User:Kevin1776/Sandbox
Intro
This is a list of generals of the
Congress voted to establish the Continental Army on
Name | Rank | Colony |
---|---|---|
George Washington | C in C | Virginia |
Artemas Ward | Maj. Gen. |
Massachusetts |
Charles Lee | Maj. Gen. |
Virginia |
Philip Schuyler | Maj. Gen. |
New York |
Israel Putnam | Maj. Gen. |
Connecticut |
Horatio Gates | Adjutant General |
Virginia |
Seth Pomeroy | Brig. Gen. (declined) |
Massachusetts |
John Thomas |
Brig. Gen. |
Massachusetts |
Richard Montgomery | Brig. Gen. |
New York |
David Wooster | Brig. Gen. |
Connecticut |
William Heath | Brig. Gen. |
Massachusetts |
Joseph Spencer | Brig. Gen. |
Connecticut |
John Sullivan | Brig. Gen. |
New Hampshire |
Nathanael Greene | Brig. Gen. |
Rhode Island |
a Virginian, was selected in part because the soldiers already opposing the British Army at the siege of Boston] were primarily from New England, and so
Ranking just below Washington were the major generals. Four major generals were appointed in April 1775 soon after the creation of the army. Artemas Ward, already in command at Boston, received the first appointment. Charles Lee, a former British Army officer highly recommended by Washington, was named the second major general. Philip Schuyler of New York and Israel Putnam of Connecticut, who were from colonies with significant numbers of troops already in the field, were the third and fourth major generals. Thereafter, most major generals in the Continental Army reached that rank by promotion from the lower rank of brigadier general rather than by direct appointment. The first major general to be promoted from the lower rank of brigadier general was Richard Montgomery. He was killed in 1775 while leading the assault against Quebec, becoming the highest ranked Continental Army officer to be killed in action.
- Brigadier generals
Ranking below major generals were brigadier generals. The initial selection process entailed much political maneuvering. On
Horatio Gates Washington had no serious rival for the position. In 1758, near the end of that war he temporarily commanded a brigade, the only American to have commanded that large a force. (Wright 26)
- Seniority
- Foreign volunteers
Complete list
Highest rank color code:
Abbreviations in "Service notes" column:
- BA: held a commission in the British Army
- CC: member of the Continental or Confederation Congress
- CMa: faced a court-martial but was acquitted
- CMx: court-martialed and convicted of some charge
- F&I: served in the French and Indian War (North America)
- 7Y: served in the Seven Years' War (Europe)
- Casualties
- KIA: killed in action or died of wounds received in battle
- POW: prisoner of war at some point (most were released in prisoner exchanges)
- POW†: died in captivity
- RIP: died during the war from non-battle related causes
- WIA: wounded in action
# | Name | Highest rank | Date of rank[2] | Served until | Place of birth (place served from, if different) |
Year of birth | Year of death | Casualty? | Service notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | George Washington | C in C | 15 June 1775 | 1783 | Virginia | 1732 | 1799 | CC, F&I | |
2 | Artemas Ward | Maj. Gen. |
