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Intro

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This is a list of generals of the Continental Army, the national army of the United States during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). These general officers were commissioned by the Continental Congress, the de facto U.S. government during the war. Most of the generals were, when the war began, British subjects who resided in the Thirteen Colonies, although Congress also commissioned a number of foreign volunteers for service in the American army. Revolutionary War generals who served in state militias or in the allied French army were not officers of the Continental Army, although some Continental generals also held rank in these services.

Congress voted to establish the Continental Army on 14 June 1775; the following day, forty-three year-old George Washington was unanimously appointed "General and Commander in Chief" of the army, "to command all the continental forces, raised, or to be raised, for the defense of American liberty."[1] Washington, expressing misgivings about his abilities, accepted the command and offered to serve without salary. (Ferling 44) a position he held throughout the war. Although others had hoped to receive that appointment,

Initial appointments:
Continental Army generals in April 1775
Name Rank Colony
George Washington 01C in C Virginia
Artemas Ward 02Maj. Gen. Massachusetts
Charles Lee 03Maj. Gen. Virginia
Philip Schuyler 04Maj. Gen. New York
Israel Putnam 05Maj. Gen. Connecticut
Horatio Gates 06Brig. Gen. and
Adjutant General		 Virginia
Seth Pomeroy 07Brig. Gen.
(declined)		 Massachusetts
John Thomas 08Brig. Gen. Massachusetts
Richard Montgomery 09Brig. Gen. New York
David Wooster 10Brig. Gen. Connecticut
William Heath 11Brig. Gen. Massachusetts
Joseph Spencer 12Brig. Gen. Connecticut
John Sullivan 13Brig. Gen. New Hampshire
Nathanael Greene 14Brig. Gen. Rhode Island

a Virginian, was selected in part because the soldiers already opposing the British Army at the siege of Boston] were primarily from New England, and so

Ranking just below Washington were the major generals. Four major generals were appointed in April 1775 soon after the creation of the army. Artemas Ward, already in command at Boston, received the first appointment. Charles Lee, a former British Army officer highly recommended by Washington, was named the second major general. Philip Schuyler of New York and Israel Putnam of Connecticut, who were from colonies with significant numbers of troops already in the field, were the third and fourth major generals. Thereafter, most major generals in the Continental Army reached that rank by promotion from the lower rank of brigadier general rather than by direct appointment. The first major general to be promoted from the lower rank of brigadier general was Richard Montgomery. He was killed in 1775 while leading the assault against Quebec, becoming the highest ranked Continental Army officer to be killed in action.

Brigadier generals

Ranking below major generals were brigadier generals. The initial selection process entailed much political maneuvering. On 22 June 1775, Seth Pomeroy was the first to be appointed as a brigadier general, but he did not accept the position, and instead served as a major general in the Massachusetts militia.

Horatio Gates Washington had no serious rival for the position. In 1758, near the end of that war he temporarily commanded a brigade, the only American to have commanded that large a force. (Wright 26)

Seniority
Foreign volunteers

Complete list

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Highest rank color code:

  Commander-in-chief
  Major General
  Brevet Major General
  Brigadier General
  Brevet Brigadier General

Abbreviations in "Service notes" column:

