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Prior to the institution of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army in 1903, there was generally a single senior-most officer in the army. From 1783, he was known simply as the 'Senior Officer of the United States Army', but in 1821, the title was changed to 'Commanding General of the United States Army'. The position was abolished with the creation of the general staff in 1903.

Contents

United States Army Commanding Generals

Continental Army General and Commander In Chief

Senior Officer

United States Army Senior Officer

Commanding General

See also

References

Notes

External links

United States Army Commanding Generals

Continental Army General and Commander In Chief

#GEN George Washington (15 June 1775 – 23 December 1783)

Senior Officer

#MG Henry Knox (23 December 1783 – 20 June 1784)

United States Army Senior Officer

#MAJ John Doughty (20 June 1784 – 12 August 1784) - served when all of the Army but 80 men was discharged
#LTC Commandant Josiah Harmar (12 August 1784 – 4 March 1791)
#MG Arthur St. Clair (4 March 1791 – 5 March 1792)
#Brevet MG Anthony Wayne (13 April 1792 – 15 December 1796)
#BG James Wilkinson (15 December 1796 – 13 July 1798)
#LTG George Washington (13 July 1798 – 14 December 1799)
#MG Alexander Hamilton (14 December 1799 – 15 June 1800)
#BG James Wilkinson (15 June 1800 – 27 January 1812)
#MG Henry Dearborn (27 January 1812 – 15 June 1815)
#MG Jacob J. Brown (15 June 1815 – June 1821)

Commanding General

#MG Jacob J. Brown (June 1821 – 24 February 1828)
#MG Alexander Macomb, Jr. (29 May 1828 – 25 June 1841)
#MG Winfield Scott (5 July 1841 – 1 November 1861)
#MG George B. McClellan (1 November 1861 – 11 March 1862)^[1]
#MG Henry W. Halleck (23 July 1862 – 9 March 1864)
#GEN Ulysses S. Grant (9 March 1864 – 4 March 1869)
#GEN William T. Sherman (8 March 1869 – 1 November 1883)
#GEN Philip H. Sheridan (1 November 1883 – 5 August 1888)
#LTG John McA. Schofield (14 August 1888 – 29 September 1895)
#MG Nelson A. Miles (5 October 1895 – 8 August 1903)

See also

★ List of United States military leaders by rank

References

★ Historical Resources Branch; United States Army Center of Military History.

★ Eicher, John H., & Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands'', Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.

Notes

1. Eicher, ''Civil War High Commands''. The gap from March 11 1862, to July 23 1862, was filled with direct control of the army by President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, with the help of an unofficial "War Board" that was established on March 17 1862. The board consisted of Ethan A. Hitchcock, the chairman, with Department of War bureau chiefs Lorenzo Thomas, Montgomery C. Meigs, Joseph G. Totten, James W. Ripley, and Joseph P. Taylor.

External links

★ Chronological List of Senior Officers of the United States Army, in Bell, William Gardner. ''COMMANDING GENERALS AND CHIEFS OF STAFF 1775-2005: Portraits & Biographical Sketches of the United States Army's Senior Officer'', Center of Military History, United States Army, 2005. (ISBN 0-16-072376-0)