Beginning in January, Abraham Lincoln had issued a series of historic orders involving the direction of the war. The President was to become Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, General McClellan had been ordered on February 22, 1862 to make immediate preparations to move on a full scale invasion of the Confederate States, and, on March 8, 1862, the Army had been ordered to organize itself into five corps each of at least three divisions. Finally, McClellan was named field commander of the upcoming invasion and was removed from overall command of the Army. (By John Osborne)