred dollars in 1866 is equivalent to $ 15,000 in 2023). When appointed General of
4059-599: The United States Military Academy in West Point, New York , from a nomination from one of his customers, U.S. Congressman Thomas Ritchey , whose first candidate was disqualified after failing a mathematics examination and reportedly displayed a "poor attitude." In his fourth year at West Point, Sheridan was suspended for a year for fighting with classmate William R. Terrill . The previous day, Sheridan had threatened to run him through with
4182-688: The Vets for Freedom political advocacy group published an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal calling for David Petraeus to be awarded a fifth star in recognition of his work and the importance of his mission. Earlier, in July 2010, David W. Brown wrote an article in The Atlantic supporting the same promotion. The rank of General of the Armies is senior to General of the Army, and
4305-639: 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
4428-438: The regular army as of November 8, 1864, making him the fourth ranking general in the Army, after Grant, Sherman, and Meade. Grant wrote to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton after he ordered a 100-gun salute to celebrate Sheridan's victory at Cedar Creek, "Turning what bid fair to be a disaster into glorious victory stamps Sheridan, what I have always thought him, one of the ablest of generals." A famous poem, Sheridan's Ride ,
4551-602: The scorched-earth tactics of Sherman's March to the Sea through Georgia , and were designed to deny the Confederacy an army base from which to operate and bring the effects of war home to the population supporting it. Residents referred to this widespread destruction as "The Burning," which remain controversial. Sheridan's troops told of the wanton attack in their letters home, calling themselves "barn burners" and "destroyers of homes." One soldier wrote to his family that he had personally set 60 private homes on fire and believed that "it
4674-459: The 1866–1888 rank of General of the Army. For a few months in 1885, as he was dying, Grant was accorded a special honor and his rank was restored by Congressional legislation. After Grant became U.S. president, he was succeeded as General of the Army by William T. Sherman, effective 4 March 1869. In 1872, Sherman ordered the insignia changed to two stars, with the coat of arms of the United States in between. By an Act of Congress on 1 June 1888,
4797-558: The 1872 gubernatorial election, and declared that the Democratic opponents of the Republican regime who used violence to overcome legitimate electoral results were "banditti" who should be subjected to military tribunals and loss of their habeas corpus rights. The Grant administration backed down after an enormous public outcry. A headline in the New York World shrieked, "Tyranny! A Sovereign State Murdered!" In 1876, Sheridan
4920-782: The 1990s, there were proposals in Department of Defense academic circles to bestow a five-star rank on the office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. After the conclusion of the Persian Gulf War , but before his tenure as Secretary of State, there was talk of awarding a fifth star to General Colin Powell , who had served as CJCS during the conflict. But even in the face of public and Congressional pressure to do so, Clinton presidential transition team staffers decided against it for political reasons, fearing that
5043-472: The Army had to issue orders to make the promotion official. According to Public Law 94-479 , General of the Armies of the United States is established as having "rank and precedence over all other grades of the Army, past or present." Thus, Washington will always be the most senior general of the United States. During his lifetime, Washington was appointed a general in the Continental Army during
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5166-472: The Army instead of General of the Armies, the Comptroller General of the United States would rule in 1924 that the grade revived in 1866 for Grant (and later William T. Sherman and Philip H. Sheridan ) was the same grade that had been proposed for Washington in 1799 and revived for Pershing in 1919. In contrast to the modern four-star rank of general , only one officer at a time could hold
5289-593: The Army since Omar Bradley (who was also the last living officer of such rank when he died in 1981). The rank is still maintained in the Army's structure, and could be awarded by the president with the consent of the United States Senate . Although the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), Omar Bradley, was eventually awarded a fifth star, such a promotion does not come with that office; Bradley's elevation ensured that he would not be outranked by his subordinate, Douglas MacArthur . In
5412-586: The Army" (the highest rank in the army) has had two incarnations. The first was introduced in 1866, following the American Civil War . While it was nominally a four-star rank, structurally it had authority over the entire Army, it was reserved for the Commanding General of the United States Army , and was held by three different men in succession from 1866 to 1888: Ulysses S. Grant , William Tecumseh Sherman , and Philip Sheridan . When it
