Quickly dispense with the notion that the Constitution contemplates the idea of a commander-in-chief who’s authority is absolute in all matters. It’s really about using an army to fight a war against a foreign power. Remember, at the time of the writing of the constitution, most Native American tribes were considered to be “foreign powers”, despite the fact that they may or may not have had organized legal systems or modern military technology.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2005_12/007810.php
Relevant Federalist papers, etc.
