General Orders, No. 6 (Department of the Cumberland)

October 7, 1861

On October 7, 1861, General Winfield Scott issued General Orders No. 6, ordering Brigadier General Robert Anderson to relinquish command of the Department of the Cumberland to Brigadier General William T. Sherman.

William T. Sherman, General, USA, Civil War, LOC 00593

Brigadier General William T. Sherman. Image Source: Library of Congress.

GENERAL ORDERS, NO. 6

Headquarters Department of the Cumberland,

Louisville, Ky., October 7, 1861.

The following telegraphic order was received yesterday at these headquarters:

Brigadier-General Anderson:

To give you rest necessary to restoration of health, call Brigadier-General Sherman to command the Department of the Cumberland. Turn over to him your instructions, and report here in person as soon as you may, without retarding your recovery.

Washington, D. C, October 6, 1861.

Winfield Scott.

Citation Information

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

  • Article Title General Orders, No. 6 (Department of the Cumberland)
  • Date October 7, 1861
  • Author
  • Keywords anderson, sherman, scott
  • 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 10, 2026

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