5535-476: The Army, Grant wore the rank insignia of four stars and coat buttons arranged in three groups of four. Unlike the World War II rank with a similar title, the 1866 rank of General of the Army was nominally a four-star rank, but this rank held all the authority and power of a 1799 proposal for a rank of " General of the Armies ", even though Grant was never called by this title. Despite being titled General of
5658-419: The Confederate corps of Lt. Gen. James Longstreet , but was swamped by retreating Union soldiers. The Confederates drove Sheridan's division from the field in confusion. He gathered as many men as he could and withdrew toward Chattanooga, rallying troops along the way. Learning of Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas 's XIV Corps stand on Snodgrass Hill, Sheridan ordered his division back to the fighting, but they took
5781-423: The Confederate lines in a wild charge that exceeded the orders and expectations of Thomas and Ulysses S. Grant . Just before his men stepped off, Sheridan told them, "Remember Chickamauga," and many shouted its name as they advanced as ordered to a line of rifle pits in their front. Faced with enemy fire from above, however, they continued up the ridge. Sheridan spotted a group of Confederate officers outlined against
5904-553: The Confederates in Dan McCook's front. Sheridan heard the gunfire and came to the front with another brigade. Although the cavalry failed to secure the heights in front of McCook, Sheridan's reinforcements drove off the Southerners. Gilbert returned and ordered Sheridan to return to McCook's original position. Sheridan's aggressiveness convinced the opposing Confederates under Maj. Gen. Leonidas Polk , that they should remain on
6027-556: The Indian uprisings suppressed, coupled with pressures from President Johnson to replace Southern Republican administrators, General Grant swapped Hancock and Sheridan, sending the Democratic Hancock to the Texas post-Confederate area, where he immediately ingratiated himself with the local white population by instituting repressive policies favored by President Johnson's administration and other Democratic politicians throughout
6150-559: The Indian. Although he did regard the Indians as "savages" whose one profession was "that of arms," he felt that it would take more than just confining them to reservations to settle the west. It would also be necessary to "exercise some strong authority over him." Although not as sympathetic to the Indians' plight as some other army officers, he did say that, "We took away their country and their means of support…and against this they made war. Could anyone expect less?" He did agree, however, with most soldiers when he blamed
6273-655: The Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, and from Kansas north, but had mishandled his campaign mistreating the Plains Indians, primarily Sioux and Cheyenne , resulting in retaliatorily raids that attacked mail coaches , burned stations, and killed employees. The Indians also killed and kidnapped a considerable number of settlers on the frontier. In response to state and territorial governors wanting both more competent Army administration and
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#17327803212466396-508: The North as the 1864 election drew near. The two generals conferred on September 16 at Charles Town and agreed that Sheridan would begin his attacks within four days. On September 19, armed with intelligence about the dispositions and strength of Early's forces around Winchester provided by unionist sympathizer and Quaker teacher Rebecca Wright , Sheridan beat Early's much smaller army at Third Winchester and followed up on September 22 with
6519-509: The Shenandoah Valley as a productive agricultural region to the Confederacy. Grant told Sheridan, "The people should be informed that so long as an army can subsist among them recurrences of these raids must be expected, and we are determined to stop them at all hazards. ... Give the enemy no rest ... Do all the damage to railroads and crops you can. Carry off stock of all descriptions, and negroes, so as to prevent further planting. If
6642-621: The Southern territory. At the same time, Sheridan took up his responsibilities in the Department of the Missouri. According to the Kansas Historical Society : "President Ulysses S. Grant wanted Sheridan to pacify the Plains Indians, primarily [in response to] the mishandling of the white/Indian conflict by such notables as Major John Chivington and General Winfield Scott Hancock. ... Sheridan's ultimate goal
6765-461: The U.S. to report to Grant that although the Prussians were "very good brave fellows [who] had gone into each battle with the determination to win, ... there is nothing to be learned here professionally." He criticized their handling of cavalry and likened their practices to the manner in which Meade had attempted to supervise him. However, he referred to theirs as a "perfect military system" and had
