Seniority was very important in Civil War armies. An officer’s seniority established by his commission date decided who would command when more than one unit led by officers of the same grade operated together.
Notes include dates for promotions to higher rank and transfers away from the Eastern Theater. Deaths are shown if they occurred during the time the officer was in that rank in the Eastern Theater. Captures and wounds are shown only if they ended that officer’s service in the Eastern Theater.
There were four grades of general that developed over time in the Confederate army. Brigadier General, the lowest grade, came into use early in 1861 to command Brigades of regiments. General, the highest grade, was developed next for the handful of army commanders. Major General, ranking between Brigadier and full General, began to be used when the army increased in size after the Battle of Manassas for commanders of a Division of two or more Brigades. Finally in October of 1862 Lieutenant General was established by law ranking between Major and full General and commanding Corps of two or more Divisions.
Brigadier Generals
Name |
Commision Date |
Notes |
| P.G.T. Beauregard | March 1, 1861 | Promoted to General July 21, 1861 |
| Richard H. Anderson | March 15, 1861 | Promoted to Major General September 14, 1862 |
| Robert Edward Lee | May 14, 1861 | Promoted to General June 14, 1861 |
| Theophilus H. Holmes | June 5, 1861 | Promoted to Major General October 7, 1861 |
| Henry A. Wise | June 5, 1861 | |
| Bernard Bee | June 17, 1861 | Killed July 21, 1861 |
| Richard S. Ewell | June 17, 1861 | Promoted to Major General January 1, 1862 |
| Benjamin Huger | June 17, 1861 | Promoted to Major General October 7, 1861 |
| Thomas J. Jackson | June 17, 1861 | Promoted to Major General August 7, 1861 |
| David R. Jones | June 17, 1861 | Promoted to Major General March 10, 1862 |
| James Longstreet | June 17, 1861 | Promoted to Major General October 7, 1861 |
| John B. Magruder | June 17, 1861 | Promoted to Major General October 7, 1861 |
| Daniel Harvey Hill | July 10, 1861 | Promoted to Major General March 3, 1862 |
| Robert A. Toombs | July 19, 1861 | Resigned March 4, 1863 |
| Jubal A. Early | July 21, 1861 | Promoted to Major General January 15, 1863 |
| Arnold Elzy | August 1861 | Promoted to Major General December 4, 1862 |
| Isaac Trimble | August 9, 1861 | Promoted to Major General January 17, 1863 |
| Joseph R. Anderson | September 3, 1861 | Resigned July 19, 1862 |
| William Mahone | September 16, 1861 | Promoted to Major General July 30, 1864 |
| Gabriel Rains | September 23, 1861 | To Torpedo Bureau 62-6 |
| James E.B. Stuart | September 24, 1861 | Promoted to Major General July 25, 1862 |
| Thomas F. Drayton | September 25, 1861 | To West December 1862 |
| Lafayette McLaws | September 25, 1861 | Promoted to Major General May 23, 1862 |
| Philip St-G. Cocke | October 21, 1861 | Suicide 61-12-26 |
| Nathan G. Evans | October 21, 1861 | To West 1863 |
| Robert E. Rodes | October 21, 1861 | Killed September 19, 1864 |
| Cadmus M. Wilcox | October 21, 1861 | Promoted to Major General August 3, 1863 |
| Lawrence O. Branch | November 16, 1861 | Killed September 17, 1862-9-17 |
| Edward Johnson | December 13, 1861 | Promoted to Major General February 28, 1862 |
| Maxcy Gregg | December 14, 1861 | Mortally Wounded December 13, 1862 |
| Raleigh E. Colston | December 24, 1861 | |
| Henry Heth | January 6, 1862 | Promoted to Major General February 17, 1864 |
| Walker, John G. | January 9, 1862 | To Trans-Mississippi November 1862 |
| George E. Pickett | January 14, 1862 | Promoted to Major General October 10, 1862 |
| Bushrod R. Johnson | January 24, 1862 | Promoted to Major General May 21, 1864 |
| Joseph B. Kershaw | February 13, 1862 | Promoted to Major General May 18, 1864 |
