Congress enacted legislation authorizing the grade of General of the Army on July 25, 1866, and on that date the new grade was conferred on Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant . The grade was recognized and continued in various acts until the Act of July 15, 1870, which contained the requirement that "the offices of general and lieutenant general shall continue until a vacancy shall exist in the same, and no longer, and when such vacancy shall occur in either of said offices shall become inoperative, and shall, by virtue of this act, from thence forward be held to be repealed."
William T. Sherman, Grant's successor as Commanding General of the Army, was appointed as General of the Army on March 4, 1869, and upon his retirement in February 1884 was placed on the retired list as General of the Army. Under the provisions of the Act of March 3, 1885, authorizing the appointment of a "general of the Army on the retired list," this grade was also conferred on General Grant shortly before his death on July 23, 1885. The title ceased to exist as a grade of military rank at Sherman's death on February 14, 1891.
The insignia wasn't 5 stars for the three Civil War generals but they're still Generals of the Army and thus 5-star retroactively, no? Or is it a case of General of the Army not being the same thing as General of the Army?
According to Wikipedia yes, There's also been 5 five star admirals (Fleet AAdmirals) Dewey after Spanish-American war, and Leahy, King, Nimitz, and Halsey Jr during/after WWII
Arnold also became the only 5 star Air Force General when the Air Force was separated out from the Army post WWII.
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u/kosherhalfsourpickle 8h ago
I could be wrong, but there haven't been 5 star generals since World War II.