6888-519: The Union armies, summoned Sheridan to the Eastern Theater to command the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac . Unbeknownst to Sheridan, he was actually Grant's second choice, after Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin , but Grant agreed to a suggestion about Sheridan from Chief of Staff Henry W. Halleck. After the war, and in his memoirs, Grant claimed that Sheridan was the very man he wanted for
7011-427: The Union camps. Sheridan's actions are generally credited with saving the day, although Maj. Gen. Horatio G. Wright , commanding Sheridan's VI Corps , already rallied his men and stopped their retreat. Early had been dealt his most significant defeat, rendering his army almost incapable of future offensive action. Sheridan received a personal letter of thanks from Abraham Lincoln and was promoted to major general in
7134-511: The Union supply wagons they were escorting. History draws decidedly mixed opinions on the success of Sheridan in the Overland Campaign, in no small part because the very clear Union victory at Yellow Tavern , highlighted by the death of Jeb Stuart, tends to overshadow other actions and battles. In Sheridan's report of the Cavalry Corps' actions in the campaign, discussing the strategy of cavalry fighting cavalry, he wrote, "The result
7257-527: The Winter Campaign of 1868–69 (of which the Battle of Washita River was part) he attacked the Cheyenne, Kiowa , and Comanche tribes in their winter quarters, taking their supplies and livestock, driving the Indians back on to their reservations , and killing those who resisted. When Sherman was promoted to General of the Army following Grant's election as President of the United States, Sheridan
7380-468: The advance against Bragg in Rosecrans's brilliant Tullahoma Campaign , and was the lead division to enter the town of Tullahoma . On the second day of the Battle of Chickamauga , September 20, 1863, Rosecrans was shifting Sheridan's division behind the Union battle line when Bragg launched an attack into a gap in the Union line. Sheridan's division made a gallant stand on Lytle Hill against an attack by
7503-496: The army on the Siege of Corinth and serve as an assistant to the department's topographical engineer. He made the acquaintance of Brig. Gen. William T. Sherman , who offered him the role of colonel in an Ohio infantry regiment. The appointment fell through, but Sheridan was subsequently aided by friends, including future Secretary of War Russell A. Alger , who petitioned Michigan Governor Austin Blair on his behalf. Sheridan
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#17327803212467626-446: The cause, advocating for legislation that would allow the United States president to set aside lands as "forest reservations" through an executive order. President Benjamin Harrison then proclaimed the reserve, largely following Sheridan's recommendation, on March 30, 1891. Some areas on the northeast portion of the proposed reservation were excluded to allow mining in the headwaters of the Clarks Fork River . The land was, in effect,
7749-429: The crest of the ridge and shouted, "Here's at you!" An exploding shell sprayed him with dirt and he responded, "That's damn ungenerous! I shall take those guns for that!" The Union charge broke through the Confederate lines on the ridge and Bragg's army fell into retreat. Sheridan impulsively ordered his men to pursue Bragg to the Confederate supply depot at Chickamauga Station, but called them back when he realized that his
7872-469: The critical crossroads before the Union infantry could arrive. When Meade quarreled with Sheridan for not performing his duties of screening and reconnaissance as ordered, Sheridan told Meade that he could "whip Stuart" if Meade let him. Meade reported the conversation to Grant, who replied, "Well, he generally knows what he is talking about. Let him start right out and do it." Meade deferred to Grant's judgment and issued orders to Sheridan to "proceed against
7995-445: The critical crossroads that triggered the Battle of Cold Harbor (June 1 to 12) and withstood a number of assaults until reinforced. Grant then ordered Sheridan on a raid to the northwest to break the Virginia Central Railroad and to link up with the Shenandoah Valley army of Maj. Gen. David Hunter . He was intercepted by the Confederate cavalry under Maj. Gen. Wade Hampton at the Battle of Trevilian Station (June 11–12), where in
8118-430: The death of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer . The Indian raids subsided during the 1870s and were almost over by the early 1880s, as Sheridan became the commanding general of the entire U.S. Army. In a story that is almost certainly fictitious, Comanche Chief Tosawi was said to have told Sheridan in 1869, "Tosawi, good Indian," to which Sheridan is said to have replied, "The only good Indians I ever saw were dead." In
