Presidential Order Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order

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Thursday, August 14, 1862

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1 min read (244 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 1862-08-14, 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

▪ That after the 15th of this month bounty and advanced pay shall not be paid to volunteers for any new regiments, but only to volunteers for regiments now in the field and volunteers to fill up new regiments now organizing, but not yet full.

▪ If the old regiments should not be filled up by volunteers before the 1st day of September, a special draft will be ordered for the deficiency.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants

Total Words

244

1,398 characters

Estimated Read Time

1 min

@ 200 words / min

Flesch-Kincaid

11.1

Post-Grad reading level

Constitutional Polarity

+0.02

Framers' Alignment index

📜

Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order, "Executive Order," Abraham Lincoln (Aug 14, 1862). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-472.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →

WAR DEPARTMENT, ORDER RESPECTING VOLUNTEERS AND MILITIA. Ordered, first. That after the 15th of this month bounty and advanced pay shall not be paid to volunteers for any new regiments, but only to volunteers for regiments now in the field and volunteers to fill up new regiments now organizing, but not yet full. Second. Volunteers to fill up new regiments now organizing will be received and paid the bounty and advanced pay until the 22d day of this month, and if not completed by that time the incomplete regiments will be consolidated and superfluous officers mustered out. Third. Volunteers to fill up the old regiments will be received and paid the bounty and advanced pay until the 1st day of September. Fourth. The draft for 300,000 militia called for by the President will be made on Wednesday, the 3d day of September, between the hours of 9 a. m. and 5 p.m., and continue from day to day between the same hours until completed. Fifth. If the old regiments should not be filled up by volunteers before the 1st day of September, a special draft will be ordered for the deficiency. Sixth. The exigeneies of the service require that officers now in the field should remain with their commands, and no officer now in the field in the regular or volunteer service will under any circumstances be detailed to accept a new command. By order of the President: EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.