 On January 17 , 1908 , Borglum 's design received approval by the Sheridan monument commission , including then @-@ Secretary of War William Howard Taft , General Henry C. Corbin , and Brigadier General Michael V. Sheridan , Philip Sheridan 's brother . Irene also approved the design and chose the memorial site . She lived at 2211 Massachusetts Avenue NW ( currently offices for the Embassy of Greece ) , a short distance from Sheridan Circle and the sculpture . As Borglum worked on the sculpture , he would talk to Sheridan 's friends , sketch Sheridan 's artifacts , and visit Irene . Since Philip Jr. bore a very close resemblance to his father , Borglum used him as a model for the sculpture . When the artwork was completed , Irene , Philip Jr . , and Sheridan 's three daughters loved the finished result . The sculpture depicts Sheridan riding his horse , Rienzi , as he assembles his troops during the Battle of Cedar Creek on October 19 , 1864 . He had raced 20 miles ( 32 km ) from Winchester , Virginia , to reach the battle . Following the Union victory , Sheridan renamed the horse Winchester . After Winchester died in 1878 , Sheridan had him preserved and mounted . The horse is now on display at the National Museum of American History . Congress paid for the plaza , base , and preparation of the memorial site , while veterans of the Army of the Cumberland paid for the statue . Architect Henry Winslow designed the base and setting . The stonework was provided by the Mohegan Granite Company of New York while the Malnati Stone Company of Washington , D.C. set the stones in place . 
