Commanding General of the United States Army

Commanding General of the United States Army
LTG Nelson A. Miles, the last Commanding General of the United States Army
Department of War
Reports to	Secretary of War
Appointer	The President with Congress advice and consent
Formation	June 15, 1775 June 1821
First holder	GEN George Washington MG Jacob Brown
Final holder	LTG Nelson A. Miles
Abolished	August 8, 1903
Succession	Chief of Staff of the Army

Prior to the institution of the Chief of Staff of the Army in 1903, there was generally recognized to be a single senior-most officer in the United States Army (and its predecessor the Continental Army), even though there was not a statutory office as such. During the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), the title was Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. In 1783, the title was simplified to Senior Officer of the United States Army. In 1821, the title was changed to Commanding General of the United States Army. The office was often referred to by various other titles, such as "Major General Commanding the Army" or "General-in-Chief."

From 1789 until its abolition in 1903, the position of Commanding General was legally subordinate to the Secretary of War, although this was at times contested.

The position was abolished with the creation of the statutory Chief of Staff of the Army in 1903.

Office holders

Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army

#	Name	Photo	Term began	Term ended	Notes
1.	GEN George Washington		June 15, 1775	December 23, 1783	Appointed by the Second Continental Congress, after being nominated by John Adams. Resigned at the end of the American Revolutionary War.

Senior Officer of the United States Army

#	Name	Photo	Term began	Term ended	Notes
1.	MG Henry Knox		December 23, 1783	June 20, 1784	Resigned to begin career farming and developing land in Maine; appointed Secretary of War under Articles of Confederation in 1785.
2.	Brevet MAJ John Doughty		June 20, 1784	August 12, 1784	Served when all of the Army but 80 men were discharged.
3.	Brevet BG Josiah Harmar		August 12, 1784	March 4, 1791	Removed by President George Washington in the aftermath of the Harmar Campaign.
4.	MG Arthur St. Clair		March 4, 1791	March 5, 1792	Simultaneously served as Governor of the Northwest Territory (1787–1802). Resigned as Senior Officer at the request of President George Washington, in the aftermath of the St. Clair's Defeat.
5.	MG Anthony Wayne		April 13, 1792	December 15, 1796	Died in office.
6.	BG James Wilkinson		December 15, 1796	July, 13 1798	First tenure.
7.	LTG George Washington		July 13, 1798	December 14, 1799	Appointed during the Quasi-War against the French Republic. Did not actively command the Army during this period but was prepared to lead the Army if the need arose. Died in office.
8.	MG Alexander Hamilton		December 14, 1799	June 15, 1800	Served as Inspector General of the Army with rank of major general from July 19, 1798. Became Senior Officer in the Army after the death of Washington.
9.	BG James Wilkinson		June 15, 1800	January 27, 1812	Second tenure. Promoted to major general during the War of 1812 and retired on June 15, 1815.
10.	MG Henry Dearborn		January 27, 1812	June 15, 1815	Previously served as Secretary of War (1801–1809). Last American Revolutionary War veteran to serve as Senior Officer.
11.	MG Jacob Brown		June 15, 1815	June 1821	Appointed commanding general of the Army.

Commanding General of the United States Army

#	Name	Photo	Term began	Term ended	Notes
1.	MG Jacob Brown		June 1821	February 24, 1828	Died in office.
2.	MG Alexander Macomb		May 29, 1828	June 25, 1841	Died in office.
3.	Brevet LTG Winfield Scott		July 5, 1841	November 1, 1861	Personally commanded the Army in the Battle for Mexico City in 1847, during the Mexican–American War. Upon his retirement, at the commencement of the American Civil War, he was the oldest serving Commanding General of the U.S. Army in history at age 75.
4.	MG George B. McClellan		November 1, 1861	March 11, 1862	Simultaneously served as Commander of the Army of the Potomac. Removed by President Abraham Lincoln in order to focus on the Peninsula Campaign.
Vacant (March 11, 1862 – July 23, 1862)
5.	MG Henry Halleck		July 23, 1862	March 9, 1864	Reassigned as the Army's chief of staff, subordinate to Grant.
6.	GEN Ulysses S. Grant		March 9, 1864	March 4, 1869	Resigned to become the 18th President of the United States (1869–1877).
7.	GEN William Tecumseh Sherman		March 8, 1869	November 1, 1883	Resigned position; retired upon reaching mandatory retirement age of 64 in 1884.
8.	GEN Philip Sheridan		November 1, 1883	August 5, 1888	Died in office.
9.	LTG John Schofield		August 14, 1888	September 29, 1895	Retired upon reaching mandatory retirement age of 64.
10.	LTG Nelson A. Miles		October 5, 1895	August 8, 1903	Retired upon reaching mandatory retirement age of 64.

See also

• List of United States military leaders by rank

References

Notes

Footnotes

Bibliography

• Historical Resources Branch; United States Army Center of Military History.
• Eicher, John H.; Eicher, David J. (2001). Civil War High Commands. Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-3641-3. 
• Bell, William Gardner (2005). Commanding Generals and Chiefs of Staff 1775-2005: Portraits and Biographical Sketches. Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History. 
• King, Archibald (1949/1960 reprint). Command of the Army (PDF). Military Affairs. Charlottesville, Virginia: The Judge Advocate General's School, U.S. Army.