8241-470: The defensive. His troops repelled Confederate attacks later that day, but did not participate in the heaviest fighting of the day, which occurred on the Union left. On December 31, 1862, the first day of the Battle of Stones River , Sheridan anticipated a Confederate assault and positioned his division in preparation for it. His division held back the Confederate onslaught on his front until their ammunition ran out and they were forced to withdraw. This action
8364-661: The enemy's cavalry" and from May 9 through May 24, sent him on a raid toward Richmond , directly challenging the Confederate cavalry. The raid was less successful than hoped; although his raid managed to mortally wound Confederate cavalry commander Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart at Yellow Tavern on May 11 and beat Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee at Meadow Bridge on May 12, the raid never seriously threatened Richmond and it left Grant without cavalry intelligence for Spotsylvania and North Anna . Historian Gordon C. Rhea wrote, "By taking his cavalry from Spotsylvania Court House, Sheridan severely handicapped Grant in his battles against Lee. The Union Army
8487-404: The first national forest . For the time being, it was placed under the same military administration that applied to Yellowstone Park proper. In 1902 lands were exchanged with the Teton Forest Reserve and the reserve was placed under civilian administration, with the first ranger station in the nation established at Wapiti on the Shoshone River . Artist and rancher Abraham Archibald Anderson
8610-406: The first printed reference to this exchange, more than 100 years later in 1970, in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee , author Dee Brown attributes the quote to Sheridan, claiming that "Lieutenant Charles Nordstrom, who was present, remembered the words and passed them on, until in time they were honed into an American aphorism: The only good Indian is a dead Indian . Sheridan denied he had ever made
8733-486: The generals and a near-equivalence between the services. Although briefly considered, the U.S. Army did not introduce a rank of Field Marshal . In the United States, the term "Marshal" has traditionally been used for civilian law enforcement officers, particularly the U.S. Marshals , as well as formerly for state and local police chiefs. In addition, giving the rank the name "marshal" would have resulted in George Marshall being designated as "Field Marshal Marshall", which
8856-405: The government for the failure of the reservation system. He said it was up to Congress, "to furnish the poor people from whom this country has been taken with sufficient food to enable them to live without suffering the pangs of hunger." This is hardly the attitude one would expect from someone who was purported to say, "The only good Indian is a dead Indian," ... He was above all else,
8979-419: The grade to those on the retired list. It was created to give the most senior American commanders parity of rank with their British counterparts holding the ranks of field marshal and admiral of the fleet . This second General of the Army rank is not the same as the post-Civil War era version because of its purpose and five stars. The insignia for the 1944 General of the Army rank consists of five stars in
9102-457: The grade was conferred upon Philip Sheridan, who by then was in failing health. The rank of General of the Army ceased to exist with Sheridan's death on 5 August 1888. As the logistics and military leadership requirements of World War II escalated after the June 1944 Normandy landings , the United States government created a new version of General of the Army. The government had considered creating
9225-683: The growing resistance of Benito Juárez induced the French to abandon their claims against Mexico. Napoleon III announced a staged withdrawal of French troops to be completed in November 1867. In light of growing opposition at home and concern with the rise of German military prowess, Napoleon III stepped up the French withdrawal, which was completed by March 12, 1867. By June 19 of that year, Mexico's republican army had captured, tried, and executed Maximilian. Sheridan later admitted in his memoirs that he had supplied arms and ammunition to Juárez's forces: "... which we left at convenient places on our side of
9348-439: The job. Sheridan arrived at the headquarters of the Army of the Potomac on April 5, 1864, less than a month before the start of Grant's massive Overland Campaign against Robert E. Lee . In the early battles of the campaign, Sheridan's cavalry was relegated by army commander Maj. Gen. George Meade to its traditional role, including screening, reconnaissance, and guarding trains and rear areas, much to Sheridan's frustration. In
9471-404: The largest all-cavalry battle of the war, he achieved tactical success on the first day, but suffered heavy casualties during multiple assaults on the second. He withdrew without achieving his assigned objectives. On his return march, he once again encountered the Confederate cavalry at Samaria (St. Mary's) Church on June 24, where his men suffered significant casualties, but successfully protected
