Who is Winfield Scott Hancock from Gods and Generals and what is their importance?

Winfield Scott Hancock served as the Lieutenant General of the United States Army before the Civil War. He led the U.S. forces in the Mexican war, and he was a national hero due to his victories there and in the war of 1812. Scott commanded Robert E. Lee in Mexico, after which, he offered him a position as his second-in-command when it became clear the war was coming. Scott recognized that he was getting too old to be in charge of another war and wanted Lee there to take the reins.