Almost President: Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott gained fame as an American military commander who served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861. His nickname was "Old Fuss and Feathers" because he insisted on proper military etiquette. He was also called "the Grand Old Man of the Army" because of his many years of service. He commanded in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early stages of the American Civil War, as well as in a number of conflicts with Native Americans. But Scott was also the last presidential candidate from the Whig Party to receive any votes in the electoral college. Although his party believed that they had secured the best possible candidate in the 1852 election, and that he had a far better record than his opponent Democrat Franklin Pierce, the tide had turned and Scott received 212 fewer electoral college votes than Pierce, losing that count by a score of 254 to 42.
Winfield Scott was born on June 13, 1786 near Petersburg, Virginia. He was the fifth child of William Scott, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, and Anna Mason. After training as a lawyer and brief militia service, he joined the army in 1808 as a captain of the light artillery. In the War of 1812, Scott served on the Canadian front, taking part in the Battle of Queenston Heights and the Battle of Fort George. He was promoted to brigadier general in early 1814. Scott was commended for his bravery at the Battle of Chippawa. He was badly wounded in the subsequent Battle of Lundy's Lane.
After the war ended, Scott was assigned to command army forces in a district containing much of the Northeastern United States. He married Maria DeHart Mayo in 1817 and Scott and his family made their home near New York City. During the 1830s, Scott negotiated an end to the Black Hawk War. He also took part in the Second Seminole War and the Creek War of 1836. A black mark on his historical reputation was his presiding over the forced removal of the Cherokee in the Trail of Tears. Scott later helped to prevent war with Britain, defusing tensions arising from the Patriot War and the Aroostook War.
In 1841, Scott became the Commanding General of the United States Army. When the Mexican–American War broke out in 1846, Scott was confined to an administrative role at first, but in 1847 he led a campaign against the Mexican capital of Mexico City. After capturing the port city of Veracruz, he defeated Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna's armies at the Battles of Cerro Gordo, Contreras, and Churubusco. He then captured Mexico City, after which he maintained order in the Mexican capital and indirectly helped envoy Nicholas Trist negotiate the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which brought an end to the war. In order to achieve military victory, Scott drew troops from the command of General Zachary Taylor. The move ultimately worked to Taylor's advantage however, as he was able to secure some amazing victories despite facing Mexican armies with superior numbers, and as a result it was Taylor who emerged from the war as the more popular general in the eyes of the public.
Scott unsuccessfully sought the Whig presidential nomination three times, in 1840, 1844, and 1848. Twice he lost to other Generals (William Henry Harrison in 1840 and Taylor in 1848). He finally won the party's nomination in 1852, but his timing was off, as the party was already dying off. The Whigs were badly divided over the Compromise of 1850, which cost the party support both in the north and in the south.
The Whigs' platform in the election was almost indistinguishable from that of the Democrats. As a result, Whigs made it a contest of personalities. Both candidates had been Generals in the Mexican War, but Scott had been Pierce's commander. The Whigs sought to portray Pierce as a coward (a notion dispelled by Ulysses Grant in his autobiography) because Pierce had been injured in battle when a horse was shot out from under him, and unable to fight as a result. They also said that Pierce was an alcoholic (something that was likely very true), calling him "the hero of many a well-fought bottle." The attacks against Pierce didn't help. Democrats attacked Scott for various incidents from his long public career, including his court-martial in 1809 and the hanging of members of the Saint Patrick's Battalion during the Mexican–American War. Voter turnout was at its lowest level since 1836. Scott's antislavery reputation decimated the Southern Whig vote, while his party's pro-slavery platform undermined the Northern Whig vote. Franklin Pierce won a decisive victory over his former commander. Pierce won 50.8% of the popular vote (to 43.9% for Scott) and won the electoral college by a margin of 254 to 42.
Scott remained in the army and in 1855 he received a brevet promotion to the rank of lieutenant general. This made him the the first U.S. Army officer to hold that rank since George Washington. In 1859 he peacefully resolved the conflict known a "the Pig War," the last in a series of British-American border conflicts.
Despite being a Virginia native, Scott stayed loyal to the Union when the Civil War broke out. By then he was too old and had grown too large to be able to ride a horse. But he served as an important adviser to President Abraham Lincoln during the opening stages of the war. He developed a strategy known as the Anaconda Plan. Scott retired in late 1861 and Lincoln turned to General George B. McClellan for military advice and leadership. After McClellan's defeat in the Seven Days Battles, Lincoln accepted Scott's advice and appointed General Halleck as the army's senior general. In 1864, Scott sent a copy of his newly published memoirs to Ulysses S. Grant, who had succeeded Halleck as the lead Union general. The copy that Scott sent was inscribed, "from the oldest to the greatest general."