9594-606: The military division while Sheridan would command the army. All of these choices were rejected by either Grant or the War Department and, over the objection of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton , who believed him to be too young for such a high post, Sheridan took command in both roles at Harpers Ferry on August 7, 1864. His mission was not only to defeat Early's army and to close off the Northern invasion route, but to deny
9717-508: The name was discontinued. 44°36′N 110°30′W / 44.600°N 110.500°W / 44.600; -110.500 Philip Sheridan Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) 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
9840-412: The nickname, "Little Phil." Abraham Lincoln described his appearance in a famous anecdote: "A brown, chunky little chap, with a long body, short legs, not enough neck to hang him, and such long arms that if his ankles itch he can scratch them without stooping." As a boy, Sheridan worked in a general store and later as head clerk and bookkeeper at a dry goods store. In 1848, he obtained an appointment to
9963-667: The only significant Confederate field force remaining was in Texas under Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith . Sheridan was supposed to lead troops in the Grand Review of the Armies in Washington, D.C., but Grant appointed him commander of the Military District of the Southwest on May 17, 1865 six days before the parade, with orders to defeat Smith without delay and restore Texas and Louisiana to Union control. However, Smith surrendered before Sheridan reached New Orleans . Grant
10086-719: The provisions of the Act of September 3, 1919 (41 Stat. 283: 10 U.S.C. 671a), or any other law relating to the office of General of the Armies of the United States." George Washington was posthumously promoted to the rank of General of the Armies on 15 March 1978 by Secretary of the Army Clifford Alexander. In relation to America's bicentennial celebration, Congress passed legislation on 19 January 1976 urging Washington's promotion and President Gerald Ford approved it in October 1976, but historians found that Congressional and Presidential actions were not enough, and that
10209-558: The rank by this name has been bestowed on only three officers in U.S. history. In 1919, John J. Pershing was promoted to General of the Armies for his services in World War I . In 1976, during the United States Bicentennial , George Washington was posthumously promoted to this rank for his service as the first commanding general of the United States Army. In 2024, Ulysses S. Grant was posthumously promoted to
10332-552: The rank in December 1944 ( George C. Marshall , Douglas MacArthur , Dwight D. Eisenhower , Henry H. Arnold ), and one promoted in September 1950 ( Omar Bradley ). A special rank of General of the Armies , which ranks above the second incarnation of General of the Army, exists but has been conferred only three times — to World War I 's John J. Pershing in 1919, and posthumously to George Washington in 1976. In December 2022,
10455-570: The rank of General of the Army during the term of President Grover Cleveland . Sheridan was born in Albany, New York , on March 6, 1831, the third of six children of John and Mary Meenagh Sheridan, Irish Catholic immigrants from Killinkere parish in County Cavan , Ireland. He grew up in Somerset, Ohio . Small in stature, he reached only 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm) tall, earning him
10578-464: The rank of General of the Armies to celebrate 200 years since his birth. In 1903, retroactive to 1899, George Dewey was promoted to Admiral of the Navy , a rank equated to that of a five-star admiral. The promotion of Admiral Dewey is the only time an Admiral of the Navy has been named and the rank ceased to exist after his death. Section 7 of Public Law 78-482 read: "Nothing in this Act shall affect
10701-419: The remainder of Early's army. and 1,500 soldiers surrendered. On April 1, he cut off General Lee's lines of support at Five Forks , forcing Lee to evacuate Petersburg. During the battle, he ruined the military career of Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren by removing him from command of the V Corps under circumstances that a court of inquiry later determined were unjustified. President Rutherford B. Hayes ordered
10824-498: The river to fall into their hands". On July 30, 1866, while Sheridan was in Texas, a white mob broke up the state constitutional convention in New Orleans , killing 34 blacks. Shortly after Sheridan returned, he wired Grant, "The more information I obtain of the affair of the 30th in this city the more revolting it becomes. It was no riot; it was an absolute massacre." In March 1867, with Reconstruction barely started, Sheridan
10947-617: The soldiers of the great Napoleon have been dissipated, or else the soldiers of the "Little Corporal" have lost their elan in the pampered parade soldiers of the 'Man of Destiny'." In 1871, Sheridan was present in Chicago during the Great Chicago Fire and coordinated military relief efforts. The mayor, Roswell B. Mason , to calm the panic, placed the city under martial law , and issued a proclamation putting Sheridan in charge. As there were no widespread disturbances, martial law
