Presidential Order Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order

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Saturday, March 12, 1864

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1 min read (214 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President Abraham Lincoln on 1864-03-12, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Executive Order." It is a direct, concise executive instruction delivering focused administrative or military commands to department leadership.

Constitutional Assessment: Scrutinized through Article II, Section 2, this action exercises the President's constitutional role as Commander in Chief. Early Framers recognized broad executive discretion in commanding military forces during conflict, provided it remains bounded by congressional declarations and respects civilian domestic courts.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ Formal executive instruction issued by the President establishing official administrative policy on Executive Order.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments 🏛️ Merchants, Importers & Commercial Enterprises 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants

Total Words

214

1,312 characters

Estimated Read Time

1 min

@ 200 words / min

Flesch-Kincaid

11.6

Post-Grad reading level

Constitutional Polarity

+0.02

Framers' Alignment index

📜

Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order, "Executive Order," Abraham Lincoln (Mar 12, 1864). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-392.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →

GENERAL ORDERS, NO. 98. WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, WASHINGTON , March 12, 1864. The President of the United States orders as follows: I. Major-General H. W. Halleck is, at his own request, relieved from duty as General in Chief of the Army, and Lieutenant-General U. S. Grant is assigned to the command of the armies of the United States. The headquarters of the Army will be in Washington and also with Lieutenant-General Grant in the field. II. Major-General H. W. Haileck is assigned to duty in Washington as chief of staff of the Army, under the direction of the Secretary of War and the Lieutenant-General Commanding. His orders will be obeyed and respected accordingly. III. Major-General W. T. Sherman is assigned to the command of the Military Division of the Mississippi, composed of the departments of the Ohio, the Cumberland, the Tennessee and the Arkansas. IV. Major-General J. B. McPherson is assigned to the command of the Department and Army of the Tennessee. V. In relieving Major-General Halleek from duty as General in Chief, the President desires to express his approbation and thanks for the able and zealous manner in which the arduous and responsible duties of that position have been performed. By order of the Secretary of War: E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General.