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Webster 1913 Edition

(lū̍-tĕn′ant jĕn′ẽr-al)

Noun.

An army officer in rank next below a general and next above a major general.

☞ In the United States, before the civil war, this rank had been conferred only on

George Washington

and (in brevet) on

Winfield Scott

. In 1864 it was revived by Congress and conferred on

Ulysses S. Grant

, and subsequently, by promotion, on

William T. Sherman

and

Philip H. Sheridan

, each of whom was advanced to the rank of

general of the army

. When

Sheridan

was made general (in 1888) the rank of lieutenant general was suffered to lapse. See