11070-484: The statement. Biographer Roy Morris Jr. states that, nevertheless, popular history credits Sheridan with saying "The only good Indian is a dead Indian." This variation "has been used by friends and enemies ever since to characterize and castigate his Indian-fighting career." According to the Kansas Historical Society: "Sheridan has been accused of being unnecessarily cruel; bent on exterminating
11193-428: The stolen property and confiscated the horses for the use of Curtis's army. When Curtis ordered him to pay the officers, Sheridan brusquely responded, "No authority can compel me to jayhawk or steal." Curtis had Sheridan arrested for insubordination but Halleck's influence appears to have ended any formal proceedings. Sheridan performed aptly in his role under Curtis, and then returned to Halleck's headquarters to accompany
11316-430: The war is to last another year, we want the Shenandoah Valley to remain a barren waste." Sheridan got off to a slow start, needing time to organize and to react to reinforcements reaching Early; Grant ordered him not to launch an offensive "with the advantage against you." And yet Grant expressed frustration with Sheridan's lack of progress. The armies remained unengaged for over a month, causing political consternation in
11439-424: The way Republican Army Generals were administering Reconstruction in the post-war Southern states and sought to replace them with Democratic ones more in tune with the (formerly Confederate) White populations committed to instituting Jim Crow laws . Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock had been assigned to the Department of the Missouri , an administrative area of over 1,000,000 square miles, encompassing land between
11562-574: Was a hard looking sight to see the women and children turned out of doors at this season of the year" (winter). A Sergeant William T. Patterson wrote that "the whole country around is wrapped in flames, the heavens are aglow with the light thereof ... such mourning, such lamentations, such crying and pleading for mercy [by defenseless women] ... I never saw or want to see again." The Confederates were not idle during this period and Sheridan's men were plagued by guerrilla raids by partisan ranger Col. John S. Mosby . Although Sheridan assumed that Jubal Early
11685-491: Was also concerned about the situation in neighboring Mexico, where 40,000 French soldiers propped up the puppet regime of Austrian Archduke Maximilian . He gave Sheridan permission to gather a large Texas occupation force. Sheridan assembled 50,000 men in three corps, quickly occupied Texas coastal cities, spread inland, and began to patrol the Mexico–United States border . The Army's presence, U.S. political pressure, and
11808-467: Was appointed chief commissary officer of the Army of Southwest Missouri, but convinced the department commander, Halleck, to also give him the position of quartermaster general . In January 1862, he reported for duty to Maj. Gen. Samuel Curtis and served under him at the Battle of Pea Ridge . Sheridan soon discovered that officers were engaged in profiteering, including stealing horses from civilians and demanding payment from Sheridan. He refused to pay for
11931-422: Was appointed colonel of the 2nd Michigan Cavalry on May 27, 1862, despite having no experience in the mounted arm. A month later, Sheridan commanded his first forces in combat, leading a small brigade that included his regiment. At the Battle of Booneville , Mississippi , July 1, 1862, he held back several regiments of Brig. Gen. James R. Chalmers 's Confederate cavalry, deflected a large flanking attack with
12054-561: Was appointed military governor of the Fifth Military District (Texas and Louisiana). He severely limited voter registration for former Confederates and ruled that only registered voters, including black men, were eligible to serve on juries. Furthermore, an inquiry into the deadly New Orleans riot of 1866 implicated numerous local officials; Sheridan dismissed the mayor of New Orleans, the Louisiana attorney general, and
12177-577: Was appointed to senior command of the Military Division of the Missouri , with all the Great Plains under his command. Professional hunters, trespassing on Indian reservations, killed over 4 million bison by 1874. As historian Dan Flores has shown, any quotations attributed to Sheridan that celebrate buffalo hunting or that he ever appeared before the Texas legislature about this matter, are almost certainly apocryphal. As Flores notes, "there
12300-536: Was approved in September, but dated effective July 1 as a reward for his actions at Booneville. After Booneville, one of his fellow officers gave him the horse that he named Rienzi after the skirmish of Rienzi, Mississippi , which he rode throughout the Civil War. Sheridan was assigned to command the 11th Division, III Corps, in Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell 's Army of the Ohio . On October 8, 1862, Sheridan led his division in
