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Winfield Scott
Derided by one critic as a "humbug" and "old crocodile," Winfield Scott (1786–1866) was in fact one of America's greatest soldiers.
Born in Dinwiddie County, near Petersburg, Scott grew into a giant of a
man, standing six feet five inches and weighing 230 pounds.
After attending the College of William and Mary for two years, he
studied law in Petersburg. Seemingly destined for a career as an
attorney, Scott instead was commissioned in the Army in 1808,
thus beginning a remarkable military career of 53 years. He
fought with distinction during the War of 1812, ably served in a
number of important peacetime positions, and orchestrated one of
the most brilliant feats in American military history—the
campaign for Mexico City during the Mexican War.
Promoted to general-in-chief of the army, Scott held
influence over many young officers—northerners and southerners
alike. U. S. Grant later commented that Scott was one of the
greatest soldiers he ever knew. Scott, in turn, believed that
Robert E. Lee, was "the greatest soldier in Christendom" and he
offered Lee field command of the Union army in 1861. Although
his fellow Virginian sided with the South, Scott refused to fight
against the United States flag under which he had served for more
than fifty years.
Scott devised the famous "Anaconda Plan, " which in essence
became the overall Federal strategy for winning the war during
the following four years. Because of his age and infirmities, and the jealousy
of rising star General George McClellan, Scott retired from active service in October 1861 and died in 1866.
Scott's loyalty to the Union left him few friends in the Old
Dominion, but the key role he played in his nation's history
places him among the roster of Virginia's most distinguished sons.
This spirited portrayal of the general-in-chief, painted by
Miner Kellogg in the early 1850s, helps explain why many of his
contemporaries referred to him behind his back as "Old Fuss and
Feathers."
Image rights owned by the Virginia Historical Society. Do not use without permission.
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