Sergeant major general

Sergeant major general is an archaic early modern and now mostly-unused military rank. The lieutenant general was essentially the captain general's right-hand man, the deputy commander of the entire army. Below him was another rank called the sergeant major general. This officer was responsible for handling the daily organization of the army, its formations and drilling the troops. The sergeant major general was not a deputy commander but rather the chief administrator of the army structure. A prominent example was Philip Skippon in the English New Model Army as organized by Oliver Cromwell.

Over the course of the 17th century, the increasing education and professionalisation of armies saw sergeant major general become the most junior of the general ranks. At the same time, the sergeant portion of the title was more and more commonly dropped; by the early 18th century, the rank's name had been permanently shortened to major general.