17 June 1775 | 1776 | Massachusetts | 1727 | 1800 | CC, F&I | |
3 | Charles Lee | Maj. Gen. |
17 June 1775 | 1780 | England | 1732 | 1782 | POW | BA, CMc, F&I |
4 | Philip Schuyler | Maj. Gen. |
19 June 1775 | 1779 | New York | 1733 | 1804 | CMa, CC | |
5 | Israel Putnam | Maj. Gen. |
19 June 1775 | 1783 | Massachusetts (Connecticut) |
1718 | 1790 | ||
6 | Richard Montgomery | Maj. Gen. |
9 December 1775 | 1775 | Ireland | 1738 | 1775 | KIA | BA, F&I |
7 | John Thomas |
Maj. Gen. |
6 March 1776 | 1776 | Massachusetts | 1724 | 1776 | RIP | no ANB |
8 | Horatio Gates | Maj. Gen. |
16 May 1776 | 1783 | England | 1728 (est.) | 1806 | ||
9 | William Heath | Maj. Gen. |
9 August 1776 | 1783 | Massachusetts | 1737 | 1814 | ||
10 | Joseph Spencer | Maj. Gen. |
9 August 1776 | 1778 | Connecticut | 1714 | 1789 | CC | |
11 | John Sullivan | Maj. Gen. |
9 August 1776 | 1779 | New Hampshire | 1741 | 1795 | POW | CC |
12 | Nathanael Greene | Maj. Gen. |
9 August 1776 | 1783 | Rhode Island | 1742 | 1786 | ||
13 | Benedict Arnold | Maj. Gen. |
17 February 1777 | 1780 | Connecticut | 1741 | 1801 | ||
14 | William Alexander | Maj. Gen. |
19 February 1777 |
1783 | New York | 1726 | 1783 | POW | |
15 | Thomas Mifflin | Maj. Gen. |
19 February 1777 |
1779 | Pennsylvania | 1744 | 1800 | CC | |
16 | Arthur St. Clair | Maj. Gen. |
19 February 1777 |
1783 | Pennsylvania | 1737 | 1818 | CMa | |
17 | Adam Stephen | Maj. Gen. |
19 February 1777 |
1777 | Scotland | 1721 (est.) | 1791 | CMx | |
18 | Benjamin Lincoln | Maj. Gen. |
19 February 1777 |
1783 | Massachusetts | 1733 | 1810 | POW | |
19 | Marquis de Lafayette |
Maj. Gen. |
31 July 1777 |
1783 | France | 1757 | 1834 | WIA | |
20 | Philip de Coudray |
Maj. Gen. |
11 August 1777 |
1777 | France | 1738 | 1777 | RIP | |
21 | Johann Kalb | Maj. Gen. |
1780 | Bavaria | 1721 | 1780 | KIA | ||
22 | Robert Howe | Maj. Gen. |
20 October 1777 |
1783 | North Carolina | 1732 | 1786 | no ANB, CMa | |
23 | Alexander McDougall | Maj. Gen. |
20 October 1777 |
1783 | Scotland | 1732 | 1786 | CC, CMx | |
24 | Thomas Conway | Maj. Gen. |
13 December 1777 |
1778 | Ireland | 1735 | 1800 | [4] | |
25 | Friedrich von Steuben | Maj. Gen. |
5 May 1778 |
1784 | Germany | 1720 | 1794 | ||
26 | William Smallwood | Maj. Gen. |
15 September 1780 | 1783 | Maryland | 1732 | 1792 | W | F&I |
27 | Samuel H. Parsons | Maj. Gen. |
23 October 1780 | 1782 | Connecticut | 1737 | 1789 | No ANB | |
28 | Henry Knox | Maj. Gen. |
15 November 1781 | 1784 | Massachusetts | 1750 | 1806 | ||
29 | Louis L. Duportail |
Maj. Gen. |
16 November 1781 | 1783 | France | 1743 | 1802 | No ANB | |
30 | William Moultrie | Maj. Gen. |
15 October 1782 | 1783 | South Carolina | 1730 | 1805 | POW | |
31 | Seth Pomeroy | Brig. Gen. |
22 June 1775 | — | Massachusetts | 1706 | 1777 | RIP | F&I |
32 | David Wooster | Brig. Gen. |
22 June 1775 |
1777 | Connecticut | 1711 | 1777 | KIA | |
33 | Joseph Frye | Brig. Gen. |
10 January 1776 |
1776[5] | Massachusetts | 1711 | 1794 | No ANB | |
34 | John Armstrong | Brig. Gen. |
1 March 1776 |
1777[6] | Ireland: Ulster (Pennsylvania) |
1717 | 1795 | CC | |
35 | William Thompson | Brig. Gen. |
1 March 1776 |
