Scott, Winfield 1786-1866
US general

Born near Petersburg, Virginia, he was admitted to the Bar in 1807, and obtained a commission as artillery captain in 1808. He became a national hero for his part in the War of 1812, rising from lieutenant-colonel to brigadier-general and distinguishing himself at the Battle of Lundy's Lane (1814). After framing the General Regulations and introducing French tactics into the US army, he commanded the war against the seminoles and the Creeks in Florida (1835-37), and helped to settle the disputed boundary line of Maine and New Brunswick (1839). He succeeded to the chief command of the army in 1841. In the Mexican War he took Vera Cruz (26 March 1847), put Antonio de Santa Anna to flight and entered the Mexican capital (14 September). Known as 'Old Fuss and Feathers' because of his insistence on military punctilio, he was an unsuccessful Whig candidate for the presidency (1852), and he retained nominal command of the army until October 1861. He was the most notable US military leader in the period between the Revolution and the Civil War.