| Ambrose Powell Hill | February 26, 1862 | Promoted to Major General May 26, 1862 |
| James J. Pettigrew | February 26, 1862 | Killed July15, 1863 |
| Charles W. Field | March, 1862 | Promoted to Major General February 12, 1864 |
| Robert Ransom, Jr. | March 1, 1862 | Promoted to Major General May 26, 1863 |
| Charles S. Winder | March 1, 1862 | Killed August 9, 1862 |
| John Bell Hood | March 3, 1862 | Promoted to Major General October 10, 1862 |
| George H. Steuart | March 6, 1862 | |
| William B. Taliaferro | March 4, 1862 | To GA January 1863 |
| Seth M. Barton | March 11, 1862 | Captured April 6, 1865 |
| Paul J. Semmes | March 11, 1862 | Killed July 2, 186 |
| Wiliam N. Pendleon | March 26, 1862 | |
| Lewis A. Armisread | April 1, 1862 | Mortally wounded July 3, 1863 |
| John Echols | April 16, 1862 | |
| Roger A. Pryor | April 16, 1862 | Resigned August 8, 1863 |
| Thomas L. Clingman | May 17, 1862 | |
| Samuel Garland, Jr. | May 23, 1862 | Killed May 14, 1862 |
| John R. Jones | May 23, 1862 | Captured July 4, 1863 |
| Richard B. Garnett | May 23, 1862 | Mortally wounded July 3, 1863 |
| Wade Hampton | May 23, 1862 | Promoted to Major General August 3, 1863 |
| James Jay Archer | June 3, 1862 | Died October 10, 1864 |
| James l. Kemper | June 3, 1862 | to Reserve forces VA 63-9-19 |
| William D. Pender | June 3, 1862 | Promoted to Major General May 26, 1863 |
| Ambrose Wright | June 3, 1862 | |
| George B. Anderson | June 9, 1862 | Mortally wounded 62-10-16 |
| Beverly Robertson | June 9, 1862 | To SC October 1863 |
| Johnson Hagood | July 21, 1862 | |
| Micah Jenkins | July 22, 1862 | Mortally wounded May 6, 1864 |
| Fitzhugh Lee | July 24, 1862 | Promoted to Major General August 3, 1863 |
| Harry T. Hays | July 25, 1862 | Wounded May 1864 and transferred to Trans-Mississippi |
| William E. Starke | August 6, 1862 | Killed September 17, 1862 |
| William Barksdale | August 12, 1862 | Mortally wounded July 2, 1863 |
| Edward A. Perry | August 28, 1862 | To Invalid Corps fall 1864 |
| John Gregg | August 29, 1862 | Killed October 7, 1864 |
| Alfred H. Colquitt | September 1, 1862 | |
| Junius Daniel | September 1, 1862 | Killed May 12, 1864 |
| Joseph R. Davis | September 15, 1862 | |
| William H.F. Lee | September 15, 1862 | Promoted to Major General April 23, 1864 |
| William E. Jones | September 19, 1862 | Killed June 5, 1864 |
| Evander M. Law | October 10, 1862 | Wounded June 1864 and Transferred to SC |
| Alfred Cumming | October 29, 1862 | To West October 10, 1862 |
| George T. Anderson | November 1, 1862 | |
| Howell Cobb | November 1, 1862 | To FL October 1862 |
| Thomas R.R. Cobb | November 1, 1862 | Killed December 13, 1862 |
| John R. Cooke | November 1, 1862 | |
| Montgomery D. Corse | November 1, 1862 | Captured June 4, 1865 |
| George P. Doles | November 1, 1862 | Mortally wounded June 2, 1864 |
| John B. Gordon | November 1, 1862 | |
| Alfred, Jr. Iverson | November 1, 1862 | to GA October 1863 |
| James H. Lane | November 1, 1862 | |
| William H.F. Paxton | November 1, 1862 | |
| Carnot Posey | November 1, 1862 | Mortally wounded October 14, 1863 |
| Stephen Ramseur | November 1, 1862 | Promoted to Major General June 1, 1864 |
| Jerome Robertson | November 1, 1862 | To Texas Winter 1864 |
| Edward L. Thomas | November 1, 1862 | |
| Stephen D. Lee | November 6, 1862 | To West November 6, 1862 |
| John Pegram | November 7, 1862 | February 6, 1865 |
| William T. Martin | December 2, 1862 | Promoted to Major General November 10 |
| John D. Imboden | January 28, 1863 | |
| William Smith | January 31, 1863 | Promoted to Major General August 12, 1863 |
| Henry L. Benning | January 17, 1863 | |
| Robert F. Hoke | January 17, 1863 | Promoted to Major General April 10, 1864 |
