Winfield Scott

Abstract

Winfield Scott was a true American hero. Serving in 3 wars and numerous other battles and conflicts, he left a legacy that was talked about for over 5 decades. He served in the War of 1812, the Mexican War, and the Civil War. He began his military career and advanced quickly in the ranks. He was a formidable leader and very studious in military tactics. A big man, he stood at 61/2 feet tall, and demanded respect both when in uniform and without. He was referred to as "Old Fuss and Feathers" because of his regard for military procedures and wear of military uniforms. He wrote the first complete manual of military tactics in the U.S. Army in 1825. He later expanded it with the completion of Infantry Tactics in 1835. These manuals helped to form the basis for some of our modern day military tactics. A combination of literary works, and online resources was used for the information in this paper.

Winfield Scott was one of America's most prominent and honored war heroes. Serving in The United States Army for over 50 years, Scott experienced the throes of battle in three different wars. Winfield Scott served in the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War (1832), the Mexican War (1846-1848), and the American Civil War (1861-1865), (The World Book Encyclopedia, 2004). This paper will discuss Winfield Scott's life during some the most historic time in The United States, and will show how his actions helped to form our military tactics.

Winfield Scott was born on June 13, 1876, near Petersburg, Virginia. Being very ambitious, Scott went to the William and Mary College to study law. When he joined the United States Army in 1808, Scott's ambition to become a lawyer subsided and subsequently, he began to focus on military and political ambitions.

Scott quickly honed his military skills and was promoted to Captain of the artillery (Harbert, 1986). At the age of twenty-six, Scott harshly described and ridiculed the officers and soldiers of that era by writing:

The army of that day, including its general staff, the three old and the nine new regiments, presented no pleasing aspect. The old officers had very generally sunk into either sloth, ignorance, or habits of intemperate drinking.... Many of the appointments were positively bad, and a majority of the remainder indifferent. Party spirit of that day knew no bounds, and of course was blind to policy. Federalists were almost entirely excluded from selection, though great numbers were eager for the field, and in New England and some other States there were but very few educated Republicans; hence the selections from those communities consisted mostly of coarse and ignorant men. In the other States, where there was no lack of educated men in the dominant party, the appointments consisted generally of swaggerers, dependants, decayed gentlemen, and others, 'fit for nothing else', which always turned out utterly unfit for any military purpose whatever (Harbert, 1986).

This would become the basis for how Winfield Scott commanded soldiers, and became known for his views on military strategy.

During the War of 1812, many officers and enlisted men lived up to the description that Scott placed on them. One such officer was Major General Henry Dearborn, who was in command of the campaign against Canada. Dearborn was old and very stiff in the joints, and became known as "granny".1 Winfield Scott, however, emerged from the war as a decorated hero.

Upon being promoted to Lt. Colonel only four years after joining the Army, Scott was taken prisoner during the campaign at Niagara. Upon his release a year later, Winfield Scott was promoted to Colonel and became chief-of-staff under Major General Henry Dearborn. After a short period of service under Major General Dearborn, Winfield Scott was promoted to General in March of 1814, where he played a major role in the battle at Lundy's Lane.

The battle of Lundy's Lane was not really a decisive battle for either the British or the United States. However, it greatly diminished the British power near Canada, which posed a great threat to the Northern states. During this battle, two horses were shot out

1. Earl Harbert. (1986). Adams, History of the United States of America during the Administrations of James Madison. Cambridge, England: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge.

from under him. General Winfield Scott stubbornly fought on, was severely wounded and was carried off the battlefield. Upon completion of the war, Scott traveled Europe and immensely studied military tactics (www.us.history.com). Scott remained inactive with the military until the Mexican War.

With the onset of the Mexican War, President Polk was increasingly