On July 25, 1866, Congress created the rank of General of the Army for Grant and then promoted Sherman to lieutenant general. When Grant became president in 1869, Sherman was appointed Commanding General of the United States Army and promoted to General of the Army. After the death of John A. Rawlins, Sherman also served for one month as interim Secretary of War. His tenure as commanding general was marred by political difficulties, many of which stemmed from disagreements with Secretaries of War Rawlins and William W. Belknap, whom Sherman felt had usurped too much of the Commanding General 's powers, reducing him to a sinecure office. Sherman also clashed with Eastern humanitarians, who were critical of the Army 's killing of Indians and had apparently found an ally in President Grant. To escape these difficulties, from 1874 to 1876, he moved his headquarters to St. Louis, Missouri, returning to Washington only upon the appointment of Alphonso Taft as Secretary of War and the promise of more authority.
which president was the general in charge of the union army during the civil war
Grant Grant Grant