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Question: Who were the only two U!.S!. Presidents to command military troops in the field while in office!?
I was reading a biographical article on President George Washington!. The article said that Washington (and Congress) put an excise tax into effect on alcohol which sparked protests and riots (known as the Whiskey Rebellion)!. The U!.S!. Army, at the time, was too small to send into the rebellious areas!. Therefore, it was brought about that each state could have Malitias!. After the Malitias were formed, President Washington marched with the forces into the rebellious areas!. The article then stated that Washington was one of only two U!.S!. Presidents to command military troops in the field while in office!. Who was the other President to do this!?!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
I think you were reading a copy of the Wikipedia article on the Whiskey Rebellion (http://en!.wikipedia!.org/wiki/Whiskey_Reb!.!.!. which states:
"This marked the first time under the new United States Constitution that the federal government used military force to exert authority over the nation's citizens!. It was also one of only two times that a sitting President personally commanded the military in the field!. (The other was after President James Madison fled the British occupation of Washington, D!.C!. during the War of 1812!.)"
However, Wikipedia is incorrect!. The American force defending the capitol was commanded by Gen!. William Winder and Commodore Joshua Barney!. They were pushed aside at the Battle of Bladensburg!. The defeat of the American force opened the way to Washington!. Madison, along with other government officials, fled before the British forces!.
If you say Madison personally commanded troops in the field, then you also have to say that Abraham Lincoln personally commanded troops in the field!. Lincoln, when Stonewall Jackson was threatening Washington, D!.C!., went to the front, which was just outside the capitol, to determine what was going on!. But, I can't find where Madison or Lincoln formally took command of military forces!.
Washington, on the other hand, formally commanded the close to 13,000 militia arrayed against the members of the Whiskey Rebellion!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I've gone through the list of U!.S!. presidents (in my head), and I can't think of another one who would have commanded troops "WHILE" he was president!. [maybe my head is defective - lol]
Perhaps the author of that article was wrong!. Not everything written in books or articles is correct!. I've found many errors in textbooks, newspapers, magazines, and internet articles!.
Many presidents had been soldiers earlier in their careers!.
Maybe that author was referring to James Madison in late August 1814 when British troops marched into Washington City and burned as they pleased!. There was no effective military resistance then, but Madison may have "commanded" a few men of his entourage as he hi-tailed it out of there!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
General & President Dwight Eisenhower!. WWII!?
Colonel and President Teddy Roosevelt was a Rough Rider in the Spanish American War!?
Genral & President Ulysses S!. Grant, American Civil War!?
There were tons of presidents in the military but as for actually "commanding"!.
No!.!.!.while IN office!?!?!?
President James Madison was in office during the War of 1812!.
He was actually there when the White House got burned down!.
So, I'd say he was actually "commanding troops in the field" in his own front yard!.
Tough question!. I'm not sure what the article meant or if it was correct!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Well, two Presidents saw enemy action while in office: James Madison at Bladensburg and Abraham Lincoln at Fort Stevens, but I don't know that either actually commanded troops!. I think Madison was with the senior commanders so he may have technically been in the chain of command, while Lincoln was just visiting the front lines!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
James Madison - Watched British troops set fire to the White House in 1812
Plenty of Presidents were in the military, but that's about the only thing I can find on US Presidents that actually led troops in combat while as President!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
There was no other the article was wrong!. Only Washington commanded troops while in office!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Washington and MadisonWww@QuestionHome@Com
Theodore roosevelt was a cavalry officerWww@QuestionHome@Com
It was Washington and I think it was James Monroe our fifth president who was in office during the war of 1812!.Www@QuestionHome@Com