History of Confederate States Army Generals

The general officers of the Confederate States Army

Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...

(CSA) - the army

Army

An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...

of the Confederate States of America

Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...

- were the senior military leaders of the Confederacy and served during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

between 1861 and 1865. They were often former officers from the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

(the regular army) prior to the Civil War, while others were given the rank based on merit or when necessity demanded. Most Confederate generals needed confirmation from the Confederate Congress

Congress of the Confederate States

The Congress of the Confederate States was the legislative body of the Confederate States of America, existing during the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865...

, much like prospective generals in the modern U.S. armed forces.

Like all of the Confederacy's military forces, these generals answered to their civilian leadership, in particular Jefferson Davis

Jefferson Davis

Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...

, the South's president

President of the Confederate States of America

The President of the Confederate States of America was the Head of State and Head of Government of the Confederate States of America, which was formed from the states which declared their secession from the United States, thus precipitating the American Civil War. The only person to hold the...

and therefore "commander-in-chief

Commander-in-Chief

A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...

" of the Army, Navy

Confederate States Navy

The Confederate States Navy was the naval branch of the Confederate States armed forces established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War...

, and Marines

Confederate States Marine Corps

The Confederate States Marine Corps , a branch of the Confederate States Navy, was established by an act of the Congress of the Confederate States on March 16, 1861. The CSMC's manpower was initially authorized at 45 officers and 944 enlisted men, and was increased on September 24, 1862 to 1026...

in the Confederate States.

History

Much of the design of the Confederate States Army was based on the structure and customs of the U.S. Army when the Confederate Congress established their War Department on February 21, 1861. The Confederate Army was composed of three parts; the Army of the Confederate States of America (ACSA, intended to be the permanent, regular army), the Provisional Army of the Confederate States (PACS, or "volunteer" Army, to be disbanded after hostilities), and the various Southern state

Southern United States

The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...

militia

Militia

The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...

s.

Graduates from West Point

United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...

and Mexican War veterans were highly sought after by Jefferson Davis for military service, especially as general officers. Like their Federal

Union Army

The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...

counterparts, the Confederate Army had both professional and political general

Political general

A political general is a general officer or other military leader without significant military experience who is given a high position in command for political reasons, such as his own connections or to appease certain political blocs...

s within it. Ranks throughout the CSA were roughly based on the U.S. Army in design and seniority. On February 27, 1861, a general staff for the army was authorized, consisting of four positions: an adjutant general

Adjutant general

An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...

, a quartermaster general

Quartermaster general

A Quartermaster general is the staff officer in charge of supplies for a whole army.- The United Kingdom :In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is one of the most senior generals in the British Army...

, a commissary general

Commissariat

A commissariat is the department of an army charged with the provision of supplies, both food and forage, for the troops. The supply of military stores such as ammunition is not included in the duties of a commissariat. In almost every army the duties of transport and supply are performed by the...

, and a surgeon general

Surgeon General of the United States Navy

The Surgeon General of the United States Navy is the senior-most medical corps officer in the United States Navy.- Establishment of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery :...

. Initially the last of these was to be a staff officer only. The post of adjutant general was filled by Samuel Cooper

Samuel Cooper (general)

Samuel Cooper was a career United States Army officer, serving during the Second Seminole War and the Mexican-American War. Although little-known today, Cooper was also the highest ranking Confederate general during the American Civil War...

(the position he had held as a colonel

Colonel (United States)

In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...

in the U.S. Army from 1852 until resigning) and he held it throughout the Civil War, as well as the army's inspector general

Inspector General

An Inspector General is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is Inspectors General.-Bangladesh:...

.

