General Orders, No. 20 (Headquarters of the Army)

February, 23, 1862

On February 23, 1862, Major General George B. McClellan issued General Orders No. 20 (Dept. of the Army) creating the Department of the Gulf and naming Major General Benjamin F. Butler to command.

Benjamin F. Butler portrait

On February 23, 1862, Major General George B. McClellan issued General Orders No. 20 (Dept. of the Army) creating the Department of the Gulf and naming Major General Benjamin F. Butler to command. [Wikimedia Commons]

General Orders No. 20

Headq’rs of the Army, Adj’t General’s Office

Washington, February, 23, 1862

A new military department, to be called the Department of the Gulf, is hereby constituted. I twill comprise all of the coast of the Gulf of Mexico west of Pensacola harbor, and so much of the Gulf States as may be occupied by the forces under Major General B. F. Butler, United States Volunteers. The headquarters for the present will be movable, wherever the General Commanding may be.

By Command of Major General McClellan:

L. THOMAS, Adjutant General

Citation Information

The following information is provided for citations.

  • Article Title General Orders, No. 20 (Headquarters of the Army)
  • Date February, 23, 1862
  • Author
  • Keywords butler, mcclellan
  • Website Name American History Central
  • Access Date October 2, 2023
  • Publisher R.Squared Communications, LLC
  • Original Published Date
  • Date of Last Update May 5, 2022

General Orders, No. 20 (Headquarters of the Army) is Part of the Following on AHC