Major General George B. McClellan to Edwin M. Stanton, March 9, 1862

HALL'S HILL, VA., March 9, 1862.

The SECRETARY OF WAR:

In the arrangements for the advance of to-morrow it is impossible to carry into effect the arrangements for the formation of army corps. I am obliged to take groups as I find them and to move them by divisions· I respectfully ask a suspension of the order directing it till the present movement be over.

 GEO. B. McCLELLAN,

 Major-General.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 5 (Serial No. 5), p. 739

Edwin M. Stanton to Major General George B. McClellan, March 9, 1862

WAR DEPARTMENT, March 9, 1862.

Major-General McCLELLAN:

I think it is the duty of every officer to obey the President's orders, nor can I see any reason why you should not obey them in present instance. I must therefore decline to suspend them.

 EDWIN M. STANTON,

 Secretary of War.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 5 (Serial No. 5), p. 739

Divisions of the Army of the Potomac

WASHINGTON, March 8. – The President’s war order No. 2, has ordered the army of the Potomac to be divided into Corps D’arme, commanded as follows:

1st Corps consisting of the four divisions commanded by McDowell.

2d. Of three divisions commanded by Gen. Sherman.

3d. Of three divisions commanded by Gen. Heintzelman.

4th. Of three divisions commanded by Brig. Gen. Keys.

5th. Banks and Shields’ divisions.  The latter  and Sanders’ to be commanded by Gen. Banks.

Capt Bell, of the 3d Pennsylvania Cavalry has been promoted to Major of the 3d Illinois Cavalry, in Halleck’s department.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 15, 1862, p. 4

Important Executive Orders

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

PRESIDENT'S GENERAL WAR ORDER, No. 2

EXECUTIVE MANSION,

Washington, March 8, 1862.

Ordered, 1. 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:

First Corps to consist of four divisions, and to be commanded by Maj. Gen. I. McDowell.

Second Corps to consist of three divisions, and to be commanded by Brig. Gen. E. V. Sumner.

Third Corps to consist of three divisions, and to be commanded by Brig. Gen. S. P. Heintzelman.

Fourth Corps to consist of three divisions, and to be commanded by Brig. Gen. E. D. Keyes.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, vol. 5, p. 18

From Washington

WASHINGTON, March 11.

The following orders by the President were published by authority in the Intelligencer this morning.  Their importance and bearing are manifest.

WAR GAZETTE, PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY.

EXECUTIVE MANSION,

WASHIGNTON, Jan. 27^th, 1862

THE PRESIDENT'S GENERAL ORDER NO. ONE.

It is ordered that on the 22d day of February, 1862, there be 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 Munfordsville, the army and flotilla at Cairo, and naval force in the Gulf of Mexico, be ready for a movement on that day.  That all the other forces both land and naval, with their respective commanders, obey the existing order for the time, and be ready to obey additional orders, when duly given.  That the heads of departments, and especially the Secretary of War and the Navy, with all their subordinates, and the General-in-Chief, with other commanders and subordinates of the land and naval forces, will severally be held to their strict and full responsibilities for the prompt execution of this order.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

THE PRESIDENT'S GENERAL WAR ORDER NO. TWO

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 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:

First corps to consist of four divisions, to be commanded by Maj. Gen. McDowell.

Second corps to consist of three divisions, to be commanded by Brig. Gen. Sumner.

Third corps to consist of three divisions, to be commanded by Brig. Gen. Heintzelman.

Fourth corps to consist of three divisions, to be commanded, by Brig. Gen. Keyes.

Ordered, second, that the division now commanded by the officers above assigned the command of corps, shall be embraced in and form parts of their respective corps.

Third, the forces left for the defence of Washington will be placed under command of Brig. Gen. James S. Wadsworth, who shall also be military Governor of the District of Columbia.

Fourth, that this order be executed with such promptness and dispatch as not to delay the commencement of the operations, directed to be undertaken by the army of the Potomac.

Fifth.  A fifth army corps, to be commanded by Major General N. P. Banks, will be formed from his own and General Shield’s (lat Gen. Lander’s) divisions.

Signed,

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

THE PRESIDENT'S WAR ORDER NO. THREE

EXECUTIVE MANSION,

WASHINGTON, March 12, 1862.

Maj. Gen. McClellan, having personally taken the field at the head of the army of the Potomac, until otherwise ordered he is released from the command of the other military departments, he retaining the command of the department of the Potomac.

Ordered, further, that the two departments now under the respective command of Gens. Halleck and Hunter, together with so much of that of Gen. Buell which lies west of a north and south line indefinitely drawn through Knoxville, Tennessee, be consolidated, and designated the department of the Mississippi; and that until otherwise ordered, Maj. Gen. Halleck have command of the 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, and the same be commanded by Major Gen. Fremont; that all commanders of departments after the receipt of this order respectively report severally and directly to the Secretary of war, and that prompt and frequent reports will be expected of all.

Signed,

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, March 13, 1862, p. 1