Who were the first 2 approved Lieutenant Generals in the...

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Answer by THeiks@cros.net
Submitted on 6/12/2004
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The first lieutenant general of the United States Army was one certain George Washington, appointed by President John Adams in 1798 during the XYZ Affair, an almost-war in which the US was trying to maintain its neutrality in a war between France and Great Britain, but France offered a treaty only if the United States would bribe Talleyrand. The second full-rank lieutenant general was Ulysses Simpson Grant, appointed in 1864 by none other than Abe Lincoln so that he could outrank all other generals and prosecute the Civil War in the East to a successful conclusion just as he had done with the Civil War in the West. Other than these two, Winfield Scott was appointed brevet brigadier general in 1847 for his Mexican War service and was still around during the Civil War to come up with the "Anaconda Plan," which involved "squeezing" the South by land invasion from the North, naval blockade from the East and South, and riverine invasion from the West.

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Question by Kim
Submitted on 3/15/2004
Related FAQ: U.S. Civil War FAQ, Part 1/2
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Who were the first 2 approved Lieutenant Generals in the U.S. Army?

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