WASHINGTON, March 11. – The following orders by the
President were published by authority in the Intelligencer this morning. Their importance and bearing are manifest in
the Gazette published by authority:
President's General War Order, No. 1
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, January 27,
1862.
Ordered, That the 22d day of February, 1862, be the day for
a general movement of the land and naval forces of the United States against
the insurgent forces. That especially the army at and about Fortress Monroe;
the Army of the Potomac; the Army of Western Virginia; the army near
Munfordville, Ky.; the army and flotilla at Cairo, and a naval force in the
Gulf of Mexico, be ready to move on that day.
That all other forces, both land and naval, with their respective
commanders, obey existing orders for the time, and be reply to obey additional
orders when duly given. That the heads
of Departments, and especially the Secretaries of War and of the Navy, with all
their subordinates, and the General-in-Chief, with all other commanders and
subordinates of land and naval forces, will severally be held to their strict
and full responsibilities for prompt execution of this order.
(Signed.)
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
President's General War Order, No. 2
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, March 8,
1862.
Ordered, first, that the major-general commanding the Army
of the Potomac proceed forthwith to organize that part of the said army
destined to enter upon active operations (including the reserve, but excluding
the troops to be left in the fortifications about Washington) into four army
corps, to be commanded according to seniority of rank, as follows:
The first Corps to consist of four divisions, and to be
commanded by Maj. Gen. I. McDowell.
The second Corps to consist of three divisions, and to be
commanded by Brig. Gen. E. V. Sumner.
The third Corps to consist of three divisions, and to be
commanded by Brig. Gen. S. P. Heintzelman.
The fourth Corps to consist of three divisions, and to be
commanded by Brig. Gen. E. D. Keyes.
Second – That the divisions now commanded by the officers
above assigned to the commands of army corps shall be embraced in and form part
of their respective corps.
Third – The forces left for the defense of Washington will
be placed in command of Brig. Gen. James S. Wadsworth, who shall also be
military governor of the District of Columbia.
Forth – That this order be executed with such promptness and
dispatch as not to delay the commencement of the operations already directed to
be undertaken by the Army of the Potomac.
Fifth – A fifth army corps, to be commanded by Maj. Gen. N.
P. Banks, will be formed from his own and General Shields' (late General
Lander's) divisions.
(Signed.)
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
President's War Order, No. 3
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, March 11,
1862.
Major-General McClellan having personally taken the field at
the head of the Army of the Potomac, until otherwise ordered he is relieved
from the command of the other military departments, he retaining command of the
Department of the Potomac. Ordered
further, That the departments now under the respective commands of Generals
Halleck and Hunter, together with so much of that under General Buell as lies
west of a north and south line indefinitely drawn through Knoxville, Tenn., be
consolidated and designated the Department of the Mississippi, and that, until
otherwise ordered, Major-General Halleck have command of said department. Ordered also, That the country west of the
Department of the Potomac and east of the Department of the Mississippi be a
military department, to be called the Mountain Department, and that the same be
commanded by Major-General Fremont. That
all the commanders of departments, after the receipt of this order by them,
respectively report severally and directly to the Secretary of War, and that
prompt, full, and frequent reports will be expected of all and each of them.
(Signed)
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye,
Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 15, 1862, p. 3