Initially the Confederate Army commissioned only brigadier generals in both the volunteer and regular services; however, the Confederate Congress quickly passed legislation allowing for the appointment of major generals as well as generals, thus providing clear and distinct seniority over the existing major generals in the various state militias. On May 16, 1861, when there were only five officers at the grade of brigadier general, this legislation was passed, which stated in part:
As of September 18, 1862, when lieutenant generals were authorized, the Confederate Army had four grades of general officers; they were (in order of increasing rank) brigadier general, major general, lieutenant general, and general. As officers were appointed to the various grades of general by Jefferson Davis (and were confirmed), he would create the promotion lists himself. The dates of rank, as well as seniority of officers appointed to the same grade on the same day, were determined by Davis "usually following the guidelines established for the prewar U.S. Army."

Brigadier general

These generals were most often infantry

Infantry

Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...

or artillery

Artillery

Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...

brigade

Brigade

A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...

commanders, aides to other higher ranking generals, and War Department staff officers. By war's end the Confederacy had at least 383 different men who held this rank in the PACS, and three in the ACSA: Samuel Cooper, Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....

, and Joseph E. Johnston

Joseph E. Johnston

Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career U.S. Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...

. The organization of regiment

Regiment

A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...

s into brigades was authorized by the Congress on March 6, 1861. Brigadier generals would command them, and these generals were to be nominated by Davis and confirmed by the Confederate Senate.

Though close to the Union Army in assignments, Confederate brigadiers mainly commanded brigades while Federal brigadiers sometimes led divisions as well as brigades, particularly in the first year of the war. These generals also often led sub-districts within military departments, with command over soldiers in their sub-district. These generals outranked Confederate Army colonel

Colonel

Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

s, who commonly led infantry regiments.

This rank is equivalent to brigadier general in the modern U.S. Army.

Major general

These generals were most commonly infantry division

Division (military)

A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...

commanders, aides to other higher ranking generals, and War Department staff officers. They also led the districts that made up military departments, and had command over the troops in their districts. By war's end the Confederacy had at least 88 different men who had held this rank, all in the PACS.

Divisions were authorized by the Congress on March 6, 1861, and major generals would command them. These generals were to be nominated by Davis and confirmed by the Senate. Major generals outranked brigadiers and all other lesser officers.

This rank was not synonymous with the Union's use of it, as Northern

Northern United States

Northern United States, also sometimes the North, may refer to:* A particular grouping of states or regions of the United States of America. The United States Census Bureau divides some of the northernmost United States into the Midwest Region and the Northeast Region...

major generals led divisions, corps, and entire armies. This rank is equivalent in most respects to major general in the modern U.S. Army.

