General Orders, No. 159 (U.S. War Department)

October 16, 1862

On October 16, 1862, the U.S. War Department created the Department of the Tennessee and placed Ulysses S. Grant in charge of the new department.

Ulysses S. Grant, General, USA, Civil War, LOC

Ulysses S. Grant. Image Source: Library of Congress.

General Orders No. 159

War Department, Adjt. Gen.’s Office

Washington, October 16, 1862.

  1. The Department of the Tennessee will include Cairo, Fort Henry, and Fort Donelson, Northern Mississippi, and portions of Kentucky and Tennessee west of the Tennessee River.
  2. Maj. Gen. U.S. Grant is assigned to command of the Department of the Tennessee.

By order of the Secretary of War:

L. Thomas,

Adjutant-General

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The following information is provided for citations, including APA Style, Chicago Style, and MLA Style.

  • Article Title General Orders, No. 159 (U.S. War Department)
  • Date October 16, 1862
  • Author
  • Keywords grant
  • Website Name American History Central: The Encyclopedia of American History
  • Publisher American History Central
  • Producer R.Squared Communications, LLC
  • Date Published
  • Last Update January 9, 2025
  • Access Date October 7, 2026

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