Brief guide to manuscripts collections| William L. Clements Library The University of Michigan Winfield Scott Papers |
Winfield Scott saw active duty in the United States Army for half a century, serving under every president from Jefferson to Lincoln. A native of Virginia, he joined the army in 1809. He was a brigadier general in the War of 1812, distinguishing himself at the battles of Chippewa and Lundy's Lane, 1814. He served in the Black Hawk War and in the campaign against the Seminole and Creek Indians. Scott performed valuable service as a peacemaker in the Anglo-American dispute over the Canadian border in 1838. He was appointed general in chief of the United States Army in 1841 and commanded in the Mexican War.
The Whig party nomiated Scott for the presidency, but he was decisively defeated by Pierce in the 1852 election. Scott again served as negotiator between the United States and Great Britain in the 1859 dispute over San Juan Island in Puget Sound. Although he was a southerner by birth, Scott remained loyal to the Union when the Civil War broke out. Despite his advanced years, he continued as commander of the army, making the initial preparations for the defense of the capital. He resigned in November, 1861, and five years later died at West Point.
Correspondence of Winfield Scott, general in chief of the United States Army.
This is a collection of miscellaneous letters, largely written by Scott and covering the whole of his long career. There are valuable items related to his expedition against the Creeks and Seminoles; his involvement in Whig politics, 1839-1840; the Anglo-American dispute over the Canadian border; and Scott's ideas of temperance and army discipline. There is very little of a purely personal nature.
Purchased, 1967-1977
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