Records of headquarters, Army of the Southwestern Frontier, and headquarters, second and seventh military departments, 1835-1853

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Microfilm of original records in The National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"In 1837, the War Department abolished the Army of the Southwestern Frontier and replaced it with the 2nd Military Department. The 2nd Military Department now consisted of all lands west of the Mississippi River and south of the 37th degree of North Latitude to the Mexican and Texas borders...".

"In 1848, the War Department redesignated the 2nd Military Department as the 7th Military Department. In 1853, the 7th Military Department was abolished and replaced by the Department of the West, one of the five new departments for the entire United States".

"The letters reproduced in this publication were sent to and received from the higher field headquarters of that time (Western Department to 1837, Western Division from 1837) and subordinate units; the U.S. Adjutant General and other War Department officers; Territorial and Federal officials, especially Indian agents; Indian chiefs; and private citizens".

"The letters sent and received by the headquarters of the Army of the Southwestern Frontier, the 2nd Military Department, and the 7th Military Department deal largely with Indian-white relations in their area of jurisdiction, including attempts to regulate trade with the Indians, particularly that in 'ardent spirits'; U.S. Government attempts to negotiate with the various Indian nations; efforts to prevent a Cherokee civil war; attempts to protect citizens from being kidnapped or killed by the Indians; and efforts to return slaves stolen by Indians to their owners. There are also letters on the status of relations among the United States, Texas, and Mexico and on the establishment and relocation of frontier posts. Routine correspondence on such matters as submission of monthly reports, requests for leave, courts-martial proceedings, supplies, desertions, and reassignments of officers and troops is present in quantity"--Introd.

"As letters were received by the headquarters, a clerk added identifying information to the reverse of most of them. This ordinarily included the name and rank or position of the correspondent, the office and place of origin, and the date and subject of the letter, the name or office of addressee, the date received, and the number of enclosures. In the case of registered letters, the file citations were added".

"The unregistered letters are arranged by the date the letter was received. The registered letters are arranged in the same manner as they entered in the one register that has been preserved. The register and letter arrangement is by year, thereunder alphabetically by initial letter of the name or office of the correspondent, and thereunder by date of receipt. Each letter, as it was received, was given a file number reflecting the pertinent alphabetical letter and the appropriate chronological sequence number of its receipt (e.g., A1, B1, C1, etc.), and this file number was made part of the register entry and placed on the letter... All entries for which a copy of the actual letter is included in the publication have been marked with an asterisk by the NARS staff".

The issuances reproduced in this publication consist of orders and special orders. The orders generally deal with specific duty assignments, establishment of posts and commands, codes of behavior, issuance of supplies, and courts-martial proceedings. The special orders appointed members to various boards, including boards of survey and councils of administration, granted issues of absence, appointed representatives to meet with Indians, and reassign troops. Also included in this publication are other records that relate closely to the activities of the Army of the Southwestern Frontier and the 2nd Military Department"--Introd.

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