Generals' branches thread

[Billy1977]

Hello everybody, I have recently become interested in the branches of the Army that the West Point graduate generals of the Civil War (on both sides) came up through. So I thought I would start a thread where we post what branch of the Army various generals of the war on both sides served in as more junior officers. I'll start us out with

Gen. Robert E. Lee - engineers. And when the Army of Northern Virginia was on the defensive, it showed. I believe they even started calling him the "king of spades" early in the war.

Gen. Ulysses S. Grant - infantry. Despite being a great horseman, not enough cavalry posts were available so he was assigned to an infantry regiment, becoming regimental quartermaster at Jefferson Barracks.

Gen. Irvin McDowell - quartermasters. (I think. I believe he was a supply guy). Wasn't he shoehorned into the role of leading the federal army at First Bull Run/First Manassas even though he'd never had a combat command?

 

[major bill]

The best West Point cadets usually were assigned to the engineers, those not at the very top were sent to engineers went into the artillery. The less good students went into the cavalry or infantry.

Let us start with the commanders of the Army of the Potomac.

McDowell = artillery
McClellan = engineers
Hooker = artillery
Burnside = artillery
Meade = artillery

 

[major bill]

Let us do Lee's corps commanders. Note both Longstreet and Ewell struggled at West Point.

Jackson = artillery
Longstreet = infantry
A. P. Hill = artillery
Ewell = dragoons
Early = artillery

 

[Billy1977]

Thanks Major Bill! Were the dragoons considered a higher prestige posting than ordinary cavalry?

 

[major bill]

Thanks Major Bill! Were the dragoons considered a higher prestige posting than ordinary cavalry?

No I would not think so. West Point was establish to instruct students in engineering and artillery, so cavalry, dragoons and infantry assignments went to the less accomplished students.

 

[GELongstreet]

Well, giving a shot for the higher commands; most likely incomplete.

US Army Commanders

Banks - None
Buell - Infantry, Staff
Burnside - Artillery, Militia
Butler - Militia
Canby - Infantry, Staff
John G. Foster - Engineers
U.S. Grant - Infantry, Quartermaster
Halleck - Engineers, Staff
Hooker - Artillery, Staff, Militia
Howard - Ordnance
David Hunter - Infantry, Cavalry, Paymaster
McClellan - Engineers
McClernand - Private (Volunteers)
McDowell - Artillery, Staff
McPherson - Engineers
Meade - Topo. Engineers
Ord - Artillery
Pope - Topo. Engineers
Rosecrans - Engineers, Staff
Schofield - Artillery, Staff
Scott - Militia, Artillery, Infantry
Phil Sheridan - Infantry
W.T. Sherman -Artillery, Militia
Slocum - Artillery
Steele - Infantry
George Thomas - Artillery, Staff, Cavalry
Horation G. Wright - Engineers

CSA Generals & Lieutenant Generals

R.H. Anderson - Cavalry
Beaurgegard - Engineers
Bragg - Artillery, Quartermaster
Buckner - Infantry, Staff, Militia
Sam Cooper - Infantry, Staff
Early - Artillery; Infantry (Volunteers)
Ewell - Cavalry
Forrest - None
Hampton - None
Hardee - Cavalry
A.P. Hill - Artillery, Staff
D.H. Hill - Artillery
Holmes - Infantry
Hood - Infantry, Cavalry
T.J. Jackson - Artillery; Militia (Staff)
A.S. Johnston - Infantry, Paymaster, Cavalry
Joe Johnston - Artillery, Topo. Engineers, Infantry, Cavalry, Quartermaster
Robert E. Lee - Engineers, Staff, Cavalry
S.D. Lee - Infantry, Staff
Longstreet - Infantry, Paymaster
Pemberton - Artillery
Leonidas Polk - Artillery
E. Kirby Smith - Infantry, Cavalry
A.P. Stewart - Artillery
J.E.B. Stuart - Cavalry
Richard Taylor - None / Staff Volunteer

 

[Rebforever]

Where is JEB?

 

[Legion Para]

Thanks Major Bill! Were the dragoons considered a higher prestige posting than ordinary cavalry?

"Shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War, the Army's dragoon regiments were designated as "Cavalry", losing their previous distinctions. The change was an unpopular one and the former dragoons retained their orange braided blue jackets until they wore out and had to be replaced with cavalry yellow. The 1st United States Cavalry fought in virtually every campaign in the north during the American Civil War."

 

[Yankeedave]

W.S. Hancock was a infantry/quartermaster iirc.