In retirement, he lived in West Point, New York. He died on May 29, 1866, two weeks shy of his 80th birthday. Scott's military talent was highly regarded and many military historians generally consider him to be one of the most accomplished generals in U.S. history.
Winfield Scott was born on June 13, 1786 near Petersburg, Virginia. He was the fifth child of William Scott, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, and Anna Mason. After training as a lawyer and brief militia service, he joined the army in 1808 as a captain of the light artillery. In the War of 1812, Scott served on the Canadian front, taking part in the Battle of Queenston Heights and the Battle of Fort George. He was promoted to brigadier general in early 1814. Scott was commended for his bravery at the Battle of Chippawa. He was badly wounded in the subsequent Battle of Lundy's Lane.
After the war ended, Scott was assigned to command army forces in a district containing much of the Northeastern United States. He married Maria DeHart Mayo in 1817 and Scott and his family made their home near New York City. During the 1830s, Scott negotiated an end to the Black Hawk War. He also took part in the Second Seminole War and the Creek War of 1836. A black mark on his historical reputation was his presiding over the forced removal of the Cherokee in the Trail of Tears. Scott later helped to prevent war with Britain, defusing tensions arising from the Patriot War and the Aroostook War.
In 1841, Scott became the Commanding General of the United States Army. When the Mexican–American War broke out in 1846, Scott was confined to an administrative role at first, but in 1847 he led a campaign against the Mexican capital of Mexico City. After capturing the port city of Veracruz, he defeated Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna's armies at the Battles of Cerro Gordo, Contreras, and Churubusco. He then captured Mexico City, after which he maintained order in the Mexican capital and indirectly helped envoy Nicholas Trist negotiate the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which brought an end to the war. In order to achieve military victory, Scott drew troops from the command of General Zachary Taylor. The move ultimately worked to Taylor's advantage however, as he was able to secure some amazing victories despite facing Mexican armies with superior numbers, and as a result it was Taylor who emerged from the war as the more popular general in the eyes of the public.
Scott unsuccessfully sought the Whig presidential nomination three times, in 1840, 1844, and 1848. Twice he lost to other Generals (William Henry Harrison in 1840 and Taylor in 1848). He finally won the party's nomination in 1852, but his timing was off, as the party was already dying off. The Whigs were badly divided over the Compromise of 1850, which cost the party support both in the north and in the south.
The Whigs' platform in the election was almost indistinguishable from that of the Democrats. As a result, Whigs made it a contest of personalities. Both candidates had been Generals in the Mexican War, but Scott had been Pierce's commander. The Whigs sought to portray Pierce as a coward (a notion dispelled by Ulysses Grant in his autobiography) because Pierce had been injured in battle when a horse was shot out from under him, and unable to fight as a result. They also said that Pierce was an alcoholic (something that was likely very true), calling him "the hero of many a well-fought bottle." The attacks against Pierce didn't help. Democrats attacked Scott for various incidents from his long public career, including his court-martial in 1809 and the hanging of members of the Saint Patrick's Battalion during the Mexican–American War. Voter turnout was at its lowest level since 1836. Scott's antislavery reputation decimated the Southern Whig vote, while his party's pro-slavery platform undermined the Northern Whig vote. Franklin Pierce won a decisive victory over his former commander. Pierce won 50.8% of the popular vote (to 43.9% for Scott) and won the electoral college by a margin of 254 to 42.
Scott remained in the army and in 1855 he received a brevet promotion to the rank of lieutenant general. This made him the the first U.S. Army officer to hold that rank since George Washington. In 1859 he peacefully resolved the conflict known a "the Pig War," the last in a series of British-American border conflicts.
Despite being a Virginia native, Scott stayed loyal to the Union when the Civil War broke out. By then he was too old and had grown too large to be able to ride a horse. But he served as an important adviser to President Abraham Lincoln during the opening stages of the war. He developed a strategy known as the Anaconda Plan. Scott retired in late 1861 and Lincoln turned to General George B. McClellan for military advice and leadership. After McClellan's defeat in the Seven Days Battles, Lincoln accepted Scott's advice and appointed General Halleck as the army's senior general. In 1864, Scott sent a copy of his newly published memoirs to Ulysses S. Grant, who had succeeded Halleck as the lead Union general. The copy that Scott sent was inscribed, "from the oldest to the greatest general."
In retirement, he lived in West Point, New York. He died on May 29, 1866, two weeks shy of his 80th birthday. Scott's military talent was highly regarded and many military historians generally consider him to be one of the most accomplished generals in U.S. history.