From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
During the
American Civil War , a department was a geographical command within the Union's military organization, usually reporting directly to the
War Department . Many of the Union's departments were named after rivers or other bodies of water, such as the
Department of the Potomac and the
Department of the Tennessee . The geographical boundaries of such departments changed frequently, as did their names. As the armies became larger Departments began to be subordinated to
Military Divisions , and the Departments were often sub divided into
Districts and from 1862
Subdistricts . Much information on Civil War departments can be found in Eicher & Eicher, Civil War High Commands .
Civil War
1861
Eastern Theater
Department of the East , to August 17, 1861 (Discontinued)
Department of Washington , April 9, 1861 - July 25, 1861 (Merged into Military District of the Potomac)
Department of Pennsylvania , April 27, 1861 - July 25, 1861 (Merged into Department of the Potomac)
Department of Annapolis , April 27, 1861, - July 19, 1861; renamed
Department of Maryland , July 19, 1861 - July 25, 1861, (Merged into Dept. of Pennsylvania)
Department of Virginia , May, 1861 - July 15. 1863 (Merged into Dept. of Virginia and North Carolina)
Department of Northeastern Virginia , May 27, 1861 – July 25, 1861 (Merged into the Military District of the Potomac)
Department of the Shenandoah July 19, 1861 - August 17, 1861 (Merged into the Department of the Potomac)
Military District of the Potomac July 25 - August 15, 1861: renamed
Department and Army of the Potomac , August 15, 1861 - June 27, 1865
Department of New England , Oct 1, 1861 - February 20, 1862. (Discontinued)
Department of New York , October 26, 1861 - January 3, 1863 (Merged into Department of the East)
Department of the Rappahannock , April 4, 1862 - June 26, 1862 (Merged into the
Army of Virginia )
Mountain Department , March 11, 1862 - June 26, 1862 (Merged into the
Army of Virginia )
Lower Seaboard Theater
Western Theater
Department of the Cumberland , September–November 1861;
Army of the Ohio , 1861 - October 24, 1862 (Renamed (Army of the Cumberland)
Department of the Ohio and Department of the Ohio (Louisville) , May 3, 1861 - March 11, 1862 (dissolved and merged into the Department of the Mississippi and the Mountain Department)
Department of Kentucky , May 28, 1861 - August 15, 1861 (Merged into the Dept. of the Cumberland)
Department of Western Virginia , October 11, 1861 - March 11, 1862. (Merged into Mountain Department)
District of the Kanawha , 1861-62 (Merged into Mountain Department)
Railroad District , 1861–62
Camp Carlisle, VA , later renamed Camp Willey, WV, 1861–64
Post at Grafton, WV , 1862
Post at Point Pleasant, WV , 1862
Trans-Mississippi Theater
Department of the West , to July 3, 1861 (merged into the Western Department)
Western Department , July 3 - November 9, 1861
Department of the Missouri , November 9, 1861–62
Department of Kansas , November 9, 1861–65
Department of New Mexico , to July 3, 1861, (merged into Western Department); Restored November 9, 1861 - June 27, 1865
Pacific Theater
Pacific Department , January 15, 1861 - July 27, 1865
District of California , January 15, 1861–64
District of Oregon , January 15, 1861- July 27, 1865
District of Southern California , September 25, 1861 - July 27, 1865
California Volunteers , August 1861 - 1866
Column from California , December 9, 1861–62
District of Humboldt , December 12, 1861 - 1869
1862
Eastern Theater
Department of North Carolina , January 7, 1862 - July 15, 1863 (Merged into Department of Virginia and North Carolina)
Middle Department , March 22, 1862 - June 26, 1862; consolidated
Middle Department and 8th Army Corps , June 26, 1862 - June 27, 1865
VIII Corps , July 12, 1862 - June 26, 1862
Railroad District, June 26, 1862 - Sept. 20, 1862
Department of the Rappahannock , April 4, 1862 - June 26, 1862 (Merged into the Army of Virginia)
Department of the Shenandoah , Recreated April 4, 1862 - June 26, 1862 (Merged into Army of Virginia)