Major general line command list

Not further promoted; top 20

Name	Date of Rank	Rank Terminated	Reason
David E. Twiggs David E. Twiggs David Emanuel Twiggs was a United States soldier during the War of 1812 and Mexican-American War and a general of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...	May 22, 1861	October 11, 1861	retired
Earl Van Dorn Earl Van Dorn Earl Van Dorn was a career United States Army officer, fighting with distinction during the Mexican-American War and against several tribes of Native Americans...	September 19, 1861	May 8, 1863	murdered/TN, Spring Hill Spring Hill, Tennessee Spring Hill is a city in Maury and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, located approximately south of Nashville. The population was 7,715 at the 2000 census...
Gustavus W. Smith Gustavus Woodson Smith Gustavus Woodson Smith , more commonly known as G.W. Smith, was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Mexican-American War, a civil engineer, and a major general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Early life and Mexico:Smith was born in Georgetown,...	September 19, 1861	February 17, 1863	resigned
Benjamin Huger	October 7, 1861	June 12, 1865	paroled
John B. Magruder John B. Magruder John Bankhead Magruder was a career military officer who served in the armies of three nations. He was a U.S. Army officer in the Mexican-American War, a Confederate general during the American Civil War, and a postbellum general in the Imperial Mexican Army...	October 7, 1861	no record	no record
Mansfield Lovell Mansfield Lovell Mansfield Lovell was a major general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was roundly criticized in Southern newspapers for allowing Union forces to capture the city of New Orleans....	October 7, 1861	temporary unknown	temporary unknown
George B. Crittenden George B. Crittenden George Bibb Crittenden was a career United States Army officer who served in the Black Hawk War, the Army of the Republic of Texas, the Mexican-American War, and was a general in the Confederate States Army in the American Civil War.-Early life:Crittenden was born in Russellville, Kentucky, his...	November 9, 1861	October 23, 1862	resigned
William W. Loring William W. Loring William Wing Loring was a soldier from North Carolina who served in the armies of the United States, the Confederacy, and Egypt.-Early life:...	February 15, 1862	May 1, 1865	paroled
Sterling Price Sterling Price Sterling Price was a lawyer, planter, and politician from the U.S. state of Missouri, who served as the 11th Governor of the state from 1853 to 1857. He also served as a United States Army brigadier general during the Mexican-American War, and a Confederate Army major general in the American Civil...	March 6, 1862	no record	no record
Benjamin F. Cheatham Benjamin F. Cheatham Benjamin Franklin Cheatham , known also as Frank, was a Tennessee aristocrat, California gold miner, and a General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, serving in many battles of the Western Theater.-Early years:Cheatham was born in Nashville, Tennessee on a plantation...	March 10, 1862	May 1, 1865	paroled
D. R. Jones	March 10, 1862	January 15, 1863	died
John P. McCown John P. McCown John Porter McCown was a career officer in the United States Army, fighting in the Mexican–American War and in the Seminole Wars. He also served as a general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War....	March 10, 1862	May 12, 1865	paroled
S. Jones	March 19, 1862	May 12, 1865	paroled
D.H. Hill Daniel Harvey Hill On July 22, 1862, Hill and Union Maj. Gen. John A. Dix concluded an agreement for the general exchange of prisoners between the Union and Confederate armies. This agreement became known as the Dix-Hill Cartel....	March 26, 1862	May 1, 1865	paroled
Jones M. Withers Jones M. Withers Jones Mitchell Withers was a United States Army officer who fought during the Mexican–American War and later served as a Confederate major general during the American Civil War...	April 6, 1862	May 11, 1865	paroled
Thomas C. Hindman Thomas C. Hindman Thomas Carmichael Hindman, Jr. was a lawyer, United States Representative from the 1st Congressional District of Arkansas, and a Major General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....	April 14, 1862	no record	no record
John C. Breckinridge John C. Breckinridge John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...	April 14, 1862	no record	no record
Lafayette McLaws Lafayette McLaws Lafayette McLaws was a United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...	May 23, 1862	no record	no record
J.E.B. Stuart J.E.B. Stuart James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was a U.S. Army officer from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names. Stuart was a cavalry commander known for his mastery of reconnaissance and the use...	July 25, 1862	May 12, 1864	MW Mortal Wound A mortal wound is a very severe and serious injury whether accidental or inflicted intentionally , which leads directly to the death of the victim. Death need not be instantaneous, but follows soon after... , Yellow Tavern Battle of Yellow Tavern The Battle of Yellow Tavern was fought on May 11, 1864, as part of the Overland Campaign of the American Civil War. Union cavalry under Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan was detached from the Army of the Potomac to conduct a raid on Richmond, Virginia, and challenge legendary Confederate cavalry...
Samuel G. French Samuel Gibbs French History of Salem County by Joseph S. Sickler, pub 1937 pp-243, 276-277...	August 31, 1862	no record	no record
George E. Pickett George Pickett George Edward Pickett was a career United States Army officer who became a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...	October 10, 1862	April 9, 1865	paroled
Carter L. Stevenson Carter L. Stevenson Carter Littlepage Stevenson, Jr. was a career military officer, serving in the United States Army in several antebellum wars and then in the Confederate States Army as a general in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Early life and career:Stevenson was born to a prominent family in...	October 10, 1862	May 1, 1865	paroled

Lieutenant general

There were 18 lieutenant generals in the Confederate Army, and these general officers were often corps

Corps

A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...

commanders within armies or military department

Military district

Military districts are formations of a state's armed forces which are responsible for a certain area of territory. They are often more responsible for administrative than operational matters, and in countries with conscript forces, often handle parts of the conscription cycle.Navies have also used...

heads, in charge of geographic sections and all soldiers in those boundaries. All of the Confederacy's lieutenant generals were in the PACS. The Congress legalized the creation of army corps on September 18, 1862, and directed that lieutenant generals lead them. These generals were to be nominated by Davis and confirmed by the Senate. Lieutenant generals outranked major generals and all other lesser officers.

