Why did Burnside create his Grand Divisions?

[Joshua l.Chamberlain]

I've always wondered, why did Burnside create his three Grand Divisions; it seems that there is not much of a tactical advantage to creating those.

[2nd Kentucky]

I am not totally sure why, but I read somewhere that it took much of the responsibility off of him. If something went wrong at the strategic level, he had extra cushion for mistakes to fall on someone else.

[Joshua l.Chamberlain]

Makes sense.

[2nd Kentucky]

Burnside also got snubbed by McClellan at Sharpsburg. Burnside originally commanded a "wing" of the army, because he was the most senior of the two or three Corp commanders in that sector. But at Sharpsburg McClellan had the Corp Commanders report directly to him. He wanted to make it so that the Army commander could not do this to another Corp Commander.

This theory is a little more exaggerated. I believe more in the one I posted first.

[Kerflumoxed]

I'm not sure if it was a "shifting of resposibility" as much as it was placing an intermediary commander in the chain of command resulting in each corps commander being directly subordinate to the Grand Division commander. Question is, "Did this simplify or complicate the CofC"?

Here is the "official" order"

GENERAL ORDER, No. -- 184. First -- The organization of a portion of this army into three grand divisions is hereby announced. These grand divisions will be formed and commanded as follows:

The Second and Ninth Corps will form the right Grand Division, and will be commanded by Maj.-Gen.E.V. SUMNER.

The First and Sixth Corps will form the left Grand Division, and will be commanded by Maj.-Gen. W.B. FRANKLIN.

The Third and Fifth Corps will form the centre Grand Division, and will be commanded by Maj.-Gen. JOSEPH HOOKER.

The Eleventh Corps, with such other troops as may hereafter be assigned to it, will constitute a reserve force, under command of Maj.-Gen. SIGEL.

Assignments of cavalry and further details will be announced in further orders.

Second -- In accordance with instructions from the Department, the Commanders of these Grand Divisions will have power to decide such questions relating to the interior management of their commands as are now forwarded to these headquarters for final action.

Maj.-Gen. SIGEL will exercise all the powers in respect to his command above assigned, as to the Commanders of the Grand Divisions.

Third -- The cases which can be fully decided by the Department at Washington they will forward directly to that Department without reference to those headquarters.

All matters relating to movements of troops, together with returns, reports, &c., will be forwarded to these headquarters as usual.

The Commanders of these Grand Divisions will retain with them their respective Staffs.

Fourth -- The senior officers of the Second. Third, Fifth and Sixth Corps will take the command of these corps, and will forward to these headquarters a list of recommendations of officers to fill their Staffs.

Fifth -- Brig.-Gen. S. WILLIAMS, A.A.G., is appointed Inspector-General of the Adjutant-General's Department of this Army.

Sixth -- Lieut.-Col. JOSEPH A. HARDEE, Aid-de-Camp and acting A.A.G., will act as Assistant Inspector-General in the same department.

The heads of the various Staff Departments at these headquarters, other than the Adjutant-General and his deputy, will remain as heretofore until further orders.

Seventh -- Lieut.-Col. LEWIS RICHMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General, is announced as a General at these headquarters.

Eighth -- Al orders conflicting with these are hereby rescinded. By command of

Major-General BURNSIDE.

S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General.