Commanding General of the United States Army

Prior to the institution of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army in 1903, there was generally a single senior-most officer in the army. From 1783, he was known simply as the Senior Officer of the United States Army, but in 1821, the title was changed to Commanding General of the United States Army. The office was often referred to by various other titles, such as "Major General Commanding the Army" or "General-in-Chief." From 1789 and until its abolishment 1903, the Commanding General was subordinate to the Secretary of War, although this was at times contended.

The position was abolished with the creation of the statutory Chief of Staff of Army in 1903.

Office holders

Continental Army General and Commander-in-Chief

#	Name	Photo	Term began	Term ended	Notes
1.	GEN George Washington		15 June 1775	23 December 1783	Resigned at the end of the American Revolutionary War

United States Army Senior Officer

#	Name	Photo	Term began	Term ended	Notes
1.	MG Henry Knox		23 December 1783	20 June 1784
2.	MAJ John Doughty		20 June 1784	12 August 1784	Served when all of the Army but 80 men were discharged
3.	BG Josiah Harmar		12 August 1784	4 March 1791
4.	MG Arthur St. Clair		4 March 1791	5 March 1792
5.	MG Anthony Wayne		13 April 1792	15 December 1796	Died in office
6.	BG James Wilkinson		15 December 1796	13 July 1798
7.	LTG George Washington		13 July 1798	14 December 1799	Died in office
8.	MG Alexander Hamilton		14 December 1799	15 June 1800
9.	BG James Wilkinson		15 June 1800	27 January 1812
10.	MG Henry Dearborn		27 January 1812	15 June 1815
11.	MG Jacob Brown		15 June 1815	June 1821

Commanding General

#	Name	Photo	Term began	Term ended	Notes
1.	MG Jacob Brown		June 1821	24 February 1828	Died in office
2.	MG Alexander Macomb		29 May 1828	25 June 1841	Died in office
3.	Brevet LTG Winfield Scott		5 July 1841	1 November 1861
4.	MG George B. McClellan		1 November 1861	11 March 1862
5.	MG Henry Wager Halleck		23 July 1862	9 March 1864
6.	GEN Ulysses S. Grant		9 March 1864	4 March 1869	Resigned to become the 18th President of the United States
7.	GEN William Tecumseh Sherman		8 March 1869	1 November 1883
8.	GEN Philip Sheridan		1 November 1883	5 August 1888	Died in office
9.	LTG John Schofield		14 August 1888	29 September 1895
10.	LTG Nelson A. Miles		5 October 1895	8 August 1903

See also

• List of United States military leaders by rank

References

• Historical Resources Branch; United States Army Center of Military History.
• Eicher, John H.; Eicher, David J. (2001). Civil War High Commands. Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-3641-3. 
• Bell, William Gardner (2005). Commanding Generals and Chiefs of Staff 1775-2005: Portraits and Biographical Sketches. Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History. http://www.history.army.mil/books/CG&CSA/CG-TOC.htm. 
• King, Archibald (1949/1960 reprint). Command of the Army. Military Affairs. Charlottesville, Virginia: The Judge Advocate General's School, U.S. Army. http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/Command-Army_King.pdf.