  • BA: held a commission in the British Army
  • CC: member of the Continental or Confederation Congress
  • CMa: faced a court-martial but was acquitted
  • CMx: court-martialed and convicted of some charge
  • F&I: served in the French and Indian War (North America)
  • 7Y: served in the Seven Years' War (Europe)
Casualties
  • KIA: killed in action or died of wounds received in battle
  • POW: prisoner of war at some point (most were released in prisoner exchanges)
  • POW†: died in captivity
  • RIP: died during the war from non-battle related causes
  • WIA: wounded in action
# Name Highest rank Date of rank[2] Served until Place of birth
(place served from, if different) 		Year of birth Year of death Casualty? Service notes
1 George Washington 1C in C 15 June 1775 1783 Virginia 1732 1799 CC, F&I
2 Artemas Ward 2Maj. Gen. 17 June 1775 1776 Massachusetts 1727 1800 CC, F&I
3 Charles Lee 2Maj. Gen. 17 June 1775 1780 England 1732 1782 POW BA, CMc, F&I
4 Philip Schuyler 2Maj. Gen. 19 June 1775 1779 New York 1733 1804 CMa, CC
5 Israel Putnam 2Maj. Gen. 19 June 1775 1783 Massachusetts
(Connecticut)		 1718 1790
6 Richard Montgomery 2Maj. Gen. 9 December 1775 1775 Ireland 1738 1775 KIA BA, F&I
7 John Thomas 2Maj. Gen. 6 March 1776 1776 Massachusetts 1724 1776 RIP no ANB
8 Horatio Gates 2Maj. Gen. 16 May 1776 1783 England 1728 (est.) 1806
9 William Heath 2Maj. Gen. 9 August 1776 1783 Massachusetts 1737 1814
10 Joseph Spencer 2Maj. Gen. 9 August 1776 1778 Connecticut 1714 1789 CC
11 John Sullivan 2Maj. Gen. 9 August 1776 1779 New Hampshire 1741 1795 POW CC
12 Nathanael Greene 2Maj. Gen. 9 August 1776 1783 Rhode Island 1742 1786
13 Benedict Arnold 2Maj. Gen. 17 February 1777 1780 Connecticut 1741 1801
14 William Alexander 2Maj. Gen. 19 February 1777 1783 New York 1726 1783 POW
15 Thomas Mifflin 2Maj. Gen. 19 February 1777 1779 Pennsylvania 1744 1800 CC
16 Arthur St. Clair 2Maj. Gen. 19 February 1777 1783 Pennsylvania 1737 1818 CMa
17 Adam Stephen 2Maj. Gen. 19 February 1777 1777 Scotland 1721 (est.) 1791 CMx
18 Benjamin Lincoln 2Maj. Gen. 19 February 1777 1783 Massachusetts 1733 1810 POW
19 Marquis de Lafayette 2Maj. Gen. 31 July 1777 1783 France 1757 1834 WIA
20 Philip de Coudray 2Maj. Gen. 11 August 1777 1777 France 1738 1777 RIP
21 Johann Kalb 2Maj. Gen. 15 September 1777[3] 1780 Bavaria 1721 1780 KIA
22 Robert Howe 2Maj. Gen. 20 October 1777 1783 North Carolina 1732 1786 no ANB, CMa
23 Alexander McDougall 2Maj. Gen. 20 October 1777 1783 Scotland 1732 1786 CC, CMx
24 Thomas Conway 2Maj. Gen. 13 December 1777 1778 Ireland 1735 1800 [4]
25 Friedrich von Steuben 2Maj. Gen. 5 May 1778 1784 Germany 1720 1794
26 William Smallwood 2Maj. Gen. 15 September 1780 1783 Maryland 1732 1792 W F&I
27 Samuel H. Parsons 2Maj. Gen. 23 October 1780 1782 Connecticut 1737 1789 No ANB
28 Henry Knox 2Maj. Gen. 15 November 1781 1784 Massachusetts 1750 1806
29 Louis L. Duportail 2Maj. Gen. 16 November 1781 1783 France 1743 1802 No ANB
30 William Moultrie 2Maj. Gen. 15 October 1782 1783 South Carolina 1730 1805 POW
31 Seth Pomeroy 3Brig. Gen. 22 June 1775 — Massachusetts 1706 1777 RIP F&I
32 David Wooster 4Brig. Gen. 22 June 1775 1777 Connecticut 1711 1777 KIA
33 Joseph Frye 4Brig. Gen. 10 January 1776 1776[5] Massachusetts 1711 1794 No ANB
34 John Armstrong 4Brig. Gen. 1 March 1776 1777[6] Ireland: Ulster
(Pennsylvania)		 1717 1795 CC
35 William Thompson 4Brig. Gen. 1 March 1776 1781 Ireland 1736 1781 POW, RIP no ANB
36 Andrew Lewis 4Brig. Gen. 1 March 1776 1777 Ireland: Ulster
(Virginia)		 1720 1781
37 James Moore 4Brig. Gen. 1 March 1776 1777 North Carolina 1737 1777 RIP
38 Frederick W. de Woedtke 4Brig. Gen. 16 March 1776 1776 Prussia 1740 1776 RIP no ANB
39 Hugh Mercer 4Brig. Gen. 5 June 1776 1777 Scotland 1725 (est.) 1777 KIA no ANB
40 James Reed 4Brig. Gen. 9 August 1776 1776[7] Massachusetts 1723 1807 no ANB
41 John Nixon 4Brig. Gen. 9 August 1776 1780[8] Massachusetts 1727 1815 WIA F&I, no ANB
42 James Clinton 3Bvt. Maj. Gen. 9 August 1776 1783 New York 1736 1812 WIA [9]
43 Christopher Gadsden 4Brig. Gen. 16 September 1776 1777 South Carolina 1724 1805 POW CC
44 Lachlan McIntosh 4Brig. Gen. 16 September 1776 1783 Scotland 1727 1806 POW
45 William Maxwell 4Brig. Gen. 23 October 1776 1780[10] Ireland: Ulster
(New Jersey)		 1733 1796
46 Matthias de Fermoy 4Brig. Gen. 5 November 1776 1778 Martinique 1737 (est.) ? "terrible officer"
47 Philippe Preudhomme de Borre 4Brig. Gen. 1 December 1776 1777 Liège 1717 ? charged with incompetence, resigned before inquiry
48 Francis Nash 4Brig. Gen. 5 February 1777 1777 Virginia 1742 1777 KIA no ANB
49 Enoch Poor 4Brig. Gen. 21 February 1777 1780 Massachusetts 1736 1780 RIP no ANB
50 John Glover 4Brig. Gen. 21 February 1777 1782 Massachusetts 1732 1797
51 John Paterson 3Bvt. Maj. Gen. 21 February 1777 1783 Connecticut 1744 1808 ANB: Brvt Maj. Gen. 30 September 1783
52 Anthony Wayne 3Bvt. Maj. Gen. 21 February 1777 1783 Pennsylvania 1745 1796 CMa, ANB:brevet mg
53 James M. Varnum 4Brig. Gen. 21 February 1777 1779 Massachusetts 1748 1789 CC
54 John Philip de Haas 4Brig. Gen. 21 February 1777 1783 Holland 1735 1786 No ANB, served from PA, little known about him
55 William Woodford 4Brig. Gen. 21 February 1777 1780 Virginia 1734 1780 POW† ANB:was originally below Muhlenberg, Weedon & Scott;
56 Peter Muhlenberg 3Bvt. Maj. Gen. 21 February 1777 1783 Pennsylvania 1746 1807 ANB: bvt maj. gen. 30 Sep '83
57 George Weedon 4Brig. Gen. 21 February 1777 1783 Virginia 1734 1793
58 George Clinton 4Brig. Gen. 25 March 1777 1783 New York 1739 1812 CC
59 Edward Hand 3Bvt. Maj. Gen. 1 April 1777 1783 Ireland: Leinster
(Pennsylvania)		 1744 1802 CC, ANB:brevet mg, September 1783