This rank was not synonymous with the Federal use of it; Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...

was one of only two Federal lieutenant generals during the war, the other being Winfield Scott who received a promotion to Brevet

Brevet

Brevet may refer to:* Brevet , a temporary authorization for a person to hold a higher rank* Brevet , a long-distance bicycle ride with check-point controls* Aircrew brevet, a Royal Air Force and British Army badge...

Lieutenant General by a special act of Congress in 1855. Grant was by the time of his promotion, March 9, 1864, the only Federal Lieutenant General in active service. Grant became Commander of all the Unions armies, answering only to Abraham Lincoln and was charged with the task of leading the Union armies to victory over the Confederacy. The CSA Lieutenant General rank is roughly equivalent to lieutenant general in the modern U.S. Army.

The Confederate Congress passed legislation in May 1864 to allow for "temporary" general officers in the PACS, to be appointed by Jefferson Davis and confirmed by the Senate, and given a non-permanent command by Davis. Under this law Davis appointed several officers to fill open positions. Richard H. Anderson

Richard H. Anderson

Richard Heron Anderson was a career U.S. Army officer, fighting with distinction in the Mexican-American War. He also served as a Confederate general during the American Civil War, fighting in the Eastern Theater of the conflict and most notably during the 1864 Battle of Spotsylvania Court House...

was appointed a "temporary" lieutenant general on May 31, 1864, and given command of the First Corps

First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

The First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia was a military unit fighting for the Confederate States of America in the American Civil War. It was formed in early 1861 and served until the spring of 1865, mostly in the Eastern Theater. The corps was commanded by James Longstreet for much of its...

(following the wounding of Lt. Gen. James Longstreet

James Longstreet

James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse." He served under Lee as a corps commander for many of the famous battles fought by the Army of Northern Virginia in the...

on May 6 in the Wilderness

Battle of the Wilderness

The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...

.) With Longstreet's return that October, Anderson reverted to a major general. Jubal Early

Jubal Anderson Early

Jubal Anderson Early was a lawyer and Confederate general in the American Civil War. He served under Stonewall Jackson and then Robert E. Lee for almost the entire war, rising from regimental command to lieutenant general and the command of an infantry corps in the Army of Northern Virginia...

was appointed a "temporary" lieutenant general on May 31, 1864, and given command of the Second Corps

Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

The Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia was a military organization within the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during much of the American Civil War. It was officially created and named following the Battle of Sharpsburg in 1862, but comprised units in a corps organization for quite...

(following the re-assignment of Lt. Gen. Richard S. Ewell

Richard S. Ewell

Richard Stoddert Ewell was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general during the American Civil War. He achieved fame as a senior commander under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E...

to other duties) and led it until December 1864, when he too reverted to a major general. Likewise both Stephen D. Lee

Stephen D. Lee

Stephen Dill Lee was an American soldier, planter, legislator, and author. He was the youngest Confederate lieutenant general during the American Civil War, and later served as the first president of Mississippi A&M College...

and Alexander P. Stewart

Alexander P. Stewart

Alexander Peter Stewart was a career United States Army officer, college professor, and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...

were appointed fill to vacancies in the Western Theater

Western Theater of the American Civil War

This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Theater of operations:...

as "temporary" lieutenant generals, and also reverted to their prior grades as major generals as those assignments ended. However, Lee was nominated a second time for lieutenant general on March 11, 1865, and was confirmed as such five days later.