| Samuel McGowan | January 17, 1863 | |
| William T. Wofford | January 17, 1863 | |
| John M. Jones | May 15, 1863 | Killed May 5, 1864 |
| James A. Walker | May 15, 1863 | |
| Matt W. Ransom | June 13, 1863 | |
| Alfred M. Scales | June 13, 1863 | |
| Lunsford L. Lomax | June 23, 1863 | Promoted to Major General August 10, 1864 |
| George W.C. Lee | June 25, 1863 | Promoted to Major General October 20, 1864 |
| Benjamin Humphreys | July 1863 | Wounded March 9, 1864, did not return |
| Henry H. Walker | July 1, 1863 | |
| Gabriel C. Wharton | July 8, 1863 | |
| Cullen A. Battle | July 20, 1863 | |
| Goode Bryan | July 29, 1863 | Resigned September 20, 1864 |
| William W. Kirkland | August 29, 1863 | To NC December 1864 |
| Eppa Hunton | August 9, 1863 | Captured April 6, 1865 |
| Matthew C Butler | September 1, 1863 | Promoted to Major General September 19, 1864 |
| Robert D. Johnston | September 1, 1863 | |
| William C. Wickham | September 1, 1863 | Resigned November 9, 1864 to join Congress |
| Armistead L. Long | September 21, 1863 | |
| Abner M. Perrin | September 10, 1863 | Killed May 12, 1865 |
| James B. Gordon | September 28. 1863 | Killed May 12, 1865 |
| Thomas L. Rosser | September 28. 1863 | Promoted to Major General November 1, 1864 |
| Leroy A. Stafford | October 8, 1863 | Killed May 5, 1864 |
| John T. Morgan | November 16, 1863 | |
| John T. Chambliss | December 19, 1863 | Killed Augist 16, 1864 |
| Nathaniel H. Harris | January 1, 1864 | |
| Robert H. Chilton | February 16, 1864 | |
| E. Porter Alexander | February 26, 1864 | |
| James Dearing | April 29, 1864 | Mortally wounded April 6, 1865 |
| John C.C. Sanders | May 1, 1864 | Killed August 21, 1864 |
| John Brafton | May 6, 1864 | |
| John McCausland | May 18, 1864 | |
| Clement Evans | May 19, 1864 | |
| Martin W. Gary | May 19, 1864 | |
| Bryan Grimes | May 19, 1864 | |
| William Terry | May 19, 1864 | |
| Stephen Jr. Elliott | May 24, 1864 | |
| Birkett D. Fry | May 24, 1864 | |
| William R. Cox | May 31, 1864 | |
| William G. Lewis | May 31, 1864 | |
| Robert D. Lilley | May 31, 1864 | |
| James B. Terrill | May 31, 1864 | 64-5-30 Posthumous promotion |
| William R. Terry | May 31, 1864 | |
| Thomas F. Toon | May 31, 1864 | Temp. until 64-8 |
| David A. Weisiger | May 31, 1864 | |
| Zebulon York | May 31, 1864 | |
| Rufus Barringer | June 1, 1864 | |
| James Conner | June 1, 1864 | |
| William MacRae | June 22, 1864 | |
| Bradley Johnson | June 28, 1864 | |
| George G. Dibrell | July 26, 1864 | |
| John Dunovant | August 8, 1864 | Killed October 1, 1864 |
| Walter H. Stevens | August 8, 1864 | |
| Philip Cook | August 5, 1864 | |
| Archibald C. Godwin | August 5, 1864 | Killed September 19, 1864 |
| Patrick T. Moore | September 20, 1864 | |
| William H. Wallace | September 20, 1864 | |
| Gilbert M. Sorrell | October 27, 1864 | |
| William H.F. Payne | November 11, 1864 | |
| Dudley M. DuBose | November 16, 1864 | Captured April 6, 1865 |
| James M. Goggin | December 4, 1864 | Captured April 6, 1865 |
| Jams P. Simms | December 8, 1864 | Captured April 6, 1865 |
| William McComb | January 1, 1865 | |
| Richard L.T. Beale | January 6, 1865 | |
| William H. Fomey | February 15, 1865 | |
| William R. Peck | February 18, 1865 | |
| Reuben L. Walker | February 18, 1865 | |
| William F. Perry | February 21, 1865 | |
| William P. Roberts | February 21, 1865 | |
| Young M. Moody | March 4, 1865 | |
| Theodore W. Brevard | March 28, 1865 | Captured April 6, 1864 |
Major Generals
Name |
Commission date |
Notes |
| Thomas J. Jackson | August 7, 1861 | Promoted to Lieutenant General October 10, 1862 |
| Gustavus W. Smith | September 9, 1861 | Resigned February 17, 1863 |
| Theophilus H. Holmes | October 7, 1861 | To Trans-Mississippi July 12, 1862 |
