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Happy Birthday (1786) to Winfield Scott, General of the Armies of the United States, born at his father's farm near Petersburg, Virginia.

It's really a shame that the only photographs we have of General Scott were taken after his glory days on the battlefield - all we see today is an obese old man who needed a block and tackle to simply mount a horse.

But he was the premier American soldier during the first half of the 19th Century.  At Lundy's Lane during the War of 1812 he was twice wounded while halting a British attack.  He was the acknowledged genius of the Mexican War launching a campaign that began with an amphibious assault and culminating with the capture of Mexico City.

In the 1859 "Pig War", Scott traveled to the San Juan Islands in Washington Territory to avert war with England.  A young officer in command there, George Pickett, apparently believed a common enemy would unite our country which was on the brink of dissolution.

By the time of our civil war, Scott has 75 years old, 350 pounds, afflicted with dropsy, but mentally acute.  His vision of a four year war and a strategy based on the "Anaconda Plan" was ridiculed and he was forced into retirement to be replaced by the "Young Napoleon" George McClellan.








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