Rank Disparities

[mike1w]

It seems to me that the southern armies took more liberties with their rank and promotion policies than their union counterparts. For instance, only Grant was given the rank of Lt. General, and was the first since Washington to receive it. However I think at least 3 southern General were given this title. Your opinions, please.

 

[Coonewah Creek]

It seems to me that the southern armies took more liberties with their rank and promotion policies than their union counterparts. For instance, only Grant was given the rank of Lt. General, and was the first since Washington to receive it. However I think at least 3 southern General were given this title. Your opinions, please.

Others may be along later with more specifics, but the U. S. Congress had to authorize the rank of Lt. General for Grant to assume it. The Confederacy had all four general ranks, Brigadier, Major, Lieutenant, and General. They also had more than three Lt. Generals. I don't have the specific count in front of me, but several more. A distinguishing feature of the Confederate General rank insignia however, is that there was only one, the wreath enclosing three stars. There was no distinguishing insignia for Confederate general officers of any rank.

Hope this helps...

 

[major bill]

Full General is a rank above Lieutenant General. Although Lincoln gave Grant the special rank of General-in-chief, Grant still ranked as a Lieutenant General. There were eight full Generals in the Confederacy with Samuel Cooper holding date of rank over all of the others. Some sources will say only 7 full generals, with Hood not being considered a full general.

In almost all practical purposes, Grant after being promoted to General-in-chief, functioned as a Full General, dispute still only being a Lieutenant General in US Army rank. The special rank President Lincoln gave to General Grant made him an acting Full General, but the US Army did not have the rank of Full General.

 

[67th Tigers]

The reason the US refused to promote to "full" general is that the recipient would then rank Washington. The CSA had no such worries. BTW, the unqualified "full" general was the old rank of Captain-General.

In Europe, division commanders were Lieutenant-Generals, and brigadiers were Major-Generals. The rank of Brigadier-General only existed in the UK in Europe, and was for colonels temporarily made brigade commanders. A corps was typically commander by a Captain-General (i.e. a full general, also called a Colonel-General in some countries) or Marshal. Since the US Army post-ARW was reduced to a division in size, Washington took the regular rank for a division commander in the UK system.

In the CSA, they initially made 5 men Brigadier-General in the regular army, and only had two grades of general; BG in the ACSA (regulars) and PACS (volunteers). When they authorised the rank of Major-General in the PACS, they made all the regular BG's "full" generals to prevent arguments from MG's, as they followed the existing US regulations that said all regulars rank all volunteers in a said rank, but a volunteer of a higher rank ranks a regular of a lower one.

The Lt Gen rank wasn't authorised until late '62, specifically for corps commanders.

 

[2nd Alabama Cavalry]

Below are the eight different "full" generals of the Confederate States Army (by seniority), five of whom resigned their positions as U.S. officers with the First and Second United States Cavalry Regiment`s when hostilities were exchanged between the Northern and Southern States, which initiated the American Civil War.

1)- Samuel Cooper

2)- Albert Sidney Johnston (2nd U.S. Cavalry)

3)- Robert E. Lee (2nd U.S. Cavalry)

4)- Joseph E. Johnston (1st U.S. Cavalry)

5)- Pierre G.T. Beauregard

6)- Braxton Bragg

7)- Edmund Kirby Smith (2nd U.S. Cavalry)

8)- John Bell Hood (2nd U.S. Cavalry)

Albert Sidney Johnston was the only to serve as a General in three different Armies; The Texan Army, the United States Army and the Confederate States Army.

There were quite a few who were promoted to Lt. General, and many who obtained the rank of Major and Brigadier Generals in the Confederate Army.

 

[GELongstreet]

The rank of Lieutenant General as used by USA and CSA at that point was eponymous but in no way synonymous.

 

[rpkennedy]

Confederate Lieutenant Generals and their date of rank:

James Longstreet (10/9/62)
E. Kirby Smith (10/9/62)
Leonidas Polk (10/10/62)
Theophilus H. Holmes (10/10/62)
William J. Hardee (10/10/62)
Thomas J. Jackson (10/10/62)
John C. Pemberton (10/10/62)
Richard S. Ewell (5/23/63)
Ambrose P. Hill (5/24/63)
John B. Hood (9/20/63)
Richard Taylor (4/8/64)
Stephen D. Lee (6/23/64)
Simon B. Buckner (9/20/64)
Wade Hampton (2/14/65)
Nathan B. Forrest (2/28/65)

In addition, 3 officers held the temporary rank of lieutenant general but were never confirmed for the permanent rank:

Richard H. Anderson (5/31/64)
Jubal A. Early (5/31/64)
Alexander P. Stewart (6/23/64)

Ryan

 

[infomanpa]

It seems to me that the southern armies took more liberties with their rank and promotion policies than their union counterparts. For instance, only Grant was given the rank of Lt. General, and was the first since Washington to receive it. However I think at least 3 southern General were given this title. Your opinions, please.

Nothing to do with "taking liberties," just different systems.

 

[Kyle Kalasnik]

Interesting thread.

In pictures Robert E. Lee wore the Colonel insignia of 3 stars. But when he surrendered to Grant he wore the correct rank insignia of 3 stars encompassed by a wreath.

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/robert-e-lees-insignia-of-rank.116220/

Very informative and interesting thread on this forum on why he generally wore just the insignia of a Colonel.

Respectfully,
Kyle Kalasnik

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

Although Lincoln gave Grant the special rank of General-in-chief,

I think General-in-Chief was a position, not a rank.

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

I find it odd that the Federals were so reluctant to match or exceed Washington's rank, but the Confederates had no such qualms.

Once Corps were introduced in US and CS Armies the rank of Lt. General became a necessity. The logjam of Union Major Generals caused seniority problems. However, the Confederates were often too quick to promote generals leaving them with men who could not be easily demoted or reassigned even though they should have been.

 

[Robin Lesjovitch]

Full General is a rank above Lieutenant General. Although Lincoln gave Grant the special rank of General-in-chief, Grant still ranked as a Lieutenant General. There were eight full Generals in the Confederacy with Samuel Cooper holding date of rank over all of the others. Some sources will say only 7 full generals, with Hood not being considered a full general.

In almost all practical purposes, Grant after being promoted to General-in-chief, functioned as a Full General, dispute still only being a Lieutenant General in US Army rank. The special rank President Lincoln gave to General Grant made him an acting Full General, but the US Army did not have the rank of Full General.

General-in-Chief was not a really special appointment.The U S Army had always had one. Lt. General was special. Washington had held that rank, and Winfield Scott held it by brevet. It is traditional in US service, even now, that Maj. General, USA, is the highest rank one may reasonably expect to hold in the Army. Three and four star ranks are temporary, tied to a posting. When that job is over, one needs a new appointment requiring the stars, or revert to Maj. General. The exception is retirement after leaving a post requiring the stars.- then the stars may be kept. In the entire history of the U S army there have been few soldiers who have held the rank of LT. General,USA, or General, USA, except in retirement. Grant was one of them.