In 1864, General U. S. Grant summoned thirty-three-year-old Major General Philip Sheridan to lead George Gordon Meade's cavalry in the resilient yet seemingly lethargic Army of the Potomac. Sheridan's fiery determination and uncompromising demand for performance quickly gained him the upper hand against Confederate cavalry forces in Virginia. He surrounded himself with men who could deliver glory and victory, including George A. Custer, George Crook, and Wesley Merritt. Together, they directed the most potent fighting force during the war's final year and went on to influence the Army into the twentieth century. In this exciting new work, David Coffey tells the compelling story of Sheridan and his lieutenants--exploring their relationships and examining their roles in the Civil War and beyond. As he takes the reader through the battles of 1864 and 1865, Coffey provides a unique insight into the formation of the martial brotherhood that dominated the American military establishment for almost forty years.