Lieutenant general line command list

{|class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" width="100%"
!colspan=6 style="background-color:#add8e6; border: 3px solid silver; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 4px;"| Lieutenant general line command list
|-
!Name !!Date of Rank !!Nominated !!Confirmed !!Rank Terminated !!Reason
|-
|| James Longstreet

James Longstreet

|| October 9, 1862
|| October 10, 1862
|| October 11, 1862
|| April 9, 1865
|| paroled
|-
|| Edmund Kirby Smith

Edmund Kirby Smith

Edmund Kirby Smith was a career United States Army officer and educator. He served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, notable for his command of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederacy after the fall of Vicksburg.After the conflict ended Smith...

|| October 9, 1862
|| October 10, 1862
|| October 11, 1862
|| February 19, 1864
|| promoted to general
|-
|| Leonidas Polk

Leonidas Polk

Leonidas Polk was a Confederate general in the American Civil War who was once a planter in Maury County, Tennessee, and a second cousin of President James K. Polk...

|| October 10, 1862
|| October 10, 1862
|| October 11, 1862
|| June 14, 1864
|| KIA

Killed in action

Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...

, Pine Mountain
|-
|| Theophilus H. Holmes

Theophilus H. Holmes

Theophilus Hunter Holmes was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate Lieutenant General in the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...

|| October 10, 1862
|| October 10, 1862
|| October 13, 1862
|| no record
|| no record
|-
|| William J. Hardee

William J. Hardee

William Joseph Hardee was a career U.S. Army officer, serving during the Second Seminole War and fighting in the Mexican-American War...

|| October 10, 1862
|| October 10, 1862
|| October 11, 1862
|| May 1, 1865
|| paroled
|-
|| Stonewall Jackson

Stonewall Jackson

|| October 10, 1862
|| October 10, 1862
|| October 11, 1862
|| May 10, 1863
|| MW, Chancellorsville

Battle of Chancellorsville

The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...

|-
|| John C. Pemberton

John C. Pemberton

John Clifford Pemberton , was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole Wars and with distinction during the Mexican–American War. He also served as a Confederate general during the American Civil War, noted for his defeat and surrender in the critical Siege of Vicksburg in...

|| October 10, 1862
|| October 10, 1862
|| October 13, 1862
|| May 18, 1864
|| resigned
|-
|| Richard S. Ewell

Richard S. Ewell

Richard Stoddert Ewell was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general during the American Civil War. He achieved fame as a senior commander under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E...

|| May 23, 1863
|| May 23, 1863
|| February 2, 1864
|| July 19, 1865
|| paroled
|-
|| A.P. Hill

A. P. Hill

Ambrose Powell Hill, Jr. , was a career U.S. Army officer in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars and a Confederate general in the American Civil War...

|| May 24, 1863
|| May 23, 1863
|| January 15, 1864
|| April 2, 1865
|| KIA, Petersburg

Siege of Petersburg

The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...

|-
|| John Bell Hood

John Bell Hood

John Bell Hood was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness...

|| September 20, 1863
|| February 1, 1864
|| February 4, 1864
|| May 31, 1865
|| paroled
|-
|| Richard Taylor

Richard Taylor (general)

Richard Taylor was a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He was the son of United States President Zachary Taylor and First Lady Margaret Taylor.-Early life:...

|| April 8, 1864
|| May 14, 1864
|| May 16, 1864
|| May 11, 1865
|| paroled
|-
|| Jubal Early

Jubal Anderson Early

|| May 31, 1864
|| May 31, 1864
|| May 31, 1864
|| no record
|| no record
|-
|| Richard H. Anderson

Richard H. Anderson

|| May 31, 1864
|| May 31, 1864
|| May 31, 1864
|| no record
|| no record
|-
|| Alexander P. Stewart

Alexander P. Stewart

Alexander Peter Stewart was a career United States Army officer, college professor, and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...

|| June 23, 1864
|| June 23, 1864
|| February 20, 1865
|| May 1, 1865
|| paroled
|-
|| Stephen D. Lee

Stephen D. Lee

|| June 23, 1864
|| March 11, 1865
|| March 16, 1865
|| May 1, 1865
|| paroled
|-
|| Simon B. Buckner

Simon Bolivar Buckner, Sr.

