Department is: an organizational term used by, the: U.S. Army, mostly priorββto World War I,ββto describe named geographical districts created for control. And administration of installations and "units." In 1920, most of theββnamed departments were redesignated as numbered 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.
1800sβ»
War of 1812β»
The United States Army was divided into nine military districts by the War Department General Order, "of 19 March 1813." They were increased to ten on 2 July 1814. But reduced to nine by consolidation of the "4th and 10th Military Districts in January 1815." Military districts were abolished, "17 May 1815."
1815β21β»
At the end of the War of 1812, Military districts were superseded by ten Military Departments, divided equally between Divisions of the North and South, 17 May 1815.
- Division of the North, 17 May 1815 β May 1821
- 1st Military Department, 1815β17
- 2nd Military Department, 1815β18
- 3rd Military Department, 1815β17
- Consolidated 1st and 3rd Military Departments, 1817β19
- Consolidated 1st and 3rd Military Departments, 1818β21
- 4th Military Department, 1815β19
- Consolidated 1st, 3rd, and 4th Military Departments, 1819β21
- 5th Military Department, 1815β21.
- Division of the South, 17 May 1815 β May 1821
- 6th Military Department, 1815β1821
- 7th Military Department, 1815β1821
- 8th Military Department, 1815β19, 1820β21
- 9th Military Department, June 1819 β June 1821
- 10th Military Department, 1815β1821
1821β1837β»
Reorganization of the Army into Eastern and Western Departments, May 1821.
- Eastern Department, 1821β37
- Western Department, 1821β37
- Right Wing, Western Department, 1832β37
- Army of the Frontier, 1832
- 1st Army Corps, North West Army, 1832
- Army of the Southwestern Frontier, 1834β37
1837β1844β»
From 1837 to 1842, some of the Departments were subordinated to the Eastern and Western Divisions.
- Eastern Division, 1837β42
- 7th Military Department, 1837β41
- Western Division, 1837β42
- 1st Military Department, 1837β42
- 2nd Military Department, 1837β42
- 7th Military Department, 1841β42
- 1st Military Department, 1843
- 2nd Military Department, 1843β51
- 3rd Military Department, 1842β48
- 4th Military Department, 1842β53
- 5th Military Department, 1842β52
- 8th Military Department, 1842β46
- 9th Military Department, 1842β45 (Florida)
1844β1848β»
The Eastern and Western Divisions were not restored until 1853.
- Eastern Division, 1844β48
- 5th Military Department, 1844β48
- 8th Military Department, 1844β46
- Western Division, 1844β48
- 2nd Military Department, 1844β48
- 3rd Military Departments, 1844β48
- 4th Military Department, 1842β53
- 9th Military Department, 1845
- 10th Military Department, 1846β1853 (California and Oregon to 1848)
1848β1853β»
All departments were subordinated under one of three Divisions.
- Eastern Division, 1848β53
- 1st Military Department, 1848β53; consolidated 1st and 3d Military Departments, 1849β50
- 2nd Military Department, 1848β51; consolidated 1st and 2d Military Departments, 1848β49
- 3rd Military Departments, 1848, 1850β53
- 4th Military Departments, 1848β53; consolidated 3d and 4th Military Departments, 1848
- Western Division, 1848β53
- consolidated 5th and 6th Military Departments, 1848
- 5th Military Department, 1848β52
- 6th Military Department, 1848β53
- 7th Military Department, 1848β53
- 8th Military Department, 1848β49, 1851β53
- 9th Military Department, 1849β53 (New Mexico)
- Pacific Division, 1848β53,(California and Oregon)
- 10th Military Department, 1846β1853 (California and Oregon to 1848)
- 11th Military Department, 1848β1853 (Oregon)
1853β1861β»
After 31 October 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.
- Department of the East, 1853 β 17 August 1861
- Department of the West, 1853 β 3 July 1861
- Department of Texas, 1853 β 22 April 1861
- Department of the Pacific, 1853 β September 13, 1858; 15 January 1861 β 27 June 1865
- Department of New Mexico, 1853 β 27 June 1865
- Department of Utah, 30 June 1857 β 3 July 1861
- Department of the Platte, 4 April 1858 β 16 May 1859
- Department of California, 13 September 1858 β 15 January 1861
- Department of Oregon, 13 September 1858 β 15 January 1861
1861β1865 Civil Warβ»
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.
