Humanities › History & Culture Selected Union Generals of the Civil War Share Flipboard Email Print History & Culture Military History Civil War Battles & Wars Key Figures Arms & Weapons Naval Battles & Warships Aerial Battles & Aircraft French Revolution Vietnam War World War I World War II American History African American History African History Ancient History and Culture Asian History European History Genealogy Inventions Latin American History Medieval & Renaissance History The 20th Century Women's History View More By Kennedy Hickman Kennedy Hickman Facebook Military and Naval History Expert M.A., History, University of Delaware M.S., Information and Library Science, Drexel University B.A., History and Political Science, Pennsylvania State University Kennedy Hickman is a historian, museum director, and curator who specializes in military and naval history. He has appeared on The History Channel as a featured expert. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on July 03, 2019 01 of 15 Major General Irvin McDowell The Union's First Commander - Major General Irvin McDowell. Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives & Records Administration Leaders in Blue The Union Army employed hundreds of generals during the Civil War. This gallery provides an overview of several of the key Union generals who contributed to the Union's cause and helped guide its armies to victory. Irvin McDowell Dates: October 15, 1818-May 10, 1885 State: Ohio Highest Rank Attained: Major General Principal Commands: Army of Northeastern Virginia, I Corps (Army of the Potomac), III (Army of Virginia), Department of the Pacific Principal Battles: First Battle of Bull Run (1861), Second Battle of Bull Run (1862) 02 of 15 Major General George B. McClellan "The Young Napoleon" - Major General George B. McClellan. Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives & Records Administration George B. McClellan Dates: December 3, 1826-October 29, 1885 State: Pennsylvania Highest Rank Attained: Major General Principal Commands: Department of the Ohio, Army of the Potomac Principal Battles: Peninsula Campaign (1862), Antietam (1862) 03 of 15 Major General John Pope Major General John Pope. Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives & Records Administration John Pope Dates: March 18, 1822-September 23, 1892 State: Illinois Highest Rank Attained: Major General Principal Commands: District of North and Central Missouri, Army of the Mississippi, Army of Virginia, Department of the Northwest Principal Battles: New Madrid (1862), Island No. 10 (1862), Second Battle of Bull Run (1862) 04 of 15 Major General Ambrose Burnside Major General Ambrose Burnside. Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives & Records Administration Ambrose Burnside Dates: May 23, 1824-September 13, 1881 State: Rhode Island Highest Rank Attained: Major General Principal Commands: North Carolina Expeditionary Force,IX Corps, "Right Wing" Army of the Potomac, Army of the Potomac, Department of the Ohio, Principal Battles: First Battle of Bull Run (1861), New Bern & North Carolina coast (1862), Second Battle of Bull Run (1862), Antietam (1862), Fredericksburg (1862), Knoxville Campaign (1863/4), Wilderness (1864), Spotsylvania Court House (1864), Cold Harbor (1864), Petersburg (1864/5) 05 of 15 Major General Joseph Hooker Fight'n Joe - Major General Joseph Hooker. Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives & Records Administration Joseph Hooker Dates: November 13, 1814-October 31, 1879 State: Massachusetts Highest Rank Attained: Major General Principal Commands: III Corps (Army of Virginia), I Corps (Army of the Potomac), Grand Division (Army of the Potomac), Army of the Potomac, XX Corps (Army of the Cumberland), Northern Department Principal Battles: Peninsula Campaign (1862), Second Bull Run (1862), South Mountain (1862), Antietam (1862), Fredericksburg (1862), Chancellorsville (1863), Battle of Lookout Mountain (1863), Battle of Missionary Ridge (1863), Resaca (1864) 06 of 15 Major General George G. Meade Major General George G. Meade. Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives & Records Administration George G. Meade Dates: December 31, 1815-November 6, 1872 State: Pennsylvania Highest Rank Attained: Major General Principal Commands: I Corps (temporary), V Corps (Army of the Potomac), Army of the Potomac Principal Battles: Peninsula Campaign (1862), Second Bull Run (1862), Antietam (1862), Fredericksburg (1862), Chancellorsville (1863), Gettysburg (1863), Mine Run Campaign (1863), Wilderness (1864), Spotsylvania Court House (1864), Cold Harbor (1864), Petersburg (1864/5) 07 of 15 Major General Winfield Scott Hancock Hancock the Superb - Major General Winfield S. Hancock. Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives & Records Administration Winfield Scott Hancock Dates: February 14, 1824-February 9, 1886 State: Pennsylvania Highest Rank Attained: Major General Principal Commands: II Corps (Army of the Potomac) Principal Battles: Peninsula Campaign (1862), Antietam (1862), Fredericksburg (1862), Chancellorsville (1863), Gettysburg (1863), Wilderness (1864), Spotsylvania Court House (1864), Cold Harbor (1864), Petersburg (1864/5) 08 of 15 Major General Henry W. Halleck Old Brains - Major General Henry Halleck. Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives & Records Administration Henry W. Halleck Dates: January 16, 1815-January 9, 1872 State: New York Highest Rank Attained: Major General Principal Commands: Department of the Missouri, Department of the Mississippi, General-in-Chief (all Union armies), Chief of Staff (Union Army) Principal Battles: Corinth (1862) 09 of 15 Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant Sam Grant - Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Cold Harbor, 1864. Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives & Records Administration Ulysses S. Grant Dates: April 27, 1822-July 23, 1885 State: Ohio Highest Rank Attained: Lieutenant General Principal Commands: District of Southeast Missouri, Army of the Tennessee, Military Division of the Mississippi, General-in-Chief (all Union armies) Principal Battles: Belmont (1861), Forts Henry & Donelson (1862), Shiloh (1862), Corinth (1862), Vicksburg (1862/3), Chattanooga (1863), Wilderness (1864), Spotsylvania Court House (1864), Cold Harbor (1864), Petersburg (1864/5) 10 of 15 Major General Don Carlos Buell Major General Don Carlos Buell. Photograph Courtesy of the Library of Congress Don Carlos Buell Dates: March 23, 1818-November 19, 1898 State: Ohio Highest Rank Attained: Major General Principal Commands: Department of the Ohio, Army of the Ohio, Army of the Cumberland Principal Battles: Shiloh (1862), Corinth (1862), Perryville (1862) 11 of 15 Major General William S. Rosecrans Old Rosy - Major General William S. Rosecrans. Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives & Records Administration William S. Rosecrans Dates: September 6, 1819-March 11, 1898 State: Ohio Highest Rank Attained: Major General Principal Commands: "Right Wing" of the Army of the Mississippi, Army of the Cumberland, Department of the Missouri Principal Battles: West Virginia Campaign (1861), Iuka (1862), Second Corinth (1862), Stones River (1862/3), Chickamauga (1863) 12 of 15 Major General William T. Sherman Cump, Uncle Billy - Major General William T. Sherman. Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives & Records Administration William Tecumseh Sherman Dates: February 8, 1820-February 14, 1891 State: Ohio Highest Rank Attained: Major General Principal Commands: Department of the Cumberland, XV Corps (Army of the Tennessee), Army of the Tennessee, Military Division of the Mississippi Principal Battles: First Bull Run (1861), Shiloh (1862), Vicksburg (1862/3), Chattanooga (1864), Resaca (1864), Atlanta (1864), March to the Sea (1864), Carolinas Campaign (1865), Bentonville (1865) 13 of 15 Major General George H. Thomas The Rock of Chickamauga - Major General George H. Thomas. Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives & Records Administration George H. Thomas Dates: July 31, 1816-March 28, 1870 State: Virginia Highest Rank Attained: Major General Principal Commands: Right Wing of the Army of Tennessee, Center of the Army of the Cumberland, Army of the Cumberland, Principal Battles: Mill Springs (1862), Shiloh (1862), Corinth (1862), Perryville (1862), Stones River (1862/3), Chickamauga (1863), Chattanooga (1863), Resaca (1864), Franklin (1864), Nashville (1864) 14 of 15 Major General Philip H. Sheridan Little Phil. Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives & Records Administration Philip H. Sheridan Dates: March 6, 1831-August 5, 1888 State: New York/Ohio Highest Rank Attained: Major General Principal Commands: Cavalry Corps (Army of Potomac), Army of the Shenandoah Principal Battles: Pea Ridge (1862), Corinth (1862), Perryville (1862), Stones River (1862/3), Chickamauga (1863), Chattanooga (1863), Wilderness (1864), Spotsylvania Court House (1864), Yellow Tavern (1864), Cold Harbor (1864), Petersburg (1864/5), Winchester (1864), Fishers Hill (1864), Cedar Creek (1864), Five Forks (1865), Sayler's Creek (1865) 15 of 15 President Abraham Lincoln President Abraham Lincoln. Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives & Records Administration Abraham Lincoln Dates: February 12, 1809-April 15, 1865 State: Illinois Highest Rank Attained: President of the United States Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Hickman, Kennedy. "Selected Union Generals of the Civil War." ThoughtCo, Sep. 16, 2020, thoughtco.com/selected-civil-war-union-generals-4063156. Hickman, Kennedy. (2020, September 16). Selected Union Generals of the Civil War. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/selected-civil-war-union-generals-4063156 Hickman, Kennedy. "Selected Union Generals of the Civil War." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/selected-civil-war-union-generals-4063156 (accessed March 29, 2023). copy citation