Simon Bolivar Buckner fought in the United States Army in the Mexican–American War and in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He later served as the 30th Governor of Kentucky....

|| September 20, 1864
|| September 20, 1864
|| January 17, 1865
|| June 9, 1865
|| paroled
|-
|| Wade Hampton

Wade Hampton III

Wade Hampton III was a Confederate cavalry leader during the American Civil War and afterward a politician from South Carolina, serving as its 77th Governor and as a U.S...

|| February 14, 1865
|| February 14, 1865
|| February 15, 1865
|| no record
|| no record
|-
|| Nathan Bedford Forrest

Nathan Bedford Forrest

Nathan Bedford Forrest was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He is remembered both as a self-educated, innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a leading southern advocate in the postwar years...

|| February 28, 1865
|| March 2, 1865
|| March 2, 1865
|| May 10, 1865
|| paroled

General

Originally five officers in the South were appointed to the rank of general, and only two more would follow. These generals occupied the senior posts in the Confederate Army, mostly entire army

Field army

A Field Army, or Area Army, usually referred to simply as an Army, is a term used by many national military forces for a military formation superior to a corps and beneath an army group....

or military department commanders, and advisers to Jefferson Davis. This rank is equivalent to general in the modern U.S. Army, and the grade is often referred to in modern writings as "full general" to help differentiate it from the generic term "general officers."

All Confederate generals were enrolled in the ACSA to ensure that they outranked all militia officers, with two notable exceptions. One was Edmund Kirby Smith

Edmund Kirby Smith

, who was appointed general late in the war and into the PACS. The second was P.G.T. Beauregard

P. G. T. Beauregard

Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was a Louisiana-born American military officer, politician, inventor, writer, civil servant, and the first prominent general of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Today he is commonly referred to as P. G. T. Beauregard, but he rarely used...

, who was initially appointed a PACS general, but was elevated to ACSA two months later, with the same date of rank. These generals outranked all other grades of generals, as well as all lesser officers in the Confederate States Army.

The first group of officers appointed to general were: Samuel Cooper

Samuel Cooper (general)

, Albert Sidney Johnston

Albert Sidney Johnston

Albert Sidney Johnston served as a general in three different armies: the Texas Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States Army...

, Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....

, Joseph E. Johnston

Joseph E. Johnston

, and P.G.T. Beauregard, with their seniority in that order. This ordering caused Cooper, a staff officer who would not see combat, to be the senior general officer in the CSA. It also would have several effects on the Confederacy's military effectiveness, most notably because of the strained relationship it caused between Joseph E. Johnston and Jefferson Davis. Johnston had been the only general officer in the U.S. Army who left for the South, so he considered himself the senior officer and resented the ranks that Davis had authorized. However, his position in the U.S. Army was staff, not line, which was evidently a criterion for Davis regarding seniority and rank in the Confederate Army.

On February 17, 1864, legislation was passed to allow Davis to appoint an officer to command the Trans-Mississippi Department

Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War

The Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War was the major military and naval operations west of the Mississippi River. The area excluded the states and territories bordering the Pacific Ocean, which formed the Pacific Coast Theater of the American Civil War.The campaign classification...

, with the rank of general in the PACS. Edmund Kirby Smith was the only officer appointed to this position. Braxton Bragg

Braxton Bragg

Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a general in the Confederate States Army—a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and later the military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.Bragg, a native of North Carolina, was...

was appointed a general in the ACSA with a date of rank of April 6, 1862, the day his commanding officer Albert Sidney Johnston died in combat.

