General Scott

[Le Ricain]

Originally Posted by Pocus (Salle du Conseil - Forum Francais)
A préciser que le Général Winfield Scott est le même que le Scott de la guerre de 1812 (qui a son portrait dans BOA), où il était Lieutenant Colonel. En 46-48, il est général et mène une campagne superbe au Mexique. Enfin, en 1861, il est général en chef des armées de l'Union. C'est assez sidératif (ou fascinantesque) je trouve!

Yes, General Winfield 'Old Fuss and Feathers' Scott was a remarkable man. Two additional facts that may be interesting.

Winfield Scott holds the record in the American Army as the longest serving general. He held the rank of general for 47 years (1814 - 1861).

During the AWI and the early War of 1812, the Americans never once defeated a force of British Regulars that was equal or larger in size than the American force. American victories depended on quantity rather than quality in the troops. Scott attributed this failing to lack of training and leadership and not lack of character of the American soldiers. The British Army tended to favour the latter point as demonstrating the superiority of professional soldiers over citizen soldiers.

Prior to the Niagra Campaign (BOA scenerio) Scott persuaded his superiors to allow him to conduct an intensive training programme for his command. In Buffalo, New York, he trained his troops for ten hours a day using the 1791 Manual of the French Revolutionary Army. Due to a lack of blue uniforms, Scott dressed his brigade in gray uniforms. Gray uniforms were normally reserved for militia units.

On 5th July, 1814, Scott's 1st Brigade US Army (1,300 men) encountered the British force under the command of General Riall at the battle of Chippawa. Riall's force (1,500 men) consisted of the 1st Bn Royal Scots, 100th RGT and 1st Bn 8th (King's) RGT. The 1st Brigade was able to extend its flanks in the face of heavy British cannon fire. The Americans out maneuvered the British and ended up out flanking them on both ends of their line. After taking heavy casualties, the British force was routed from the field.

Scott demonstrated that an American force if properly led and trained was the equal of Britsh regulars. To the present day, the cadets of the US Military Academy at West Point wear gray dress uniforms in honour of Scott and the battle of Chippawa.

A small note for AACW: the Union General Hancock's given names were Winfield Scott Hancock.

[WallysWorld]

Scott's "Anaconda Plan" was the plan ultimately used by the Union to defeat the South even though it was derided at the beginning. Quite the general!

But as a Canadian, I'm glad the British stopped him at Lundy's Lane otherwise Canada might not exist as it does today.

In my opinion, a great 'if' of history is if Major-General Sir Isaac Brock (my favorite war hero) would have lived past 1812 and met Scott in battle.

[Le Ricain]

Scott's "Anaconda Plan" was the plan ultimately used by the Union to defeat the South even though it was derided at the beginning. Quite the general!

But as a Canadian, I'm glad the British stopped him at Lundy's Lane otherwise Canada might not exist as it does today.

In my opinion, a great 'if' of history is if Major-General Sir Isaac Brock (my favorite war hero) would have lived past 1812 and met Scott in battle.

Yes and if Scott had not been wounded at Lundy's Lane who knows what would have happened.

[WallysWorld]

Yes, indeed.

A single bullet or cannonball can sometimes affect the outcome of an entire war.