Winfield Scott

Winfield Scott (February 26, 1837 – October 19, 1910) was an American Baptist minister, military officer, and politician. Shortly after graduating from seminary and taking his first job as a pastor, he left his church to lead a company during the American Civil War. Injuries sustained on the battlefield eventually led to his discharge from the military. Following the war, Scott moved to Kansas where he grew one church and established several others.

Scott continued in ministerial and evangelical efforts in Colorado and California before becoming a U.S. Army chaplain. After retiring from the army, Scott moved to the Salt River Valley where he founded and was active in the early promotion of Scottsdale, Arizona. Scott is known to have preferred the style "Chaplain, U.S.A." to "Reverend" or "Pastor".

Early life Scott was born to James Burt and Margaret E. (Covert) Scott in West Novi, Michigan, on February 26, 1837. His family moved to Interlaken, New York when he was a child. Scott was baptized into the Baptist church in February 1853. He graduated from the University of Rochester in 1859 and Rochester Theological Seminary in 1861. Scott married Helen Louise Brown on July 13, 1859. The union produced four daughters. Scott's daughter Minnie was the wife of brigadier general Frank Herman Albright.

A Baptist church in Syracuse, New York called Scott as their pastor following his graduation from seminary. He left this position in 1862 to raise a company to fight in the American Civil War and was commissioned a captain in the U.S. Volunteers. Scott became known as the "Fighting Parson" while he commanded Company C, 126th New York Volunteers. He was elected to represent Maricopa County in the lower house during the 1899 session of the territorial legislature. During the session, he was a leader in efforts to limit gambling and the liquor trade but was unsuccessful in efforts to pass legislation limiting either. As part of his efforts, he announced his intentions to give a three-hour speech on the evils of gambling before the legislature but the session adjourned for the day five minutes after he began his speech. Ministerially, Scott was pastor of the Lone Star Baptist Church (now First Baptist Church) in Prescott from September 1899 till August 1900.