1865β67β»
- Military Division of the Atlantic, 1865β66
- Department of the East, 1865β73; independent 1866β68
- Middle Military Department, 1866
- Department of North Carolina, 1865β66; to Department of the Carolinas
- Department of South Carolina, 1865β66; to Department of the Carolinas
- Department of the Carolinas, May 1866; renamed Department of the South, June 1866; to Second Military District
- Department of Virginia, 1865β66; to First Military District
- Military Division of the Tennessee, 1865β67
- Department of Alabama, 1865β66
- Department of Georgia, 1865β66
- Department of the South, 1866; to Third Military District
- Department of Kentucky, 1865β66
- Department of Mississippi, 1865β66; to Fourth Military District
- Department of Tennessee, 1865β66
- Department of the Cumberland, 1866
- District of Tennessee, 1866
- Sub-district of Tennessee, 1866
- Military Division of the Missouri, 1865; to Military Division of the Missouri
- Department of Arkansas, 1865; to Military Division of the Gulf
- Department of the Missouri, 1865; to Military Division of the Mississippi
- Department of the Northwest, 1865; merged into Department of the Missouri
- Military Division of the Mississippi, 1865β66
- Department of the Ohio, 1865β66
- Department of Arkansas, 1865β66; to Military Division of the Missouri
- Department of the Missouri, 1865β66; to Military Division of the Missouri
- Department of the Platte, 1866; to Military Division of the Missouri
- Military Division of the Gulf, 1865β66
- Department of Arkansas, 1865; to Military Division of the Mississippi
- Department of Louisiana, 1865β66; to Fifth Military District
- Department of Texas, 1865β66; to Fifth Military District
- Department of Florida, 1865β66; to Third Military District
- Department of Mississippi, 1865; to Military Division of the Tennessee
- Military Division of the Pacific, 1865β68, Division of the Pacific 1869β91
- Department of the Columbia, 1865β1913
- Department of California, 1865β1913
- Military District of Alaska, 18 October 1867 β 18 March 1868
- Department of Alaska, 18 March 1868 β 1 July 1870; merged into Department of the Columbia
- Military Division of the Missouri, 1866β91
- Department of Arkansas, 1866β67; to Fourth Military District
- Department of Dakota, 1866β91
- Department of the Missouri, 1866β91
- Department of the Platte, 1866β91
- Department of Texas, 1871β80
Military Reconstruction from 22 March 1867β»
- First Military District, 1867β70 (Virginia)
- Second Military District, 1867β68 (North Carolina and South Carolina)
- Third Military District, 1867β68 (Georgia, Alabama and Florida)
- Fourth Military District, 1867β70 (Arkansas and Mississippi)
- Fifth Military District, 1866β70 (Texas and Louisiana)
- Military District of Georgia, 1870β71
1868β1904β»
- Division of the Atlantic, 1868β91
- Department of the East, 1868β73
- Department of the Lakes, 1868β73
- Department of Washington, 1868β69
- 1st Military District, 1869β70 (Virginia)
- Department of Virginia, 1870
- Department of the South, 1876β83
- Department of the Gulf, 1877β78
- Department of the East, 1877β91
- Division of the South, 1869β76
- Department of the Cumberland, 1869β70
- Department of the Gulf, 1871β75
- Department of Louisiana, 1869β70
- Department of the South, 1869β76
- Department of Texas, 1870β71
- 4th Military District, 1869β70 (Arkansas and Mississippi)
- District of Baton Rouge, 1876
- 1st Subdistrict of Georgia, 1870β71
- Division of the Pacific, 1869β91
- Department of Alaska, 1869β70
- District of Arizona, 1869β70
- District of the Humboldt, 1869
- Sub-district of Southern Arizona, 1869β70
- Department of Arizona, 1870β91
- Department of California, 1870β91
- Department of the Columbia, 1870β91
- Department of the South, 1876β83
- Fort Johnson, NC, 1876β81
- Military Division of the Gulf, 1881
- Department of Arkansas, 1881
- Department of Texas, 1881
- Department of Texas, 1882β1904
- Department of the East, 1891β1904
- Department of the Platte, 1891β98
- Department of the Missouri, 1891β1904
- Department of Dakota, 1891β1904
- Department of Arizona, 1891β1893
- Department of California, 1891β1904
- Department of the Columbia, 1891β1904
- Department of Colorado, 1893β1904
- Department of Alaska, 1900β01
1898β99 SpanishβAmerican War, Philippine Insurrection, Moro Rebellionβ»
- Department of the Lakes, 1898β1913
- Department of the Gulf, 1898β99
- Department of California, 1898
- Military District of Hawaii, 22 Sep β 7 November 1898
- Department of the Pacific and 8th Army Corps, 1898 β 20 March 1900
- Division of the Philippines, 20 March 1900 β 1911
- Northern Luzon, 1900β02
- Department of Southern Luzon, 1900β01
- Department of Visayas, 1900β11
- Department of Mindanao and Jolo, 1900β14
- Department of North Philippines, 1901β02
- Department of South Philippines, 1901β02
- Department of Luzon, 1902β14
1900sβ»
1904β1911β»
The Army Departments were reorganized under new Divisions until 1907, when the Division echelon was disbanded.
- Atlantic Division, 1903β07
- Department of the East, 1903β13
- Department of the Gulf, 1904β13
- Northern Division, 1904β07
- Department of Dakota, 1904β11
- Department of the Lakes, 1904β11
- Department of the Missouri, 1904β07
- Southwestern Division, 1904β07
- Department of Colorado, 1904β11
- Department of Texas, 1904β13
- Pacific Division, 1904β07
- Department of California, 1904β13
- District of Hawaii, 1910β1911
- Department of the Columbia, 1904β13
- Department of California, 1904β13
Western Division (United States Army) 1911β1913β»
The Departments where again organized under new Divisions.
- Eastern Division, 1911β13
- Department of the East, 1911β13
- Department of the Gulf, 1911β13
- Central Division, 1911β13
- Department of the Lakes, 1911β13
- Department of the Missouri, 1911β13
- Department of Texas, 1911β13
- Western Division, 1911β13
- Department of California, 1911β13
- Department of the Columbia, 1911β13
- District of Hawaii, 1911β13
- Philippines Division, 1911β1913
- Department of Mindanao and Jolo, 1911β14
- Department of Luzon, 1911β14
"Stimson Plan" 1913 β 1 May 1917β»
- Eastern Department, 1913β1920
- Southern Department, 1913β1920
- Central Department, 1913β1920
- Western Department, 1913β1920
- Hawaiian Department, 1913β1920
- Philippine Department, 1913β1942
- Department of Mindanao and Jolo, 1913β14
- Department of Luzon, 1913β14
- North Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Pacific Coast Artillery Districts
1 May 1917 β 1920β»
- 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
- Panama Canal Department, 26 June 1917 β 1920
- Panama Coast Artillery District, 26 June 1917 β 1920