Winfield scott biography civil war christopher

When the American Civil War finally erupted, Scott devised a long-term plan to strangle the Confederacy by blockading Southern seaports.

He was an active general for longer than anyone else in American history.

This painting of Scott was done by Robert Walter Weir in Image Source: Wikimedia. Winfield Scott was a significant military leader from the War of to the beginning of the Civil War. Scott served as an officer in the United States Army for more than 53 years. Winfield Scott is probably the most important military leader in the United States from the time of the War of until the opening days of the Civil War.

He came from a wealthy family in Virginia, and his father was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. He studied at the College of William and Mary and practiced as a lawyer until when he joined the military. Over time, he gained fame as a hero of the War of and rose in the ranks. In , he helped avoid the outbreak of war during the Nullification Crisis in South Carolina.

In , he was named Commander of the United States Army. As commander, he led American forces to victory in several key battles during the Mexican-American War. His popularity allowed him to run as the Whig Party candidate for President in , but he lost to Franklin Pierce. Scott returned to the military and when the Secession Crisis emerged in he urged President James Buchanan to prepare for war.

Winfield Scott (June 13, – May 29, ) was an American military commander and political candidate.

Under his plan, the Union would use the navy to blockade Southern ports. He continued to provide advice to President Lincoln, and when the Union finally implemented the Anaconda Plan it helped win the war. Scott passed away not long after the war ended.