60 Charles Scott 3Bvt. Maj. Gen. 1 April 1777 1783 Virginia 1739 1813 POW
61 Ebenezer Learned 4Brig. Gen. 2 April 1777 1778 Massachusetts 1728 1801 No ANB
62 Jedediah Huntington 3Bvt. Maj. Gen. 12 May 1777 1783 Connecticut 1743 1818 ANB:3 October, bvt maj. gen.
63 Casimir Pulaski 4Brig. Gen. 15 September 1777 1779 Poland 1748 1779 KIA
64 John Stark 3Bvt. Maj. Gen. 4 October 1777 1783 New Hampshire 1728 1822 ANB: bvt mg gen 30 September 1783
65 Jethro Sumner 4Brig. Gen. 9 January 1779 1783 Virginia 1733 1785
66 James Hogun 4Brig. Gen. 9 January 1779 1781 Ireland ? 1781 POW†
67 Isaac Huger 4Brig. Gen. 9 January 1779 1783 South Carolina 1743 1797 WIA
68 Mordecai Gist 4Brig. Gen. 9 January 1779 1783 Maryland 1743 1792 no ANB
69 William Irvine 4Brig. Gen. 12 May 1779 1783 Ireland: Ulster
(Pennsylvania)		 1741 1804 CC
70 Daniel Morgan 4Brig. Gen. 13 October 1780 1783 Pennsylvania (?) 1735 (est.) 1802 POW
71 Otho H. Williams 4Brig. Gen. 9 May 1782 1783 Maryland 1749 1794 POW
72 John Greaton 4Brig. Gen. 7 January 1783 1783 Massachusetts 1741 1783 no ANB, promotion to bg came after war's end
73 Rufus Putnam 4Brig. Gen. 7 January 1783 1783 Massachusetts 1738 1824
74 Elias Dayton 4Brig. Gen. 7 January 1783 1783 New Jersey 1737 1807 no ANB
75 Charles T. Armand 4Brig. Gen. 26 March 1783 1783 France 1750 1793 no ANB
76 George Baylor 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 9 January 1777 1783 Virginia 1752 1784 POW, WIA no ANB
77 Daniel Brodhead 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 29 September 1776 1783 New York 1736 1809 CMa, bvt 30 Sep '83
78 Richard Butler 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 7 June 1777 1783 Ireland 1743 1791 bvt 30 Sep '83
79 Thomas Clark 5Bvt. Brig. Gen 5 February 1777 1783 North Carolina? 1741 1792 POW, WIA not in Purcell, Heitman doesn't list bvt
80 John Crane 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 1 January 1777 1783 Masachusetts 1744 1805 WIA bvt 30 September 1783
81 Samuel Elbert 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 5 July 1776 1783 Georgia 1740 1788 POW, WIA [11]
82 Christian Febiger 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 26 September 1777 1783 Denmark 1746 1796 POW , Bvt 30 Sep 1783
83 John Gibson 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 25 October 1777 1783 Pennsylvania 1740 1822 no ANB
84 John Gunby 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 17 April 1777 1783 Maryland ? ? ? no ANB
85 Moses Hazen 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 29 June 1781 1783 Massachusetts 1733 1803 BA, CMa
86 Richard Humpton 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 25 October 1776 1783 England 1733 (est.) 1804 BA, no ANB
87 Henry Jackson 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 12 January 1777 1784 Massachusetts 1747 1809 no ANB, bvt 30 Sep 1783
88 Michael Jackson 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 1 January 1777 1783 Massachusetts 1734 1801 WIA F&I, no ANB
89 Tadeusz Kościuszko 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 18 October 1776 1783 Poland 1746 1817
90 John Lamb 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 1 January 1777 1783 New York 1735 1800 POW, WIA bvt 30 Sep '83
91 Noirmont de la Neuville 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 1778-05-14 1778 France ? 1744 1800 (est.) 7Y
92 Monsieur de Laumoy 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 1777-11-17 1783 France ? 1750 1832 POW, WIA no ANB, bvt 30 Sep '83
93 George Mathews 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 10 February 1777 1783 Virginia 1739 1812 POW, WIA
94 Stephen Moylan 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 5 June 1776 1783 Ireland 1734 1811 CMa
95 John Neville 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 11 December 1777 1783 Virginia 1731 1803 POW bvt 30 Sep '83
96 Lewis Nicola 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 20 June 1777 1783 France ? 1717 1807 no ANB, 7Y ?
97 Matthias Ogden 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 1777-01-01 1783 New Jersey 1754 1791 POW, WIA no ANB, bvt 30 Sep '83
98 C.C. Pinckney 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 16 September 1776 1783 South Carolina 1745 1825 POW
99 William Russell 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 19 December 1776 1783 Virginia 1741 (est.) 1793 POW bvt 3 Nov '83, no ANB
100 William Shepard 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 4 May 1776 1783 Massachusetts 1737 1817 WIA F&I
101 Elisha Sheldon 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 1776-12-12 1783 Connecticut 1740 ? no ANB, bvt 30 Sep '80 (says Purcell following Heitman, which may be a typo)
102 Walter Stewart 5Bvt. Brig. Gen.[12] 1777-06-17 1783 Pennsylvania? 1756 (est.) 1796
103 Herman Swift[13] 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 1777-01-01 1783 Connecticut ? ? ? no ANB, bvt 30 Sep '83
104 Benjamin Tupper 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 1777-07-07 1783 Massachusetts 1738 1792 F&I, no ANB, bvt 30 Sep '83
105 Philip Van Cortlandt 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 21 November 1776 1783 New York 1749 1831 bvt 30 Sep '83
106 Goose Van Schaick 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 1783-10-1010 October 1783 1783 New York 1736 1789
107 Joseph Vose 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 30 September 1783 1783 Massachusetts 1738 1816 no ANB
108 Samuel B. Webb 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 30 September 1783 1783 Connecticut 1753 1807 no ANB
109 James Wilkinson 5Bvt. Brig. Gen. 6 November 1777 1778 Maryland 1757 1825