1781 | Ireland | 1736 | 1781 | POW, RIP | no ANB |
36 | Andrew Lewis | Brig. Gen. |
1 March 1776 |
1777 | Ireland: Ulster (Virginia) |
1720 | 1781 | ||
37 | James Moore |
Brig. Gen. |
1 March 1776 |
1777 | North Carolina | 1737 | 1777 | RIP | |
38 | Frederick W. de Woedtke | Brig. Gen. |
16 March 1776 |
1776 | Prussia | 1740 | 1776 | RIP | no ANB |
39 | Hugh Mercer | Brig. Gen. |
5 June 1776 |
1777 | Scotland | 1725 (est.) | 1777 | KIA | no ANB |
40 | James Reed | Brig. Gen. |
9 August 1776 |
1776[7] | Massachusetts | 1723 | 1807 | no ANB | |
41 | John Nixon |
Brig. Gen. |
9 August 1776 |
1780[8] | Massachusetts | 1727 | 1815 | WIA | F&I, no ANB |
42 | James Clinton | Maj. Gen. |
9 August 1776 |
1783 | New York | 1736 | 1812 | WIA | [9] |
43 | Christopher Gadsden | Brig. Gen. |
16 September 1776 |
1777 | South Carolina | 1724 | 1805 | POW | CC |
44 | Lachlan McIntosh | Brig. Gen. |
16 September 1776 |
1783 | Scotland | 1727 | 1806 | POW | |
45 | William Maxwell | Brig. Gen. |
23 October 1776 |
1780[10] | Ireland: Ulster (New Jersey) |
1733 | 1796 | ||
46 | Matthias de Fermoy | Brig. Gen. |
5 November 1776 |
1778 | Martinique | 1737 (est.) | ? | "terrible officer" | |
47 | Philippe Preudhomme de Borre | Brig. Gen. |
1 December 1776 |
1777 | Liège | 1717 | ? | charged with incompetence, resigned before inquiry | |
48 | Francis Nash | Brig. Gen. |
5 February 1777 |
1777 | Virginia | 1742 | 1777 | KIA | no ANB |
49 | Enoch Poor | Brig. Gen. |
21 February 1777 |
1780 | Massachusetts | 1736 | 1780 | RIP | no ANB |
50 | John Glover | Brig. Gen. |
21 February 1777 |
1782 | Massachusetts | 1732 | 1797 | ||
51 | John Paterson | Maj. Gen. |
21 February 1777 |
1783 | Connecticut | 1744 | 1808 | ANB: Brvt Maj. Gen. 30 September 1783 | |
52 | Anthony Wayne | Maj. Gen. |
21 February 1777 |
1783 | Pennsylvania | 1745 | 1796 | CMa, ANB:brevet mg | |
53 | James M. Varnum |
Brig. Gen. |
21 February 1777 |
1779 | Massachusetts | 1748 | 1789 | CC | |
54 | John Philip de Haas | Brig. Gen. |
21 February 1777 |
1783 | Holland | 1735 | 1786 | No ANB, served from PA, little known about him | |
55 | William Woodford | Brig. Gen. |
21 February 1777 |
1780 | Virginia | 1734 | 1780 | POW† | ANB:was originally below Muhlenberg, Weedon & Scott; |
56 | Peter Muhlenberg | Maj. Gen. |
21 February 1777 |
1783 | Pennsylvania | 1746 | 1807 | ANB: bvt maj. gen. 30 Sep '83 | |
57 | George Weedon | Brig. Gen. |
21 February 1777 |
1783 | Virginia | 1734 | 1793 | ||
58 | George Clinton | Brig. Gen. |
25 March 1777 |
1783 | New York | 1739 | 1812 | CC | |
59 | Edward Hand | Maj. Gen. |
1 April 1777 |
1783 | Ireland: Leinster (Pennsylvania) |
1744 | 1802 | CC, ANB:brevet mg, September 1783 | |
60 | Charles Scott |
Maj. Gen. |
1 April 1777 |
1783 | Virginia | 1739 | 1813 | POW | |
61 | Ebenezer Learned | Brig. Gen. |
2 April 1777 |
1778 | Massachusetts | 1728 | 1801 | No ANB | |
62 | Jedediah Huntington | Maj. Gen. |
12 May 1777 |
1783 | Connecticut | 1743 | 1818 | ANB:3 October, bvt maj. gen. | |
63 | Casimir Pulaski |
Brig. Gen. |
15 September 1777 |
1779 | Poland | 1748 | 1779 | KIA | |
64 | John Stark | Maj. Gen. |
4 October 1777 |
1783 | New Hampshire | 1728 | 1822 | ANB: bvt mg gen 30 September 1783 | |
