Timeline of Continental Army Departmental Command Changes:
Continental Army


1775
June -The Continental Army is established.
June 15 - George Washington is officially approved as Commander-in-Chief.
June 16 - Quartermaster Department is established.
June 17 - Horatio Gates is appointed Adjutant General.
June 25 - The New York Department is established and Philip Schuyler is appointed as commander.
August 14 - Thomas Mifflin is appointed Quartermaster General.
December 9 - Richard Montgomery becomes commander of the provisional Canadian Department.
December 31 - David Wooster becomes commander of the provisional Canadian Department after Richard Montgomery is killed in action at the Battle of Quebec.


1776
January 17 - The Canadian Department is established by Congress.
February 17 - Charles Lee is appointed as commander of the Canadian Department, but never serves because he's soon reappointed to a different command.
February 27 - The Middle Department is created and the New York Department is folded into the new department. Philip Schuyler commands the expanded department.
March 1 - The Southern Department is established and Charles Lee is appointed as commander.
March 6 - John Thomas is appointed as commander of the Canadian Department.
April - George Washington moves the Main Army from Boston to New York City and assumes command of the Middle Department from Philip Schuyler.
April 4 - The Eastern (New England) Department is established and Artemas Ward is appointed as commander.
April 14 - The Northern Department is established out of the Middle Department. It is comprised of upstate New York and what is now Vermont. Philip Schuyler commands the department.
May 1 - John Thomas formally takes command of the Canadian Department, replacing David Wooster.
May 16 - Thomas Mifflin resigns as Quartermaster General upon his promotion to Brigadier General.
May 16 - Deputy Quartermaster General Hugh Hughes assumes the duties of Quartermaster General following Thomas Mifflin's resignation.
June 2 - John Sullivan becomes commander of the Canadian Department following John Thomas' death from smallpox.
June 5 - Stephen Moylan is appointed Quartermaster General.
June 5 - Joseph Reed becomes Adjutant General.
June 7 - Stephen Moylan assumes the duties of Quartermaster General.
June 17 - Horatio Gates is appointed as commander of the Canadian Department, but never serves in that capacity because of the army's withdrawal from Canada.
July 2 - The Canadian Department is folded into the Northern Department.
September 9 - Robert Howe becomes commander of the Southern Department.
September 28 - Stephen Moylan resigns from the post of Quartermaster General
October 1 - Thomas Mifflin again is appointed Quartermaster General.
November 12 - The Hudson Highlands Department is established and William Heath is appointed as commander.
December 21 - Alexander McDougall becomes commander of the Hudson Highlands Department.


1777
January 13 (some sources report January 22) - Joseph Reed leaves the post of Adjutant General leaving it vacant.
January 22 - Arthur St. Clair is appointed acting Adjutant General.
February 19 - Arthur St. Clair is promoted to Major General and appointed to field command, thus vacating his position as acting Adjutant General.
February 20 - George Weedon begins duties as acting Adjutant General.
February 28 - George Weedon's service as acting Adjutant General ends.
March 1 - Isaac Budd Dunn begins duties as acting Adjutant General.
March - General George Washington offers the vacant Adjutant General to Timothy Pickering who declines. Pickering will eventually reconsider and accept the position.
March - Horatio Gates is appointed commander of the Northern Department supplanting Philip Schuyler.
April 9 - Isaac Budd Dunn's service as acting Adjutant General ends.
April 10 - The Western Department is established and Edward Hand is appointed as commander.
April 19 - Morgan Connor begins duties as acting Adjutant General.
April - Following a personal visit to Congress, Schuyler is reinstated to commander of the Northern Department.
May 12 - Israel Putnam becomes commander of the Hudson Highlands Department.
June 18 - Timothy Pickering becomes Adjutant General assuming the duties from acting Adjutant General Morgan Connor.
August 19 - Horatio Gates becomes commander of the Northern Department.
October 7 - Thomas Mifflin submits his resignation from the post of Quartermaster General.
October 7 - Congress accepts Thomas Mifflin's resignation from the post of Quartermaster General. He is elected to the Board War immediately after.
November 7 - Adjutant General Timothy Pickering is elected to the newly-formed Board of War, but continues in his existing duties for another two months.



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