Foreign volunteers

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+

Generals by state

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State/colony Number of generals Generals Brevet generals
New Hampshire Stark, Sullivan
Massachusetts Ward, Seth Pomeroy (declined), Heath, John Thomas (general)|Thomas]],
Rhode Island
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Delaware
Maryland
Virginia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia

Notes

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  1. ^ Ferling, 43.
  2. ^ Date of highest rank, excluding postwar brevet
  3. ^ (ANB says 5 September)
  4. ^ Controversial promotion: see Conway Cabal
  5. ^ retired due to age
  6. ^ first one appointed brigadier?, resigned after others promoted to MG
  7. ^ career cut short by smallpox
  8. ^ retired due to injuries
  9. ^ ANB: bvt maj. gen. 30 Sep '83
  10. ^ forced to resign
  11. ^ Brev. Brig. Gen., 3 Nov 1783
  12. ^ Purcell says he was brevetted a brig. gen. in September '83, but Heitman does not mention this
  13. ^ Purcell gives his first name as "Herman", but Heitman uses "Heman" throughout.

References

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  • Dictionary of American Biography. New York: Scribner's, 1928–64. 11 volumes.
  • Garraty, John A. and Mark C. Carnes, eds. American National Biography. 26 vols to date. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN 0195206355.
  • Heitman, Francis B. Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army during the War of the Revolution. New, enlarged, and revised edition. Washington, D.C.: Rare Book Shop Publishing Company, 1914. Accessed via Google Book Search.
  • Purcell, L. Edward. Who Was Who in the American Revolution. New York: Facts on File, 1993. ISBN 0-8160-2107-4.
  • Wright, Robert K. The Continental Army. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, U.S. Army, 1983. Available, in part, online from the U.S. Army website.
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