Grant's Status, Summer - Fall 1862

[tony_gunter]

In this video of Timothy Smith discussion the start of the Vicksburg Campaign, from 15:00 to 17:00 he claims Halleck handed over West Tennessee, Cairo, and North Mississippi to Grant, but did not give him "authority" to act.

Is this true? The only order I'm aware of affecting Grant's status is July 16th Special Field Orders No. 161. "The District of West Termessee, Major-General Grant commanding, will include the Districts of Cairo and Mississippi; that part of the State of Mississippi occupied by our troops, and that part of Alabama which may be occupied by the troops of his particular command, including the forces heretofore known as the Army of the Mississippi."

I don't see anything qualifying his command in any way, but there was an official designation from the war department, General Orders No. 159, A. G. O., War Department, of date October 16th, 1862, officially changing the designation of Grant's command from a collection of districts to a department.

Was there any difference in Grant's real authority granted by Special Field Orders 161 and General Orders 159?

 

[NedBaldwin]

In this video of Timothy Smith discussion the start of the Vicksburg Campaign, from 15:00 to 17:00 he claims Halleck handed over West Tennessee, Cairo, and North Mississippi to Grant, but did not give him "authority" to act.

Is this true? The only order I'm aware of affecting Grant's status is July 16th Special Field Orders No. 161. "The District of West Termessee, Major-General Grant commanding, will include the Districts of Cairo and Mississippi; that part of the State of Mississippi occupied by our troops, and that part of Alabama which may be occupied by the troops of his particular command, including the forces heretofore known as the Army of the Mississippi."

I don't see anything qualifying his command in any way, but there was an official designation from the war department, General Orders No. 159, A. G. O., War Department, of date October 16th, 1862, officially changing the designation of Grant's command from a collection of districts to a department.

Was there any difference in Grant's real authority granted by Special Field Orders 161 and General Orders 159?

There is a difference between a District and a Department but I dont feel qualified at the moment to say what it was.
He was certainly in a sort of limbo July-October

 

[tony_gunter]

There is a difference between a District and a Department but I dont feel qualified at the moment to say what it was.
He was certainly in a sort of limbo July-October

One would think, but I don't see any discernible difference in the administrative or operational orders he was issuing before and after General Orders 159, except for the designation of his own districts and the commanders thereof, elimination of the Army of the Mississippi as a separate entity, and the expression to Halleck of general intent to go on the offensive rather than sit in position across a broad front preparing to receive the enemy.

I tend to think the limbo Grant found himself in between July and October to be situational: Memphis was a mess, the railroads were a mess, not enough cavalry was available to protect his front, Curtis was begging for support, and Van Dorn and Price were aggressively attempting to occupy him to divert supplies and men away from Bragg's movement.

 

[tony_gunter]

There is a difference between a District and a Department but I dont feel qualified at the moment to say what it was.
He was certainly in a sort of limbo July-October

And I'm not certain it was Grant's command status in western Tennessee and Mississippi that was in limbo. All of the territory in the Western Theater had been consolidated under Halleck's command as the Department of the Mississippi in March. Halleck had yet to divide that territory up into independent departments for Curtis, Grant, and Buell.

I do see an order from Halleck mentioned on July 3rd rescinding an attempt by Grant to designate a new district assigned to McClernand, but this was while Grant was still in command of only the district of west tennessee (basically, Memphis to Jackson, TN). I'm assuming Halleck informed Grant of the pending change in command status in late June or early July, and Grant simply jumped the gun. From PUSG Vol 5 page 154:

Summary of orders received, McClernand Papers, IHi. On the same day, McClernand telegraphed to USG. "Genl Halleck suspends your order My state of incertitude is most embarassing I will ask to be relieved unless my official relations & responsibility shall be defined" Telegram received, DNA, RG 393, Dept. of the Mo., Telegrams Received; copies, ibid., Dept. ofthe Tenn., Letters Received from Reserve Corps, Jackson, Tenn.; McClernand Papers, IHi. Also on the same day, USG telegraphed to McClernand. "I have no control over the matter, Genl. Halleck telegraphs me as follows. 'Please rescind your orders about districting' "

I still don't see any orders qualifying Grant's authority as commander of a collection of districts as opposed to command of a department, with the possible exception of the authority to designate districts.

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[NedBaldwin]

Seems to me that Halleck remained as commander of the Department of Mississppii after he left for DC.
Grant commanded a subdistrict of that Department until October

So nominally Halleck was still the Department commander and with it came strategic and logictically authority


In September Department of Missouri was carved out of the Department of Mississippi assigned to Curtis
Then in October Department of tennessee and department of Cumberland were created and Halleck wasnt nominally in command of any portion of the west