Army of Virginia , June 26, 1862 - September 12, 1862 (Merged into Army of the Potomac)
I Corps, Army of Virginia from Mountain Department, June 26, 1862 - September 12, 1862 (renamed XI Corps)
II Corps, Army of Virginia from Dept. of the Shenandoah, June 26, 1862 - September 2, 1862 (renamed XII Corps)
III Corps, Army of Virginia from Dept. of the Rappahannock, June 26, 1862 - September 2, 1862 (renamed I Corps)
Department and Army of the Potomac, - 1865
Coast Division, - February 1862 (to Burnside's North Carolina Expedition)
Dix's Division, - March 22, 1862, (to Middle Department)
I Corps , March 3, 1862 - June 26, 1862 (to Army of Virginia)
I Corps, September 2, 1862 -
II Corps , March 3, 1862 - 1863
III Corps , March 3, 1862 - 1863
IV Corps , March 3, 1862 - August 1862, to Dpt. of Virginia
V Corps , March 3, 1862 - 1863
VI Corps , June 26, 1862 - 1863
IX Corps , July 22, 1862 - 1863
XI Corps , September 12, 1862 – 1864
Military District of Washington , 1862
Sturgis' Division - June 26, 1862 (Merged into Army of Virginia)
Defenses of Harpers Ferry, WV (Pleasant Valley, MD), 1862
Defenses of Washington , 1862-1863
Military Defenses, Southwest Potomac, 1862
Department of Virginia, - July 15. 1863
Lower Seaboard Theater
Department of Key West , February 1862 - March 15, 1862.(Merged into Department of the South)
Department of the Gulf , February 23, 1862 - June 27, 1865
Department of the South , March 15, 1862 - June 28, 1865
South Carolina Expeditionary Corps - April 1862
Western District, 1862
Southern District, 1862
Northern District, 1862
U.S. Forces, Edisto and James Islands, SC, 1862
posts at Hilton Head, SC, 1862–64
posts at St. Augustine, FL, 1862–63
posts at Fort Taylor, FL, 1862
posts at Fort Pickens, FL, 1862
Troops in West Florida - August 8, 1862 - 63(annexed to Dept. of the Gulf)
Western Theater
Department of the Ohio - August 19, 1862 - January 17, 1865 (Annexed to Department of the Cumberland)
[1]
District of Louisville, 1862
Railroad District of Western Virginia, Sept. 1862 - Jan 1863
District of Western Kentucky, 1862–63
Army of Kentucky, 1862–63
District of Central Kentucky, 1863
District of Ohio, 1863
Army of Ohio in the Field, 1863
(Military) District of Kentucky, 1863–65
Department of the Cumberland , October 24, 1862 - June 27, 1865
Mountain Department March 11, 1862 - June 26, 1862 (Merged into
Army of Virginia )
Department of Mississippi March 15 - September 19, 1862
Department and Army of the Tennessee , October 16, 1862 - August 1, 1865
Trans-Mississippi Theater
Department of the Missouri , 1862–65
Department of the Northwest September 6, 1862 - June 27, 1865 (merged with the Department of the Missouri)
Department of Kansas, - 1865
Department of New Mexico, to June 27, 1865
District of Santa Fe, - 1862
Eastern District of New Mexico, - 1862
Southern District of New Mexico, - 1862
post at Albuquerque, NM, - 1865
post at Fort Canby, NM, 1862–65
post at Fort Craig, NM, 1862–65
post at Las Cruces, NM, 1862–65
post at Los Pinos, NM, 1862–65
post at Fort Marcy, NM, 1862–65
post at Camp Mimbres, NM, 1862–65
post at Fort Sumner, NM, 1862–65
post at Fort West, NM, 1862–65
Pacific Theater
Pacific Department, - July 27, 1865
District of California, - 1864
District of Oregon, - 1865
District of Southern California, - 1865
California Volunteers, - 1866
District of the Humboldt, - 1869
Column from California, - August 30, 1862
District of Arizona , (headquarters at Franklin, TX) August 30, 1862 - 1865
District of Utah August 6, 1862 - July 27, 1865
1863
Eastern Theater
Department of the East , January 3, 1863 - 1873
District of Western New York, 1864–65
District of Northern New York, 1864–65
District of New Jersey, 1865
District of Rhode Island and Connecticut, 1865
District of Maine, 1865–66
District of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont, 1865–66
District of Northern and Western New York, 1865–66
District of Champlain, 1866
consolidated Middle Department and 8th Army Corps , June 26, 1862 - June 27, 1865
Defenses of the Upper Potomac, Jan 5 - Feb 1863. (Discontinued)
District of Delaware, 1863–65
Department and Army of the Potomac, - 1865
