The business of the department is to a great extent distributed among various bureaus and offices, mostly under the control and management of officers of experience, who act under the general direction of the secretary. To what extent the President has conferred powers, directing the secretary to execute them, is unknown to the public, and is nowhere found published or written. It is probable that he has assumed to act in such cases as he deemed proper on the occasion; and that custom-a growing one-is the principal authority for action where no provision is made by statute. It is now history that he does many things which the President could not authorize. He is appointed and holds office by the same tenure, and receives the same salary, as other heads of departments. Until the present time, no officer in commission and in service in the army has ever been commissioned secretary of the department, although some have had acting appointments. 2. SECRETARIES OF WAR. The following persons have been Secretaries of War: Henry Knox, of Massachusetts, appointed 12th September, 1789, by President Washington. Timothy Pickering, of Pennsylvania, appointed 2d January, 1795, by President Washington. John McHenry, of Maryland, appointed 27th January, 1796, by President Washington. John Marshall, of Virginia, nominated 7th May, 1800, by President John Adams. Action postponed by the Senate. Samuel Dexter, of Massachusetts, appointed 13th May, 1800, by President John Adams. Roger Griswold, of Connecticut, appointed 3d February, 1801, by President John Adams, but declined to serve. Henry Dearborn, of Massachusetts, appointed 5th March, 1801, by President Jefferson. William Eustis, of Massachusetts, appointed 7th March, 1809, by President Madison. John Armstrong, of New-York, appointed 13th January, 1813, by President Madison. James Monroe, of Virginia, appointed 27th September, 1814, by President Madison. William H. Crawford, of Georgia, appointed 3d March, 1815, by President Madison. Isaac Shelby, of Kentucky, appointed 5th March, 1817, by President Monroe. Declined. George Graham, of Virginia, appointed 7th April, 1817, by President Monroe. John C. Calhoun, of South-Carolina, appointed 8th October, 1817, by President Monroe. James Barbour, of Virginia, appointed 7th March, 1825, by President J. Q. Adams. Peter B. Porter, of New-York, appointed 26th May, 1828, by President J. Q. Adams. John H. Eaton, of Tennessee, appointed 9th March, 1829, by President Jackson. Lewis Cass, of Michigan, appointed 1st August, 1831, by President Jackson. Benjamin F. Butler, of New-York, appointed 3d March, 1837, by President Jackson. Joel R. Poinsett, of South-Carolina, appointed 7th March, 1837, by President Van Buren. John Bell, of Tennessee, appointed 5th March, 1841, by President Harrison. J. McLean, of Ohio, appointed 13th September, 1841, by President Tyler. Declined. John C. Spencer, of New-York, appointed 12th October, 1841, by President Tyler. James M. Porter, of Pennsylvania, appointed 8th March, 1843, by President Tyler. William Wilkins, of Pennsylvania, appointed 15th February, 1844, by President Tyler. William L. Marcy, of New-York, appointed 5th March, 1845, by President Polk. George W. Crawford, of Georgia, appointed 7th March, 1849, by President Taylor. Charles M. Conrad, of Louisiana, appointed 15th August, 1850, by President Fillmore. Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, appointed 5th March, 1853, by President Pierce. John B. Floyd, of Virginia, appointed 6th March, 1857, by President Buchanan. Joseph Holt, of Mississippi, appointed 18th January, 1861, by President Buchanan. Simon Cameron, of Pennsylvania, appointed 5th March, 1861, by President Lincoln. Edwin M. Stanton, of Pennsylvania, appointed 15th January, 1862, by President Lincoln. Removed by President Johnson, August, 1867, and Ulysses S. Grant appointed ad interim at the same time. The Senate not approving the removal, under the tenure of office law, he was restored January, 1868. John M. Schofield, of Missouri, appointed 29th May, 1868, by President Johnson. He was reappointed 5th March, by President Grant. John A. Rawlings, of Illinois, appointed March, 1869, by President Grant. William W. Belknap, of Iowa, appointed by Presi dent Grant. CHAPTER XXXIX. I. BUREAUS OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT. THE acts of Congress do not provide bureaus by name for the War Department, except that of military justice, although several of the subdivisions are sometimes called departments. The business of the department is so subdivided, systematized, and distinct that the various subdivisions are commonly called bureaus, but sometimes departments. These have usually a general officer at their head, and are as follows: Adjutant-General's Office. Commissary-General's Office. Paymaster-General's Office Surgeon-General's Office. Engineer Office. Ordnance Office. Bureau of Military Justice. The general duties of each of these will be given. 2. THE ADJUTANT-GENERAL. The adjutant-general is a staff officer, and is the principal organ of the commander of the army in |