Winfield Scott
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| Winfield Scott
Lieutenant General United States Army | |
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| Born | June 13, 1786 |
| Died | May 29, 1866 |
Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786 - May 29, 1866) was a general in the United States Army. He has the distinction of having the longest active duty career of any US general, serving for 53 years under 14 presidents from Thomas Jefferson to Abraham Lincoln. He fought in the War of 1812, the Mexican American War, the Blackhawk War, the Seminole Wars and the American Civil War.
In 1852, Scott ran as the Whig Party candidate for President of the United States, but was defeated soundly by Democrat Franklin Pierce.
The Civil War
Scott was 75 years old when the Civil War began in 1861. Although he was from Virginia, he remained loyal to the Union. His age hampered his ability to command troops in the field, which ultimately led him to resign on November 1, 1861, and he was replaced by General George McClellan.
Scott recognized that the war would not be short, and he devised a plan for using naval blockades to control key Confederate ports. However, his plan was mocked and dubbed the Anaconda Plan, due to the large amount of coast the Navy would have to patrol. Ironically, this strategy was put into use toward the end of the war to secure Union victory.
Trivia
Scott has been nicknamed "Old Fuss and Feathers" and the "Grand Old Man of the Army."