Ulysses S. Grant photo

Executive Order

March 16, 1869

GENERAL ORDERS, NO. 18

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,

ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE

By direction of the President of the United States, the following changes are made in military divisions and department commands:

I. Lieutenant-General P. H. Sheridan is assigned to command the Military Division of the Missouri.

II. Major-General H. W. Halleek is assigned to the command of the Military Division of the South, to be composed of the Departments of the South and Louisiana, of the Fourth Military District, and of the States composing the present Department of the Cumberland; headquarters, Louisville, Ky. Major-General Halleek will proceed to his new command as soon as relieved by Major-General Thomas.

III. Major-General G. H. Thomas is assigned to command the Military Division of the Pacific.

IV. Major-General J. M. Schofield is assigned to command the Department of the Missouri. The State of Illinois and post of Fort Smith, Ark., are transferred to this department.

V. Brigadier and Brevet Major General O. O. Howard is assigned to command the Department of Louisiana. Until his arrival the senior officer, Brevet Major-General J. A. Mower, will command, according to his brevet of major-general.

VI. The Department of Washington will be discontinued and merged in the Department of the East. The records will be sent to the Adjutant-General of the Army.

VII. The First Military District will be added to the Military Division of the Atlantic.

VIII. As soon as Major-General Thomas is ready to relinquish command of the Department of the Cumberland, the department will discontinued, and the States composing it will be added to other departments, to be hereafter designated. The records will be forwarded to the Adjutant-General of the Army.

By command of General Sherman:

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Ulysses S. Grant, Executive Order Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/203519

Simple Search of Our Archives