Presidential Order Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order—Special Orders: 216

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Tuesday, May 9, 1865

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1 min read (162 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 Andrew Johnson on 1865-05-09, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "—Special Orders: 216." 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

▪ Comstock, United States Volunteers, and Brevet Colonel Horace Porter, aid-de-camp, are hereby relieved from duty as members of the military commission appointed in Special Orders, No.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants

Total Words

162

1,256 characters

Estimated Read Time

1 min

@ 200 words / min

Flesch-Kincaid

10.9

Post-Grad reading level

Constitutional Polarity

+0.02

Framers' Alignment index

📜

Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order, "Executive Order—Special Orders: 216," Andrew Johnson (May 9, 1865). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-special-orders-216.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →

WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE 91. Brevet Brigadier-General Cyrus B. Comstock, United States Volunteers, and Brevet Colonel Horace Porter, aid-de-camp, are hereby relieved from duty as members of the military commission appointed in Special Orders, No. 211, paragraph 4, dated "War Department, Adjutant-General's Office, Washington, May 6, 1865," and Brevet Brigadier-General James A. Ekin, United States Volunteers, and Brevet Colonel C. H. Tompkins, United States Army, are detailed in their places, respectively. The commission will be composed as follows: Major-General David Hunter, United States Volunteers. Major-General Lewis Wallace, United States Volunteers. Brevet Major-General August V. Kautz, United States Volunteers. Brigadier-General Albion P. Howe, United States Volunteers. Brigadier-General Robert S. Foster, United States Volunteers. Brevet Brigadier-General James A. Ekin, United States Volunteers. Brigadier-General T. M. Harris, United States Volunteers. Brevet Colonel C. H. Tompkins, United States Army. Lieutenant-Colonel David R. Clendenin, Eighth Illinois Cavalry. Brigadier-General Joseph Holt, judge-advocate and recorder. By order of the President of the United States: E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General.