The Congress passed legislation in May 1864 to allow for "temporary" general officers in the PACS, to be appointed by Davis and confirmed by the Senate, and given a non-permanent command by Davis.
John Bell Hood

John Bell Hood

John Bell Hood was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness...

was appointed a "temporary" general on July 18, 1864, the date he took command of the Army of Tennessee

Army of Tennessee

The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in most of the significant battles in the Western Theater...

in the Atlanta Campaign

Atlanta Campaign

The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...

, but this appointment was not confirmed by the Congress, and he reverted to his rank of lieutenant general in January 1865. In March 1865, Hood's status was spelled out by the Confederate Senate, which stated:

General line command list

{|class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" width="100%"
!colspan=6 style="background-color:#add8e6; border: 3px solid silver; margin-top: 0.2em; padding: 4px;"| General line command list
|-
!Name !!Date of Rank !!Nominated !!Confirmed !!Rank Terminated !!Reason
|-
|| Samuel Cooper

Samuel Cooper (general)

|| May 16, 1861
|| August 31, 1861
|| August 31, 1861
|| May 3, 1865
|| paroled
|-
|| Albert Sidney Johnston

Albert Sidney Johnston

Albert Sidney Johnston served as a general in three different armies: the Texas Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States Army...

|| May 30, 1861
|| August 31, 1861
|| August 31, 1861
|| April 6, 1862
|| KIA, Shiloh

Battle of Shiloh

The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...

|-
|| Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....

|| June 14, 1861
|| August 31, 1861
|| August 31, 1861
|| April 9, 1865
|| paroled
|-
|| Joseph E. Johnston

Joseph E. Johnston

|| July 4, 1861
|| August 31, 1861
|| August 31, 1861
|| May 2, 1865
|| paroled
|-
|| P.G.T. Beauregard

P. G. T. Beauregard

|| July 21, 1861
|| August 31, 1861
|| August 31, 1861
|| May 1, 1865
|| paroled
|-
|| Braxton Bragg

Braxton Bragg

|| April 6, 1862
|| April 12, 1862
|| April 12, 1862
|| May 10, 1865
|| paroled
|-
|| Edmund Kirby Smith

Edmund Kirby Smith

|| August 21, 1862
|| February 19, 1864
|| May 11, 1864
|| May 17, 1865
|| paroled
|-
Note that during 1863, Beauregard, Cooper, J. Johnston, and Lee all had their ranks re-nominated on February 20 and then re-confirmed on April 23 by the Confederate Congress. This was in response to debates on February 17 about whether confirmations made by the provisional legislature needed re-confirmation by the permanent legislature, which was done by an Act of Congress issued two days later.

General-in-Chief

Robert E. Lee was the only officer appointed to this position, which was created late in the war by the Confederate Congress on January 23, 1865, but it had been debated as early as February 27, 1862. Jefferson Davis voiced his rejection (and veto

Veto

A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...

) of creating this position to the Congress on March 14 of that year, believing that such a general could "command an army or armies without the will of the president." Davis performed many of the responsibilities of a general-in-chief himself throughout the war, acting as both a military operations manager and commander-in-chief.

Lee (March to May 1862) and Braxton Bragg (February 1864 to January 1865) also performed many of these same duties, as they were military advisers to Davis, or "charged with the conduct of military operations in the armies of the Confederacy." To the right is the text of General Order #3, which announced Lee as the General-in-Chief, dated February 6, 1865.

Militia generals

The Southern states had militias in place since Revolutionary War

American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

times consistent with the U.S. Militia Act of 1792. They went by varied names such as State "Militia" or "Armies" or "Guard" and were activated and expanded when the Civil War began. These units were commanded by "Militia Generals" to defend their particular state, and sometimes did not leave native soil to fight for the Confederacy. The Confederate militias used the general officer ranks of Brigadier General and Major General.

The regulations in the Act of 1792 provided for militias into two classes based on age. Class one was to include men from 21 to 30 years old, and class two would include men from 18 to 20 years as well as from 31 to 45 years old. The various southern states were each using this system when the war began.

