Answer:
the presidents powers over the military were weak in the early republic era, since most military forces were state militias that were activated in times of crisis. Furthermore, the US did not have a permanent navy until about the war of 1812, as commissioning and maintaining ships is very expensive. The president could quickly activate and organize a defense against invasion, but it was not until much later in the antebellum period where a president managed standing armies and navies during peacetime. the president's authority on military affairs have expanded drastically since then, such as the president having control over nuclear deployment, as well as the executive branches authority to deploy troops in foreign countries without formal approval by congress, such as the invasion of Afghanistan.