| Benjamin Huger | October 7, 1861 | To Trans-Mississippi July 12, 1862 |
| James Longstreet | October 7, 1861 | Promoted to Lieutenant General October 9, 1862 |
| John B. Magruder | October 7, 1861 | To TX October 1862 |
| Richard S. Ewell | January 1, 1862 | Promoted to Lieutenant General May 23, 1863 |
| David R. Jones | March 10, 1862 | Relieved October 1862 due to fatal disease. |
| Daniel Harvey Hill | March 3, 1862 | Promoted to Lieutenant General July 11, 1863 |
| Lafayette McLaws | May 5, 1862 | Relieved February 1864 |
| Ambrose Powell Hill | May 5, 1862 | Promoted to Lieutenant General May 24, 1863 |
| Richard H. Anderson | September 14, 1862 | Promoted to Lieutenant General May 21, 1864 |
| James E.B. Stuart | July 25, 1862 | Mortally wounded May 11, 1864 |
| John Bell Hood | October 10, 1862 | Promoted to Lieutenant General September 20, 1863 |
| George E. Pickett | October 10, 1862 | |
| John G. Walker | November 8, 1862 | To Trans-Mississippi November 1862 |
| Arnold Elzy | December 4, 1862 | To West 1864 |
| Jubal A. Early | January 17, 1863 | Promoted to Lieutenant General May 31, 1864 |
| Isaac Trimble | January 17, 1863 | Wounded July 3, Captured July 6, 1863 |
| William T. Martin | November 10, 1863 | |
| Edward Johnson | February 28, 1863 | |
| Robert E. Rodes | May 2, 1863 | Killed September 19, 1864 |
| Robert, Jr. Ransom | May 26, 1863 | Relieved, illness August 1864 |
| William D. Pender | May 27, 1863 | Mortally wounded, July 2, 1863 |
| William Smith | August 12, 1863 | Governor of VA January 1, 1864 |
| Wade Hampton | August 3, 1863 | To SC January 1865 |
| Fitzhugh Lee | August 3, 1863 | |
| Cadmus M. Wilcox | August 3, 1863 | |
| Charles W. Field | February 12, 1864 | |
| Henry Heth | February 17, 1864 | |
| Robert F. Hoke | April 4, 1864 | |
| William H.F. Lee | April 23, 1864 | |
| Joseph B. Kershaw | May 18, 1864 | Captured April 6, 1865 |
| Bushrod R. Johnson | May 21, 1864 | |
| Stephen Ramseur | June 1, 1864 | Mortally wounded October 19, 1864 |
| William Mahone | July 30, 1864 | |
| Lunsford L. Lomax | August 10, 1864 | |
| Matthew C. Butler | September 19, 1864 | |
| George W.C. Lee | October 20, 1864 | Captured April 6, 1865 |
| Thomas L. Rosser | November 1, 1864 |
Lieutenant Generals
| Thomas J. Jackson | October 10, 1862 | Mortally wounded May 5, 1862 |
| James Longstreet | October 9, 1862 | |
| Richard S. Ewell | May 23, 1863 | Captured April 6, 1865 |
| Ambrose Powell Hill | May 24, 1863 | Killed April 2, 1865 |
| Daniel Harvey Hill | July 11, 1863 | Transferred to the West August 1863 |
| John Bell Hood | September 20, 1863 | Transferred to the West October 1863 |
| Richard H. Anderson | May 21, 1864 | |
| Jubal A. Early | May 31, 1864 |
Generals
Five full Generals were created in early 1861, a sixth was added in 1862 and another was given temporary rank in 1864. Not all served in that rank in the Eastern Theater, but all are shown here. See here for more information about the Rank of Full General in the Confederate States Army.
Name |
Comission Date |
Notes |
| Samuel Cooper | May 16, 1861 | Adjutant General, Inspector General and highest ranking officer of the Confederate Army, |
| Albert Sidney Johnston | May 30, 1861 | Western Theater. Killed April 6, 1862 |
| Robert E. Lee | June 14 | Army of Northern Virginia June 1, 1862; surrendered April 9, 1865. |
| Joseph E. Johnston | July 4, 1861 | Department of the Potomac July 21, 1861; wounded May 31, 1862 |
| Pierre G.T. Beauregard | July 21, 1861 | Army of the Potomac July 20; Transferred to the West on March 14, 1862. |
| Braxton Bragg | April 12, 1862 | Relieved of Army command February 1864 but retained rank as advisor to President Davis |
| John Bell Hood | July 18, 1864 | Relieved on January 23, 1865 and reverted to Lieutenant General |