Uniform insignia

All Confederate generals wore the same uniform insignia regardless of which rank of general they were, except for Robert E. Lee who wore the uniform of a Confederate colonel. The only visible difference was the button groupings on their uniforms; groups of three buttons for lieutenant and major generals, and groups of two for brigadier generals.

{| style="padding:5px; margin:0 12px 12px 0; border:1px solid #8888aa; background:#f7f8ff; text-align:center; font-size:95%;"
| Rank
| Collar insignia
| Sleeve insignia
| Buttons
|-
| General
|rowspan="4"|

(all grades)
|rowspan="4"|

(all grades)
|-
| Lieutenant General || LtGen: Groups of three buttons
| Major General || MajGen: Groups of three buttons
| Brigadier General || BrigGen: Groups of two buttons
|}

To the right is a picture of the CSA general's full uniform, in this case of Brig. Gen. Joseph R. Anderson

Joseph R. Anderson

Joseph Reid Anderson was an American civil engineer, industrialist, and soldier. During the American Civil War he served as a Confederate general, and his Tredegar Iron Company was a major source of munitions and ordnance for the Confederate States Army.-Early life and career:Joseph Reid Anderson...

of the Confederacy's Ordnance Department. All of the South's generals wore uniforms like this regardless of which grade of general they were, and all with gold colored embroidering.

Pay

The general officers of the Confederate Army were paid for their services, and exactly how much (in Confederate dollars (CSD)

Confederate States of America dollar

The Confederate States of America dollar was first issued into circulation in April 1861, when the Confederacy was only two months old, and on the eve of the outbreak of the Civil War....

) depended on their rank and whether they held a field command or not. On March 6, 1861, when the army only contained brigadier generals, their pay was $301 CSD monthly, and their aide-de-camp

Aide-de-camp

An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...

lieutenants would receive an additional $35 CSD per month beyond regular pay. As more grades of general officer were added, the pay scale was adjusted. By June 10, 1864, a general received $500 CSD monthly, plus another $500 CSD if they led an army in the field. Also by that date lieutenant generals got $450 CSD and major generals $350 CSD, and brigadiers would receive $50 CSD in addition to regular pay if they served in combat.

Legacy

The CSA lost more general officers killed in combat than the Union Army did throughout the war, in the ratio of about 5-to-1 for the South compared to roughly 12-to-1 in the North. The most famous of whom is General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson

Stonewall Jackson

, probably the most well-known Confederate commander after General Robert E. Lee. Jackson's death was the result of a friendly fire

Friendly fire

Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...

incident at Chancellorsville

Battle of Chancellorsville

on the night of May 2, 1863. Replacing these fallen generals was an ongoing problem during the war, often having men promoted beyond their abilities (a common criticism of officers such as John Bell Hood

John Bell Hood

John Bell Hood was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness...

and George E. Pickett

George Pickett

George Edward Pickett was a career United States Army officer who became a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...

, but an issue for both armies), or gravely wounded in combat but needed, such as Richard S. Ewell

Richard S. Ewell

Richard Stoddert Ewell was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general during the American Civil War. He achieved fame as a senior commander under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E...

. The problem was made more difficult by the South's depleting manpower, especially near the war's end.

The last Confederate general in the field, Stand Watie

Stand Watie

Stand Watie , also known as Standhope Uwatie, Degataga , meaning “stand firm”), and Isaac S. Watie, was a leader of the Cherokee Nation and a brigadier general of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...

, surrendered on June 23, 1865, and the war's last surviving general, Edmund Kirby Smith

Edmund Kirby Smith

, died on March 28, 1893. James Longstreet died on January 2, 1904, and was considered "the last of the high command of the Confederacy."

The Confederate Army's system of using four grades of general officers is currently the same rank structure used by the U.S. Army (in use since shortly after the Civil War), and is also the system used by the U.S. Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

(in use since World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

History

Brigadier general

Major general

Major general line command list

Lieutenant general

Lieutenant general line command list

General

General line command list

General-in-Chief

Militia generals

Uniform insignia

Pay

Legacy

See also

Further reading