12423-455: Was carried over to the Air Force, just as all Army Air Forces airmen's rank carried over. Arnold was the first and, to date, only General of the Air Force . He is also the only person to have ever held a five-star rank in two branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Bradley received the 5-star rank upon being made the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (serving from 1949 to 1953). This was to make him superior in rank to General MacArthur, who
12546-494: Was considered undignified. Eisenhower resigned his army commission on 31 May 1952 to run for the U.S. presidency. After Eisenhower was elected and served two terms, President John F. Kennedy on 22 March 1961 signed Pub. L. 87–3 , which authorized reappointing Eisenhower "to the active list of the Regular Army in his former grade, of General of the Army with his former date of rank in such grade". This rank
12669-535: Was constant success and the almost total annihilation of the rebel cavalry. We marched when and where we pleased; we were always the attacking party, and always successful." A contrary view has been published by historian Eric J. Wittenberg, who notes that of four major strategic raids (Richmond, Trevilian, Wilson-Kautz , and First Deep Bottom ) and thirteen major cavalry engagements of the Overland and Richmond–Petersburg campaigns, only Yellow Tavern can be considered
12792-422: Was created by Congress for Grant, Grant had already reached the highest rank historically used in the United States, the three star lieutenant general. The "General of the Army" rank was revived during World War II as the modern five-star rank. The rank does not imply command of the entire Army and may be awarded to more than one officer at a time. It has been held by five different men since 1944, four promoted to
12915-509: Was deprived of his eyes and ears during a critical juncture in the campaign. And Sheridan's decision to advance boldly to the Richmond defenses smacked of unnecessary showboating that jeopardized his command." Rejoining the Army of the Potomac, Sheridan's cavalry fought inconclusively at Haw's Shop (May 28), a battle with heavy casualties that allowed the Confederate cavalry to obtain valuable intelligence about Union dispositions. They seized
13038-617: Was effectively out of action and he considered withdrawing his army to rejoin Grant at Petersburg, Early received reinforcements and, on October 19 at Cedar Creek , launched a well-executed surprise attack while Sheridan was absent from his army, ten miles away at Winchester . Hearing the distant sounds of artillery , he rode aggressively to his command. He reached the battlefield about 10:30 a.m. and began to rally his men. Fortunately for Sheridan, Early's men were too occupied to take notice; they were hungry and exhausted and fell out to pillage
13161-733: Was in the Pacific Northwest , starting with a topographical survey mission to the Willamette Valley in 1855, during which he became involved with the Yakima War and Rogue River Wars , gaining experience in leading small combat team and some diplomatic skills in his negotiations with Indian tribes. On March 28, 1857, he was wounded when a bullet grazed his nose at Middle Cascade, Oregon Territory . He and an Indian woman from Rogue River lived together during part of his tour of duty. Named Frances by her white friends, she
13284-526: Was instrumental in forcing his surrender at Appomattox Courthouse . In his later years, Sheridan fought in the Indian Wars against Native American tribes of the Great Plains . He was instrumental in the development and protection of Yellowstone National Park , both as a soldier and a private citizen. In 1883, Sheridan was appointed general-in-chief of the U.S. Army, and in 1888 he was promoted to
13407-502: Was instrumental in giving the Union army time to rally at a strong defensive position. For his actions, he was promoted to major general on April 10, 1863 (with date of rank December 31, 1862). In six months, he had risen from captain to major general. The Army of the Cumberland recovered from the shock of Stones River and prepared for its summer offensive against Confederate General Braxton Bragg . Sheridan's division participated in
13530-748: Was left was destroyed by fire and the poor, suffering people were left in despair. The orders from Gen. Grant were largely discretionary, interpreted as permitting Sheridan to either destroy the Virginia Central Railroad and the James River Canal , capture Lynchburg if practical, and then either join William T. Sherman in North Carolina or return to Winchester. Sheridan interpreted Grant's orders liberally and instead of heading to North Carolina , in March 1865, he moved to rejoin
13653-476: Was lifted within a few days. Although Sheridan's personal residence was spared, all of his professional and personal papers were destroyed. When Chicago's Washington Park Race Track organized the American Derby in 1883 he served as its first president. On November 1, 1883, Sheridan succeeded General William T. Sherman as Commanding General of the U.S. Army, and held that position until his death. He
