Question of the Week: 3/11-3/17/24
If you could promote any Civil War officer to the rank of Lieutenant-General, who would you promote and when on the timeline?
If you could promote any Civil War officer to the rank of Lieutenant-General, who would you promote and when on the timeline?
Jacob Dolson Cox- before Franklin, TN
William Mahone, after the battle of the Crater (July 30, 1864).
Cleburne. Before Chickamauga, and get rid of Polk.
Seconded, I was actually coming here with this exact answer in mind.
George Thomas after Chickamauga.
If I could appoint another Lieutenant General (3 star) in Union Army, I don’t think I would … getting Congress to approve a 3 star billet for U.S. Grant was not a necessarily a heavy lift, but it required some effort by Republicans … and it was a purposeful – i.e., authorize only one three star billet to make the next Commanding General of the Army a rank above all the Major Generals already in the army … so, in practical terms getting Congress to approve another one, for no good reason, would be tough … and on the Confederate side three-stars were pretty common.
Seems almost like a trick question. It’s been awhile, a LONG while, since I’ve read up on this, and my memory is not what it used to be. But I seem to recall that the Confederate army had several Lt. Generals, and that was the usual rank of a full-time corps commander. The Union actually resurrected the rank to provide clarity in their chain of command, and Grant was the one promoted to that. After the war, the rank was bestowed on a select few, among them Sherman and Sheridan. If I am right about all that, then the choice is, basically, which Confederate officers deserved the rank and hence chance to command a corps, and who else besides Grant might someone choose within the Union army for what would become his responsibilities. I always liked Hancock, and he did have some experience with handling multiple corps at Gettysburg, so what the heck, I’ll name him.
I would promote my GGG grandfather who served in Company K, 9th Virginia Cavalry Regiment, CSA. Primotion in about April 1863.
George Meade was deserving of promotion to Lt General due to his victory at Gettysburg, a turning point in war he was up against Lee and Longstreet and outmaneuved them in every way George saved his home state Pa and stopped and advance to Wash. Capitol The snapping old turtle was a military genus