[Wavyhill]

Excellent point. If the Constitution had intended the President just to be the XO for the Congressmen in military matters, it would have said something like, "The President shall be the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to be instructed by Congress regarding military objectives." Instead, it made the POTUS CIC, with no ifs, ands, or buts. Obviously, they wanted the President free to act alone in times of national emergency. (Not to mention that President George Washington himself sent the US Army to fight the Indians. Washington Irving writes about this).

[inquest]

Nothing about being commander-in-chief or being the executive implies having the power to set (as opposed to pursue) the objectives of a war. In fact, the word "executive" strongly implies that he's "executing" the policy set by someone else. When Congress declares war in the true sense of the word, and say nothing else, then they're effectively stating that the CinC's objective is the complete subjugation of the enemy, at least until Congress declares otherwise.

And military excursions against Indians have very little relation to wars against sovereign nations.