Scott (1786-1866) served in the U.S. military for over fifty years, serving under every president from Thomas Jefferson to Abraham Lincoln. He wrote the first standard set of American military drill regulations. He was the Whig Party's candidate for the Presidency in 1852 but was soundly defeated by Franklin Pierce.

The horse in the statue was the subject of some controversy. The sculptor's research indicated that the General's preferred ride was a mare and he modelled the statue accordingly. Scott's descendants were offended since every other statue of a general featured a stallion. Brown adapted the statue to make it a gelding with the body of a mare. Some reports claim he corrected his "mistake" after the statue was unveiled by sneaking back in the night to add the needed parts, but more reliable reports indicate it was done before the final casting.