Episode 1 of 2

Scott's Resignation

When: October 1861
Where: Washington, D.C.
Part of: Winfield Scott resigns as Commander of the United States Army

Winfield Scott submitted his resignation in October 1861, frustrated with his diminished standing; his retirement took effect on November 1, 1861.

Frustrated with his diminished standing, Scott submitted his resignation in October 1861, ending a tenure as Commanding General of the United States Army that had lasted since 1841. His retirement took effect on November 1, 1861, the date recorded for the succession to McClellan. The resignation submission and the effective retirement are distinct occurrences and are dated separately.

Sources

Winfield Scott Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-22
George B. McClellan Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-27

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.