In December, Congressman Elihu Washburne of Illinois had introduced a bill reviving the army rank of lieutenant-general. The Federal ranking system differed from the Confederacy’s in that the latter commissioned generals (four-stars) and lieutenant-generals (three-stars), while the Federals currently commissioned only major-generals (three-stars). The lieutenant-general would be a four-star commander of all the armies. Since Washburne had been a longtime champion of Ulysses S. Grant (representing Grant’s home district in Galena), there was little doubt that he expected Grant to fill this rank if approved.
There was congressional to this measure, for various reasons. Some feared that a man with such a rank could become a military despot. Radical Republican Thaddeus Stevens argued that nobody should be awarded such a high rank because “Saints are not canonized until after death.” Noting that the president already had the power to place any major-general in command of all U.S. armies, Stevens argued that “I think that we had better wait before we decorate this hero until the war is over.”
General-turned-Congressman James A. Garfield sided with Stevens by stating that “the President already has full power to select any major general from the regular or volunteer service to serve as General-in-Chief.” Garfield felt that this rank should be awarded to someone after the war was won: “I argue against its propriety at this time when the great race for the prizes of the war is not yet ended.”
Many Democrats initially favored this bill because they believed that Grant was a Democrat, having voted for James Buchanan in 1856. But Grant made it clear in late 1863 and early 1864 that he supported the Republicans and was fully dedicated to ending slavery; he declared that he would not “see any settlement until this question is forever settled.” The Democrats therefore found themselves in the awkward position of siding with Stevens and other Radicals in voting against this bill.
Despite the opposition, the majority ultimately supported the bill, if only because they had very little faith in General-in-Chief Henry W. Halleck to lead the U.S. to victory. In fact, a correspondent noted that “the most outspoken and malignant Copperhead in Congress” was not treated with as much disgust by the Radicals in Congress as Halleck was. It was generally believed that if the bill passed, Grant would be appointed, and given his track record, he would be much more likely to win the war than Halleck.
As such, the bill passed in the House of Representatives on February 1. As the Senate deliberated, Washburne strongly pushed for passage, declaring, “I can’t wait. I want this now. Grant must fight out this war, and he will never leave the field!” Almost everybody voting on this bill in Congress was fully aware that if the bill passed, Grant would be the commander-in-chief of all armies until the war ended. No presidential appointment of any other general could supersede him.
Passage in the Senate was a foregone conclusion. Senator James Doolittle of Wisconsin argued not only for passage but for Grant to be the new lieutenant-general because he had won 17 battles, captured 100,000 enemy soldiers, and seized 500 cannon: “He has organized victory from the beginning, and I want him in a position where he can organize final victory and bring it to our armies and put an end to this rebellion.”
Some urged Congress to specifically name Grant as the appointee since the bill in its current form left it to the president to choose whomever he liked. But it was generally understood that Lincoln intended to appoint Grant, especially considering the swirling rumors that Grant might oppose Lincoln in the upcoming election, and appointing him to this post could eliminate a potential rival. Senator William P. Fessenden of Maine argued that not naming Grant would be a bigger honor to him because it would appear that he was chosen out of a group of candidates.
The Senate approved on the 24th, and the bill went to the White House for Lincoln’s signature. Lincoln promptly signed the bill into law and returned it to Capitol Hill along with Grant’s name to be confirmed by the Senate. Up to this time, the rank of lieutenant-general had been held by just two men: Winfield Scott (brevet only) and George Washington. The Senate would act upon Lincoln’s appointment in early March.
Bibliography
- Angle, Paul M., A Pictorial History of the Civil War Years. New York: Doubleday, 1967.
- Catton, Bruce, Grant Takes Command. Open Road Media, Kindle Edition, 2015.
- Catton, Bruce and Long, E.B. (ed.), Never Call Retreat: Centennial History of the Civil War Book 3. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. (Kindle Edition), 1965.
- Foote, Shelby, The Civil War, A Narrative: Fredericksburg to Meridian. New York: Vintage Civil War Library, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group (Kindle Edition), 2011.
- Jaynes, Gregory, The Killing Ground: Wilderness to Cold Harbor. Alexandria, Va.: Time-Life Books, 1983.
- Long, E.B. with Long, Barbara, The Civil War Day by Day. New York: Da Capo Press, Inc., 1971.