\Lieu*ten"ant gen"er*al\ (j[e^]n"[~e]r*al).
An army officer in rank next below a general and next above a
major general.
Note: In the United States, before the civil war, this rank
      had been conferred only on George Washington and (in
      brevet) on Winfield Scott. In 1864 it was revived by
      Congress and conferred on Ulysses S. Grant, and
      subsequently, by promotion, on William T. Sherman and
      Philip H. Sheridan, each of whom was advanced to the
      rank of {general of the army}. When Sheridan was made
      general (in 1888) the rank of lieutenant general was
      suffered to lapse. See {General}.