Confederate States Secretary of War

The Confederate States Secretary of War was a member of the Confederate States President's Cabinet during the American Civil War. The Secretary of War was head of the Confederate States Department of War. The position ended in May 1865 when the Confederacy crumbled during John C. Breckinridge's tenure of the office.

The Secretary of War, a Confederate cabinet position, was the chief officer of the Confederate War Department. Answerable to Jefferson Davis, the Secretary of War controlled all matters regarding the army and Indian tribes, and had the right to appoint as many clerks as it found necessary. This designation allowed the Secretary of War to create what eventually became the biggest department in the Confederacy. Related to the war effort, the Secretary of War managed important aspects of the war effort like medical distribution, engineering devices (pontoon bridges), prisoners of war and fort cessions. During the war the Confederate Secretary of War’s report on the war effort became important information for the Confederate Congress and President Jefferson Davis. The President had the power to appoint and fire the Secretary of War for unnecessary, dishonest and inefficient work performance. The Secretary of War was also subject to impeachment proceedings from the Confederate Congress.

Confederate President Jefferson Davis was twenty-third Secretary of War of the United States, serving under U.S. President Franklin Pierce from 7th March 1853 until 4th March 1857 (almost exactly four years). However, he never served in this capacity in the Confederate States.

Davis appointed Leroy Pope Walker as the first Confederate Secretary of War in February of 1861. Walker’s first major role involved the situation at Fort Sumter. Communicating often with P.G.T. Beauregard, he advocated for no direct clash with the Union. He also focused on the Border States, and was instrumental in ordering the muster, organization and supply of the upper states when they seceded. His stint as Secretary of War was marked by inefficiency and clashes with Jefferson Davis. His lack of experience in the military field hampered his ability to manage the war effort, and he received the blame for the early supply and organizational issues of the Confederacy. In the wake of the "failure" of the Confederate army to pursue fleeing troops after the First Battle of Bull Run, the Davis administration received lots of criticism, and Walker began to be criticized more. Walker resigned in September 1861 after a dispute with President Jefferson Davis and mounting Congressional criticism.

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