65 | Jethro Sumner | Brig. Gen. |
9 January 1779 |
1783 | Virginia | 1733 | 1785 | ||
66 | James Hogun | Brig. Gen. |
9 January 1779 |
1781 | Ireland | ? | 1781 | POW† | |
67 | Isaac Huger | Brig. Gen. |
9 January 1779 |
1783 | South Carolina | 1743 | 1797 | WIA | |
68 | Mordecai Gist | Brig. Gen. |
9 January 1779 |
1783 | Maryland | 1743 | 1792 | no ANB | |
69 | William Irvine |
Brig. Gen. |
12 May 1779 |
1783 | Ireland: Ulster (Pennsylvania) |
1741 | 1804 | CC | |
70 | Daniel Morgan | Brig. Gen. |
13 October 1780 |
1783 | Pennsylvania (?) | 1735 (est.) | 1802 | POW | |
71 | Otho H. Williams |
Brig. Gen. |
9 May 1782 |
1783 | Maryland | 1749 | 1794 | POW | |
72 | John Greaton | Brig. Gen. |
7 January 1783 |
1783 | Massachusetts | 1741 | 1783 | no ANB, promotion to bg came after war's end | |
73 | Rufus Putnam | Brig. Gen. |
7 January 1783 |
1783 | Massachusetts | 1738 | 1824 | ||
74 | Elias Dayton | Brig. Gen. |
7 January 1783 |
1783 | New Jersey | 1737 | 1807 | no ANB | |
75 | Charles T. Armand |
Brig. Gen. |
26 March 1783 |
1783 | France | 1750 | 1793 | no ANB | |
76 | George Baylor | Brig. Gen. |
9 January 1777 | 1783 | Virginia | 1752 | 1784 | POW, WIA | no ANB |
77 | Daniel Brodhead | Brig. Gen. |
29 September 1776 | 1783 | New York | 1736 | 1809 | CMa, bvt 30 Sep '83 | |
78 | Richard Butler | Brig. Gen. |
7 June 1777 | 1783 | Ireland | 1743 | 1791 | bvt 30 Sep '83 | |
79 | Thomas Clark | Brig. Gen |
5 February 1777 | 1783 | North Carolina? | 1741 | 1792 | POW, WIA | not in Purcell, Heitman doesn't list bvt |
80 | John Crane | Brig. Gen. |
1 January 1777 | 1783 | Masachusetts |
1744 | 1805 | WIA | bvt 30 September 1783 |
81 | Samuel Elbert | Brig. Gen. |
5 July 1776 | 1783 | Georgia | 1740 | 1788 | POW, WIA | [11] |
82 | Christian Febiger | Brig. Gen. |
26 September 1777 | 1783 | Denmark | 1746 | 1796 | POW | , Bvt 30 Sep 1783 |
83 | John Gibson |
Brig. Gen. |
25 October 1777 | 1783 | Pennsylvania | 1740 | 1822 | no ANB | |
84 | John Gunby | Brig. Gen. |
17 April 1777 | 1783 | Maryland ? | ? | ? | no ANB | |
85 | Moses Hazen | Brig. Gen. |
29 June 1781 | 1783 | Massachusetts | 1733 | 1803 | BA, CMa | |
86 | Richard Humpton | Brig. Gen. |
25 October 1776 | 1783 | England | 1733 (est.) | 1804 | BA, no ANB | |
87 | Henry Jackson | Brig. Gen. |
12 January 1777 | 1784 | Massachusetts | 1747 | 1809 | no ANB, bvt 30 Sep 1783 | |
88 | Michael Jackson |
Brig. Gen. |
1 January 1777 | 1783 | Massachusetts | 1734 | 1801 | WIA | F&I, no ANB |
89 | Tadeusz Kościuszko | Brig. Gen. |
18 October 1776 | 1783 | Poland | 1746 | 1817 | ||
90 | John Lamb | Brig. Gen. |
1 January 1777 | 1783 | New York | 1735 | 1800 | POW, WIA | bvt 30 Sep '83 |
91 | Noirmont de la Neuville | Brig. Gen. |
1778-05-14 | 1778 | France ? | 1744 | 1800 (est.) | 7Y | |
92 | Monsieur de Laumoy | Brig. Gen. |
1777-11-17 | 1783 | France ? | 1750 | 1832 | POW, WIA | no ANB, bvt 30 Sep '83 |
93 | George Mathews |
Brig. Gen. |
10 February 1777 | 1783 | Virginia | 1739 | 1812 | POW, WIA | |
94 | Stephen Moylan | Brig. Gen. |
5 June 1776 | 1783 | Ireland | 1734 | 1811 | CMa | |
95 | John Neville | Brig. Gen. |
11 December 1777 | 1783 | Virginia | 1731 | 1803 | POW | bvt 30 Sep '83 |
