ney ▁H . ▁Ma ury , ▁August ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 8 6 4 ▁– ▁November ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 8 6 4 ▁Dan ville ▁Le ad bet ter , ▁November ▁ 2 2 ▁– ▁December ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 8 6 4 ▁D ab ney ▁H . ▁Ma ury , ▁December ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 8 6 4 ▁– ▁May ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 8 6 5 ▁( s urr ender ed ) ▁ ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁( Span ish – American ▁War ▁era ) ▁ ▁Cre ation ▁The ▁department ▁was ▁constit uted ▁by ▁General ▁Order ▁ 7 , ▁Head quarters ▁of ▁the ▁Army , ▁Ad j ut ant ▁General ' s ▁Office , ▁dated ▁March ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 8 9 8 . ▁The ▁order ▁specified ▁that ▁the ▁department ▁was ▁to ▁include ▁the ▁states ▁of ▁South ▁Carolina , ▁Georgia , ▁Florida , ▁Alabama , ▁Mississippi , ▁Louisiana ▁and ▁Texas . ▁All ▁of ▁the ▁named ▁states ▁had ▁previously ▁been ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁the ▁East ▁except ▁Texas ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁the ▁sole ▁state ▁in ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Texas . ▁The ▁depart ▁was ▁red es ign ated ▁ ▁as ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 8 9 8 ▁and ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁the ▁G ulf ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 8 9 8 . ▁Brig ad ier ▁General ▁William ▁M . ▁Graham ▁assumed ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁department ▁on ▁March