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in: Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Departments and districts of the United States Army

Department (United States Army)

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Department, is a term used, by the U.S. Army, mostly prior to World War I. In 1920, most of the departments were redesignated as corps areas. However, the Hawaiian, Panama Canal, and Philippine Departments retained their old names. In 1939, the Puerto Rican Department was created and in May 1941 the Panama Canal and Puerto Rican Departments were combined as the Caribbean Defense Command, although each was still referred to as a department.

1800s[]

War of 1812[]

The United States Army was divided into nine military districts by the War Department General Order, of March 19, 1813. They were increased to ten on July 2, 1814 but reduced to nine by consolidation of the 4th and 10th Military Districts on January 1815. Military districts were abolished, May 17, 1815.

1815-21[]

At the end of the War of 1812, Military districts were superseded by ten Military Departments, divided equally between Divisions of the North and South, May 17, 1815.

  • Division of the North, May 17, 1815 - May 1821
    • 1st Military Department, 1815–17
    • 2nd Military Department, 1815–18
    • 3rd Military Department, 1815–17
    • Consolidated 1st and 3rd Military Departments, 1817–19
    • Consolidated 1st and 3rd Military Departments, 1818–21
    • 4th Military Department, 1815–19
    • Consolidated 1st, 3rd, and 4th Military Departments, 1819–21
    • 5th Military Department, 1815-21.
  • Division of the South, May 17, 1815 - May 1821
    • 6th Military Department, 1815-1821
    • 7th Military Department, 1815-1821
    • 8th Military Department, 1815–19, 1820–21
    • 9th Military Department, June 1819 - June 1821
    • 10th Military Department, 1815-1821

1821-1837[]

Reorganization of the Army into Eastern and Western Departments, May 1821.

  • Eastern Department, 1821–37
  • Western Department, 1821–37
    • Right Wing, Western Department, 1832–37
    • Army of the Frontier, 1832
    • 1st Army Corps, North West Army, 1832
    • Army of the Southwestern Frontier, 1834–37

1837-1844[]

From 1837 to 1842, some of the Departments were subordinated to the Eastern and Western Divisions.

  • Eastern Division, 1837–42
    • 7th Military Department, 1837–41
  • Western Division, 1837–42
    • 1st Military Department, 1837–42
    • 2nd Military Department, 1837–42
    • 7th Military Department, 1841–42
  • 1st Military Department, 1843
  • 2nd Military Department, 1843–51
  • 3rd Military Department, 1842–48
  • 4th Military Department, 1842–53
  • 5th Military Department, 1842–52
  • 8th Military Department, 1842–46
  • 9th Military Department, 1842-45 (Florida)

1844-1848[]

The Eastern and Western Divisions were restored, until 1853.

  • Eastern Division, 1844–48
    • 5th Military Department, 1844–48
    • 8th Military Department, 1844–46
  • Western Division, 1844–48
    • 2nd Military Department, 1844–48
    • 3rd Military Departments, 1844–48
  • 4th Military Department, 1842–53
  • 9th Military Department, 1845
  • 10th Military Department, 1846 - 1853 (California and Oregon to 1848)

1848-1853[]

All departments were subordinated under one of three Divisions.

  • Eastern Division, 1848–53
    • 1st Military Department, 1848–53; consolidated 1st and 3d Military Departments, 1849–50
    • 2nd Military Department, 1848–51; consolidated 1st and 2d Military Departments, 1848–49
    • 3rd Military Departments, 1848, 1850–53
    • 4th Military Departments, 1848–53; consolidated 3d and 4th Military Departments, 1848
  • Western Division, 1848–53
    • consolidated 5th and 6th Military Departments, 1848
    • 5th Military Department, 1848–52
    • 6th Military Department, 1848–53
    • 7th Military Department, 1848–53
    • 8th Military Department, 1848–49, 1851–53
    • 9th Military Department, 1849-53 (New Mexico)
  • Pacific Division, 1848–53,(California and Oregon)
    • 10th Military Department, 1846 - 1853 (California and Oregon to 1848)
    • 11th Military Department, 1848 - 1853 (Oregon)

1853-1861[]

After October 31, 1853 the division echelon was eliminated and the six western departments consolidated into four (Departments of Texas, New Mexico, the West, and the Pacific), whose department commanders employed their troops as they saw fit. The system returned to six departments in 1858 when the Department of Utah was created in January, and the Department of the Pacific split into the Departments of California and Oregon in September.

1861-1865 Civil War[]

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, 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.