96 | Lewis Nicola | Brig. Gen. |
20 June 1777 | 1783 | France ? | 1717 | 1807 | no ANB, 7Y ? | |
97 | Matthias Ogden | Brig. Gen. |
1777-01-01 | 1783 | New Jersey | 1754 | 1791 | POW, WIA | no ANB, bvt 30 Sep '83 |
98 | C.C. Pinckney | Brig. Gen. |
16 September 1776 | 1783 | South Carolina | 1745 | 1825 | POW | |
99 | William Russell |
Brig. Gen. |
19 December 1776 | 1783 | Virginia | 1741 (est.) | 1793 | POW | bvt 3 Nov '83, no ANB |
100 | William Shepard | Brig. Gen. |
4 May 1776 | 1783 | Massachusetts | 1737 | 1817 | WIA | F&I |
101 | Elisha Sheldon | Brig. Gen. |
1776-12-12 | 1783 | Connecticut | 1740 | ? | no ANB, bvt 30 Sep '80 (says Purcell following Heitman, which may be a typo) | |
102 | Walter Stewart | Brig. Gen.[12] |
1777-06-17 | 1783 | Pennsylvania? | 1756 (est.) | 1796 | ||
103 | Herman Swift[13] | Brig. Gen. |
1777-01-01 | 1783 | Connecticut ? | ? | ? | no ANB, bvt 30 Sep '83 | |
104 | Benjamin Tupper | Brig. Gen. |
1777-07-07 | 1783 | Massachusetts | 1738 | 1792 | F&I, no ANB, bvt 30 Sep '83 | |
105 | Philip Van Cortlandt | Brig. Gen. |
21 November 1776 | 1783 | New York | 1749 | 1831 | bvt 30 Sep '83 | |
106 | Goose Van Schaick | Brig. Gen. |
10 October 1783 |
1783 | New York | 1736 | 1789 | ||
107 | Joseph Vose | Brig. Gen. |
30 September 1783 | 1783 | Massachusetts | 1738 | 1816 | no ANB | |
108 | Samuel B. Webb | Brig. Gen. |
30 September 1783 | 1783 | Connecticut | 1753 | 1807 | no ANB | |
109 | James Wilkinson | Brig. Gen. |
6 November 1777 | 1778 | Maryland | 1757 | 1825 |
Foreign volunteers
+
Generals by state
State/colony | Number of generals | Generals | Brevet generals |
---|---|---|---|
New Hampshire | Stark, Sullivan | ||
Massachusetts | Ward, Seth Pomeroy (declined), Heath, John Thomas (general)|Thomas]], | ||
Rhode Island | |||
Connecticut | |||
New York | |||
New Jersey | |||
Pennsylvania | |||
Delaware | |||
Maryland | |||
Virginia | |||
North Carolina | |||
South Carolina | |||
Georgia |
Notes
- ^ Ferling, 43.
- ^ Date of highest rank, excluding postwar brevet
- 5 September)
- ^ Controversial promotion: see Conway Cabal
- ^ retired due to age
- ^ first one appointed brigadier?, resigned after others promoted to MG
- ^ career cut short by smallpox
- ^ retired due to injuries
- ^ ANB: bvt maj. gen. 30 Sep '83
- ^ forced to resign
- ^ Brev. Brig. Gen., 3 Nov 1783
- ^ Purcell says he was brevetted a brig. gen. in September '83, but Heitman does not mention this
- ^ Purcell gives his first name as "Herman", but Heitman uses "Heman" throughout.
References
- Dictionary of American Biography. New York: Scribner's, 1928–64. 11 volumes.
- Garraty, John A. and Mark C. Carnes, eds. ISBN 0195206355.
- Heitman, Francis B. Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army during the War of the Revolution. New, enlarged, and revised edition. Washington, D.C.: Rare Book Shop Publishing Company, 1914. Accessed via Google Book Search.
- Purcell, L. Edward. Who Was Who in the American Revolution. New York: Facts on File, 1993. ISBN 0-8160-2107-4.
- Wright, Robert K. The Continental Army. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, U.S. Army, 1983. Available, in part, onlinefrom the U.S. Army website.