13776-475: Was named as the first Special Superintendent of Forest Reserves. On January 9, 1903 lands of the first Absaroka and Teton Forest Reserves were added, and on March 4, 1907 it became Yellowstone National Forest. In 1905 all federal forests were transferred to the U.S. Forest Service . On July 1, 1908 as part of a major reorganization, the forest was divided into Targhee , Teton , Wyoming , Bonneville , Absaroka , Shoshone and Beartooth National Forests , and
13899-538: Was occupied with light skirmishing and fighting guerrillas. Although Grant continued his exhortations for Sheridan to move south and break the Virginia Central Railroad supplying Petersburg, Sheridan resisted. Wright's VI Corps returned to join Grant in November. Sheridan's remaining men, primarily cavalry and artillery, finally moved out of their winter quarters on February 27, 1865, and headed east. Writing about Sheridan's occupation of Winchester,
14022-447: Was paired with the gold and enameled United States coat of arms on service coat shoulder loops. The silver colored five-star chain has major insignia alone would be worn for use as a collar insignia of grade and on the garrison cap. Soft shoulder epaulets with five 7 ⁄ 16 -inch (11 mm) stars in silver thread and gold-threaded United States coat of arms on green cloth were worn with shirts and sweaters. The rank of "General of
14145-482: Was promoted on June 1, 1888, shortly before his death, to the rank of General in the Regular Army (the rank was titled " General of the Army of the United States ", by Act of Congress June 1, 1888, the same rank held earlier by Grant and Sherman, which is equivalent to a five-star general, O-11, in the modern U.S. Army). General of the Army (United States) General of the Army (abbreviated as GA )
14268-593: Was promoted to lieutenant general on March 4, 1869. In 1870, President Grant, at Sheridan's request, sent him to observe and report on the Franco-Prussian War . As a guest of King Wilhelm I of Prussia , he was present when Emperor Napoléon III surrendered to the Germans, which was gratifying to Sheridan following his experiences with the French in Mexico . He later toured most of Europe and returned to
14391-532: Was sent to New Orleans to command troops keeping the peace in the aftermath of the disputed 1876 presidential election . In September 1866, Sheridan was assigned to Fort Martin Scott near Fredericksburg, Texas , to administer the formerly Confederate area. While there, he spent three months subduing marauding Indians in the Texas Hill Country . At this time, President Johnson was dissatisfied with
14514-421: Was still serving at the time. These officers who held the rank of General of the Army remained officers of the United States Army for life, with an annual $ 20,000 in pay and allowances, equivalent to $ 346,000 in 2023. They were entitled to an office maintained by the Army along with an aide (of the rank of colonel ), a secretary , and an orderly . No officers have been promoted to the rank of General of
14637-510: Was the daughter of Takelma Chief Harney. In March 1861, just before the beginning the American Civil War , Sheridan was promoted to first lieutenant , and then to captain in May, just weeks after the war commenced following the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter . In the fall of 1861, Sheridan was ordered to travel to Jefferson Barracks , near St. Louis , Missouri, for assignment to
14760-401: Was the only command so far forward. General Grant reported after the battle, "To Sheridan's prompt movement, the Army of the Cumberland and the nation are indebted for the bulk of the capture of prisoners, artillery, and small arms that day. Except for his prompt pursuit, so much in this way would not have been accomplished." Gen. Ulysses S. Grant , newly promoted to be general-in-chief of all
14883-466: Was to make the Indians give up their traditional way of life and settle on reservations. His tactic, though bordering on the barbaric, worked." While Sheridan moved into the Plains area, his troops, supplemented with state militias, were spread too thin to have any real effect on the Indian raids so he conceived a strategy of forced deprivation, similar to the one he used in the Shenandoah Valley. In
15006-425: Was well posted about matters. He devastated the whole country, far and wide, and in his report gloried over the fact, for he wrote, "I have destroyed a thousand barns filled with wheat, hay, and farming utensils. Have driven in front of the army four thousand cattle and have killed not less than three thousand sheep. So entire has been the destruction that a crow flying across the Valley must carry his rations." All that
15129-485: Was written by Thomas Buchanan Read to commemorate the general's return to the battle. Sheridan reveled in the fame that Read's poem brought him, renaming his horse Rienzi to "Winchester," based on the poem's refrain, "Winchester, twenty miles away." The poem was widely used in Republican campaign efforts and some have credited Abraham Lincoln's margin of victory to it. Lincoln was pleased at Sheridan's performance as
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