You are correct that it does not appear to happen...

I think one of the downfalls for "Commander" units in previous games was that they where one of the most powerful units on the field and the AI treated them as such.

However it is not just this change in ETW, you see the General specifically being left back, and occasionally being charged near a fight (as opposed to into the fight) to apply the morale bonus I guess...

My hope is that there is a good battlefield AI buried in there disguised by some last minute changes that have messed up it's decision tree and waiting to be unleashed...