1865-67[]

  • Military Division of the Tennessee, 1865–67
    • Department of Alabama, 1865–66
    • Department of Georgia, 1865–66
    • Department of the South, 1866; to Third Military District
    • Department of Kentucky, 1865–66
    • Department of Mississippi, 1865–66; to Fourth Military District
    • Department of Tennessee, 1865–66
    • Department of the Cumberland, 1866
    • District of Tennessee, 1866
      • Sub-district of Tennessee, 1866
  • Military Division of the Gulf, 1865–66
    • Department of Arkansas, 1865; to Military Division of the Mississippi
    • Department of Louisiana, 1865–66; to Fifth Military District
    • Department of Texas, 1865–66; to Fifth Military District
    • Department of Florida, 1865–66; to Third Military District
    • Department of Mississippi, 1865; to Military Division of the Tennessee

Military Reconstruction from Mar. 22, 1867[]

1868-1904[]

  • Division of the Atlantic, 1868–91
    • Department of the East, 1868–73
    • Department of the Lakes, 1868–73
    • Department of Washington, 1868–69
    • 1st Military District, 1869-70 (Virginia)
    • Department of Virginia, 1870
    • Department of the South, 1876–83
    • Department of the Gulf, 1877–78
    • Department of the East, 1877–91
  • Division of the South, 1869–76
    • Department of the Cumberland, 1869–70
    • Department of the Gulf, 1871–75
    • Department of Louisiana, 1869–70
    • Department of the South, 1869–76
    • Department of Texas, 1870–71
    • 4th Military District, 1869-70 (Arkansas and Mississippi)
    • District of Baton Rouge, 1876
    • 1st Subdistrict of Georgia, 1870–71
  • Division of the Pacific, 1869–91
    • Department of Alaska, 1869–70
    • District of Arizona, 1869–70
    • District of the Humboldt, 1869
    • Sub-district of Southern Arizona, 1869-70.
    • Department of Arizona, 1870–91
    • Department of California, 1870–91
    • Department of the Columbia, 1870–91
  • Department of Texas, 1882-1904
  • Department of the East, 1891-1904
  • Department of the Platte, 1891–98
  • Department of the Missouri, 1891-1904
  • Department of Dakota, 1891-1904
  • Department of Arizona, 1891-1893
  • Department of California, 1891-1904
  • Department of the Columbia, 1891-1904
  • Department of Colorado, 1893-1904
  • Department of Alaska, 1900–01

1898-99 Spanish American War, Philippine Insurrection, Moro Rebellion[]

  • Department of the Lakes, 1898-1913
  • Department of the Gulf, 1898–99
  • Department of California, 1898
    • Military District of Hawaii Sept. 22, 1898 - to Nov. 7, 1898
  • Department of the Pacific and 8th Army Corps 1898- March 20, 1900
  • Division of the Philippines March 20, 1900 – 1911
    • Northern Luzon 1900-2
    • Department of Southern Luzon 1900-1901
    • Department of Visayas, 1900–11
    • Department of Mindanao and Jolo, 1900–14
    • Department of North Philippines, 1901-2
    • Department of South Philippines, 1901-2
    • Department of Luzon, 1902–14

1904-1911[]

The Army Departments were reorganized under new Divisions until 1907, when the Division echelon was disbanded.

  • Atlantic Division, 1903–07
    • Department of the East, 1903-13.
    • Department of the Gulf, 1904-13.
  • Northern Division, 1904–07
    • Department of Dakota, 1904–11
    • Department of the Lakes, 1904–11
    • Department of the Missouri, 1904–07
  • Southwestern Division, 1904–07
    • Department of Colorado, 1904-11.
    • Department of Texas, 1904-13.
  • Pacific Division, 1904–07
    • Department of California, 1904–13
      • District of Hawaii, 1910–1911
    • Department of the Columbia, 1904–13

Western Division (United States Army) 1911 - 1913[]

The Departments where again organized under new Divisions.

  • Eastern Division, 1911–13
    • Department of the East, 1911-13.
    • Department of the Gulf, 1911-13.
  • Central Division, 1911–13
    • Department of the Lakes, 1911-13.
    • Department of the Missouri, 1911-13.
    • Department of Texas, 1911-13.
  • Western Division, 1911–13,
    • Department of California, 1911-13.
    • Department of the Columbia, 1911-13.
    • District of Hawaii, 1911–13
  • Philippines Division, 1911-1913
    • Department of Mindanao and Jolo, 1911–14
    • Department of Luzon, 1911–14

“Stimson Plan” 1913-May 1, 1917[]

  • Eastern Department, 1913 - 1920
  • Southern Department, 1913 - 1920
  • Central Department, 1913 - 1920
  • Western Department, 1913 - 1920
  • Hawaiian Department, 1913 - 1920
  • Philippine Department, 1913-1942
    • Department of Mindanao and Jolo, 1913–14
    • Department of Luzon, 1913–14
  • North Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Pacific Coast Artillery Districts

May 1, 1917 - 1920[]

  • Northeastern Department
    • Northeastern Coast Artillery District
  • Eastern Department
    • Eastern Coast Artillery District
  • Southeastern Department
    • Southeastern Coast Artillery District
  • Southern Department
    • Southern Coast Artillery District
  • Central Department
  • Western Department
    • Western Coast Artillery District
  • Hawaiian Department
  • Philippine Department

See also[]

References[]

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Department (United States Army) and the edit history here.
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