I Corps, September 2, 1862 -
II Corps , March 3, 1862 - 1863
III Corps , March 3, 1862 - 1863
IV Corps , March 3, 1862 - August 1862, to Department of Virginia
V Corps , March 3, 1862 - 1863
VI Corps , June 26, 1862 - 1863
IX Corps , July 22, 1862 - April 2, 1863 to Department of Ohio
XI Corps , September 12, 1862 – 1864
consolidated Department of Washington and XXII Corps , February 2, 1863 - 1865
Department of the Susquehanna , June 9, 1863 - December 1, 1864 (Changed to Dept. of Pennsylvania)
Department of Virginia - July 15, 1863
Department of North Carolina - July 15, 1863
Department of Virginia and North Carolina , July 15, 1863 - January 31, 1865
Lower Seaboard Theater
Department of the South, 1863- June 28, 1865
Western Theater
Department of the Monongahela , June 9, 1863 - April 6, 1864 (Merged into Dept. of the Susquehanna)
Department of West Virginia , June, 1863 - June 27, 1865
Department of the Ohio - October 16, 1863
District of Indiana, March 23, 1863 - June 5, 1863
District of Indiana and Michigan, June 5, 1863 - September 11, 1863
District of Indiana, September 11, 1863 - November 16, 1863
Railroad District of Western Virginia, - Jan 1863
District of Western Kentucky, - 1863
Army of Kentucky, - 1863
District of Central Kentucky, 1863
District of Ohio, 1863
Army of Ohio in the Field, 1863
(Military) District of Kentucky, 1863–65
Department of the Cumberland , 1863 - October 16, 1863
Department and Army of the Tennessee , 1863 - October 16, 1863
Military Division of the Mississippi , October 16, 1863 – August 6, 1866
Department of the Cumberland, October 16, 1863–65
Department of the Ohio, October 16, 1863–65
Department of the Tennessee, October 16, 1863–64
XIX Corps , 1864
Department of North Carolina , 1865
Trans-Mississippi Theater
Department of the Northwest, - June 27, 1865
Department of the Missouri, - 1865
Department of Kansas, - 1865
Department of New Mexico, to June 27, 1865
post at Albuquerque, NM, - 1865
post at Fort Canby, NM, - 1865
post at Las Cruces, NM, - 1865
post at Los Pinos, NM, - 1865
post at Fort Marcy, NM, - 1865
post at Camp Mimbres, NM, - 1865
post at Fort Sumner, NM, - 1865
post at Fort West, NM, - 1865
District of Fort Craig , August 27, 1864 – November 23, 1864
post at Fort Craig, NM, August 27, 1864 – November 23, 1864
Fort McRae, NM , Oct. 1863 - 1876
post at Franklin, TX , 1863-64.
Pacific Theater
Department of the Pacific - July 27, 1865
1864
Eastern Theater
Middle Military Division , August 6, 1864 - June 27, 1865
Department and Army of the Potomac, 1864 - June 27, 1865
Department of Virginia and North Carolina - January 31, 1865
Army of the James , April 28, 1864 - August 1, 1865
XVIII Corps , April 28, 1864 - December 3, 1864
X Corps , April 28, 1864 - December 3, 1864
XXV Corps , December 3, 1864 - May, 1865
XXIV Corps , December 3, 1864 - August 1, 1865
Expedition to Fort Fisher , December, 1864 - January 15, 1865
Lower Seaboard Theater
Department of the South, 1864 - June 28, 1865
U.S. Forces, Morris Island, SC, 1864–65;
posts at Hilton Head, SC, -1864
Northern District, 1864–65
District of Florida, 1864–65
Department of the Gulf, - May 7, 1864
Military Division of West Mississippi May 7, 1864 - May 1865 (Discontinued)
consolidated Department of Arkansas and 7th Army Corps, May 7, 1864 - March 21, 1865 (transferred to Military Division of Missouri)
District of Little Rock, May 7, 1864 - March 21, 1865
Fort Smith and Indian Territory, May 7, 1864 - March 21, 1865
Department of the Gulf, May 7, 1864 - May, 1865
Western Theater
Northern Department, January 12, 1864 - June 27, 1865
District of Illinois , 1864–65
Post at Camp Douglas (Post of Chicago), 1864–65
District of Indiana , 1864–65
Post at Rock Island Barracks, IL,
Post at Camp Carrington, 1864–65
Post at Evansville, 1864–65
Post at Indianapolis, 1864–65
Post at Madison, 1864–65
Post at Camp Morton, 1864–65
Post atBurnside Barracks (Indianapolis), 1864–65
Post at New Albany, IN, 1864–65
District of Michigan , 1864–65
Post of Detroit, MI, 1864–65
U.S. Forces, Johnson's Island, OH, 1864
Post at Johnson's Island, OH, 1864-65.
Post at Sandusky, OH, 1864-65.
Military Division of the Mississippi, - August 6, 1866
Department of the Cumberland, - 1865
Department of the Ohio, - 1865
Department of the Tennessee, - 1864; to Army of Georgia
XIX Corps , 1864
Army of Georgia , November 1864 - June 1, 1865
Trans-Mississippi Theater
Department of the Northwest, - June 27, 1865
Department of the Missouri, - 1865
Department of Kansas , 1864–65
consolidated
Department of Arkansas and
7th Army Corps , January 6, 1864 - May 7, 1864, to Military Division West Mississippi
District of Little Rock, January 6, 1864 - March 21, 1865
Fort Smith, April 17, 1864 - March 21, 1865
Department of New Mexico, to June 27, 1865
Pacific Theater
Department of the Pacific - July 27, 1865
District of California
District of Oregon
1865
Eastern Theater
Middle Military Division, - June 27, 1865
consolidated Middle Department and 8th Army Corps, - June 27, 1865
Department of Pennsylvania, - 1865
Department of Washington, - 1865
Department of West Virginia, - 1865
Department and Army of the Potomac, 1864 - June 27, 1865
Department of Virginia and North Carolina, - January 31, 1865
Army of the James, - January 31, 1865
XXV Corps, - January 31, 1865
XXIV Corps, - January 31, 1865
Expedition to Fort Fisher, - January 15, 1865
Department of Virginia and Army of the James , January 31, 1865 - April 19, 1865
Army of the James, January 31, 1865 - August 1, 1865
XXV Corps, January 31, 1865 - May, 1865
XXIV Corps, January 31, 1865 - August 1, 1865
District of Eastern Virginia, 1865
Sub District of Appomattox, 1865
Sub District of Holston, 1865
Provost Marshal field organizations, Bermuda Hundred, Drummondtown, Camp Hamilton, Norfolk, Onancock, and Petersburg, VA, 1865
U.S. Forces, Petersburg, VA, 1865
Defenses of Norfolk and Portsmouth, VA, 1865
Camp of Distribution, Richmond, VA, 1865;
Libby Prison , Richmond, VA, 1865
Norfolk Military Prison, VA, 1865
post at Newport News, VA, 1865.
post at Petersburg, VA, 1865.
Department of North Carolina , January 31, 1865 - April 19, 1865
Military Division of the James , April 19, 1865 - June 27, 1865
Department of Virginia , April 19, 1865 - June 27, 1865
Department of North Carolina , April 19, 1865 - June 27, 1865
Army of the James, April 19, 1865 - August 1, 1865
XXV Corps, April 19, 1865 - May, 1865
XXIV Corps, April 19, 1865 - August 1, 1865
Lower Seaboard Theater
Department of the South, - June 28, 1865
U.S. Forces, Morris Island, SC, -1865
(Military) District of Eastern South Carolina, 1865
District of Savannah, 1865
posts at Jacksonville, FL, 1865
Western Theater
Military Division of the Mississippi, - August 6, 1866
Department of the Cumberland, - 1865
District of East Tennessee, January. 4 - March. 17, 1865 (to Dept. of the Cumberland)
Department of the Ohio, - 1865
Department of North Carolina , 1865
Army of Georgia , November 1864 - June 1, 1865
XIV Corps - June 1, 1865
XX Corps - June 1, 1865
Department of Kentucky , February 10, 1865 - June 27, 1865
Trans-Mississippi Theater
Department of the Northwest, - June 27, 1865
Department of the Missouri, - June 27, 1865
Department of Kansas, - June 27, 1865
District of North Kansas, - 1865
Districts of South Kansas, - 1865
East Sub-district of Nebraska, - 1865
Department of New Mexico, to June 27, 1865 (became
District of New Mexico ,
Department of California ,
Military Division of the Pacific )
Military Division of the Southwest May 29, 1865 - June 27, 1865. (Territory in the Trans - Mississippi south of the
Arkansas River - Major General
Philip H. Sheridan . Merged into the
Military Division of the Gulf )
Pacific Theater
Department of the Pacific - July 27, 1865 (Merged into the Military Division of the Pacific)
Military Division of the Pacific July 27, 1865 - July 3, 1891
Department of California, 1865-1913
Department of the Columbia, 1865-1913
U.S. Forces, San Juan Island, 1865–72
Notes
^ Department of the Ohio (Cincinnati), 1862-63, Department of the Ohio (Knoxville), 1863-64, Department of the Ohio (Louisville), 1864-65, and Department of the Ohio (Lexington Branch), 1863-64. Records of United States Army Continental Commands, 1821-1920
^ "I. All of the Territory of Arizona lying north of the Gila River and west of the Colorado, except that portion occupied by Fort Mojave, which post at present is garrisoned and supplied from the Department of the Pacific, is hereby created into a new military district to be known as the District of Northern Arizona." - GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF NEW MEXICO, Numbers 27. Santa Fe, N. Mex., October 23, 1863. OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, vol 50, Part 2 (Pacific), Chapter LXII. CORRESPONDENCE-UNION AND CONFEDERATE. Page 653
References