Lieutenant-General
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a general a general officer in the army, ranking above a gabove a major-general and below a general. The eneral. The office of lieutenant-general was first crewas first created by Congress for George Washington Washington in 1798, during the troubles between the between the United States and France. It then ce. It then lapsed till renewed by Congress for Gen. ngress for Gen. Winfield Scott, who was made lieutenantade lieutenantgeneral by brevet. In 1864 it was again 1884 it was again revived for Gen. U. S. Grant, and con- Grant, and con tinued for Generals Sherman and Sheriman and Sheridan. The grade was also conferred on conferred on Gen. John M. Schofield, Feb. 5, 1895, Feb. 5. 1895, who held it till his retirement, Sept. 29, nent, Sept. 20, following. An act of Congress of June 6, gress of June 6, 1900, provided that "the senior majorsenior majorgeneral of the line commanding the anding the army shall have the rank, pay and allowand allowances of a lieutenant-general"; and on and on the re-organization of the army in Febcmy in Feb ruary, 1901, the grade was revived and revived and President McKinley appointed Maj.-Gen. Maj. Gen. Nelson A. Miles its incumbent. In June, In June, 1903, the rank was abolished by act of by act of Congress, which provided for a General or & General Staff, Chief of Staff taking the place of e place of lieutenant-general. During the World The World War the grade was revived. Hunter Lig revived. gett and Robert L. Bullard were appointed lieutenant-generals. boat specially conlly em-
What Has Changed in the Last Century
When Collier's wrote this in 1921 the lieutenant-generalcy was still a rarity conferred by special act of Congress — Washington, Scott, Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, Schofield, Miles, and then Hunter Liggett and Robert L. Bullard in the World War. It is now an ordinary permanent grade: the three-star rank sits below the four-star general created in 1866 for Grant but made a standing grade in the 20th century, and above it Congress added the five-star General of the Army in 1944 for Marshall, MacArthur, Eisenhower and Arnold. Dozens of officers hold three stars at any one time across the Army, Marine Corps and the Air Force (created as a separate service in 1947), typically commanding corps or heading major staffs. Claudia J. Kennedy became the Army's first woman lieutenant general in 1997.
Written for this edition, 2026.