Confederate States of America. Army. Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana--District of the Gulf

The Confederate States Army District of the Gulf was a subdivision of Department No. 2 established on July 2, 1862, and it became part of the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana on October 1, 1862. Its boundaries began at the Pearl River and eastward to the Apalachicola River with the northern boundary at the 32nd parallel. The northern boundary was extended to the 33rd north latitude line on November 3, 1862. Its boundaries were redefined again on February 7, 1864 with the northern boundary returned to the 32nd parallel eastward to the Georgia state line, then south to the Gulf. On May 8, 1864, the eastern boundary was modified from the 32nd parallel south and eastward to the intersection of the Florida state line and the Choctawhatchee River, following it to the Gulf of Mexico.

It was designated as a department under Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s geographical command by the War Department’s Special Orders No. 136 dated June 8, 1863. Special Orders No. 81, dated April 6, 1864, re-designated it as a district assigned to the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana retroactively to August 12, 1863. It was surrendered with the rest of the department on May 4, 1865.

Its commanders were Brig. Gen. John H. Forney (July 2–December 8, 1862), Brig. Gen. William W. Mackall (December 8–14, 1862), Maj. Gen. Simon B. Buckner (December 14, 1862–April 27, 1863), Maj. Gen. Franklin Gardner (April 27–May 1863; July 26–August 15, 1864), Brig. Gen. Danville Leadbetter (November 22–December 12, 1864), and Maj. Gen. Dabney H. Maury (May 1863–July 26, 1864; August 15–November 22, 1864; December 12, 1864–May 4, 1865). (Official Records: The War of the Rebellion, Ser. 1, Vol. 26, Pt 2, 40; Beers, The Confederacy: A Guide to the Archives of the Government of the Confederate States of America, 267; Eicher, Civil War High Commands, 871)