42 



AEMY OPERATIONS. 



The forces in South Carolina and at Savan- 

 nah, under Gen. Beauregard, and in Florida, 

 under Gen. McCown, numbered ten thousand. 

 This only included the veterans, or old soldiers, 

 as the armies in these three localities above 

 mentioned a little later numbered twenty-five 

 thousand men. 



The next regular armies of the Confederacy 

 rt'ere the Trans-Mississippi forces, scattered in 

 different portions of Arkansas and Texas, and 

 all under the command of Lieut.-Gen. Kirby 

 Smith, the army in Arkansas under Gen. 

 Holmes, and the army in Texas under Gen. 

 Magruder ; the old soldiers of which numbered 

 twelve thousand men. 



The forces at Mobile, under Gens. Maury 

 and Claiborne, numbered about eight thousand. 

 The forces under Gen. Forrest, and under Chal- 

 mers, Lee, and Eichardson, amounted to six 

 thousand, which included all the veterans in 

 the rebel service. 



To this may be added, however, in the same 

 line, twelve thousand soldiers engaged in im- 

 portant prison guard, and in the hospitals and 

 quartermasters' and commissary departments. 

 There were also about two thousand men en- 

 gaged in the guerrilla warfare on the banks of 

 the Mississippi. No other guerrilla bands of 

 importance existed in Gen. Grant's depart- 

 ment. There was not a single squad in Ken- 

 tucky, East and Middle Tennessee, Northern 

 Alabama or Northern Georgia. There were 

 still several guerrilla organizations in West Ten- 

 nessee and Northern Mississippi. The people 

 themselves had rid the country. 



The total of these veterans was two hundred 

 and twenty-four thousand ; to these were add- 

 ed, at the beginning of the year, one hundred 

 and twenty thousand conscripts, making the 

 number in the service three hundred and forty- 

 four thousand. 



The earliest operations of importance, in 

 1864, consisted of a movement under Gen. 

 Sherman from Yicksburg, Mississippi, to Mer- 

 idian, Alabama; another under Gen. Smith, 

 from Memphis, Tennessee, to cooperate with 

 Gen. Sherman ; another under Gen. Grant's 

 orders, from Chattanooga, Tennessee, upon 

 Dalton, Georgia, and another under Gen. Scho- 

 field, who relieved Gen. Burnside, upon the 

 forces under Gen. Longstreet, in East Tennessee. 



Upon the return of Gen. Sherman from East 

 Tennessee to Chattanooga, his command was 

 stationed at Scottsboro', Alabama, and thence 

 along the Memphis and Chattanooga railroad, 

 to Huntsville. Near the end of January, Gen. 

 Sherman went to Memphis and Yicksburg, to 

 command an expedition. Corinth was aban- 

 doned, and the Memphis railroad eastward of 

 Lagrange to Iluntsville, and a large body of 

 troops sent down the Mississippi to Vicksburg. 



The following letter was addressed by Gen. 

 Sherman, at this time, to his adjutant-general, 

 relative to the course to be pursued by subor- 

 dinate commanders of military districts to the 

 inhabitants : 



IlEADQITARTEBS DEP ? T OF THE TENNESSEE, I 



VICKSBURG, January 31, 1864. ) 



Major B. M. Sawyer, Ass't Adj.-Gen. Army of th 

 Tennessee, Huntsville : 



DEAR SAWYEB: In my former letter I have an- 

 swered all your questions, save one, and that relates 

 to the treatment of inhabitants, known or suspected 

 to be hostile, or "secesh." This is in truth the 

 most difficult business of our army as it advances 

 and occupies the Southern country. It is almost im- 

 possible to lay down rules, and *I invariably leave 

 this whole subject to the local commanders, but am 

 willing to give them the benefit of my acquired 

 knowledge and experience, 



In Europe, whence we derive our principles of 

 war, as developed by their histories, wars are between 

 kings or rulers, through hired armies, and not be- 

 tween peoples. These remain, as it were, neutral, 

 and sell their produce to whatever army is in pos- 

 session. 



Napoleon, when at war with Prussia, Austria, and 

 Russia, bought forage and provisions of the inhabi- 

 tants, and consequently had an interest to protect 

 farms and factories which ministered to his wants. 

 In like manner, the allied armies in France could 

 buy of the French inhabitants whatever they needed, 

 the produce of the soil, or manufactures of the coun- 

 try. Therefore, the rule was and is, that wars are 

 confined to the armies, and should not visit the 

 homes of families or private interests. 



But, in other examples, a different rule obtained 

 the sanction of historical authority. I will only in- 

 stance that, when, in the reign of William and Mary, 

 the English army occupied Ireland, then in a state 

 of revolt, the inhabitants were actually driven into 

 foreign lands, and were actually dispossessed of 

 their property, and a new population introduced. 

 To this day, a large part of the north of Ireland is 

 held by the descendants of the Scotch emigrants, 

 sent there by William's order and an act of Parlia- 

 ment. 



The war which prevails in our land is essentially 

 a war of races. The Southern people entered into a 

 clear compact of Government, but still maintained a 

 species of separate interests, history, and prejudices. 

 These latter became stronger and stronger, till they 

 have led to a war, which has developed the fruits of 

 the bitterest kind. 



We of the North are, beyond all question, right in 

 our lawful cause, but we are not bound to ignore the 

 fact that the people of the South have prejudices 

 which form part of their nature, and which they can- 

 not throw off without an effort of reason, or the 

 slower process of natural change. Now, the ques- 

 tion arises, should we treat as absolute enemies all 

 in the South who differ from us in opinion or preju- 

 dice, kill or banish them ; or, should we give them 

 time to think, and gradually change their conduct so 

 as to conform to the new order of things, which is 

 slowly and gradually creeping into their country? 



When men take arms to resist our rightful author- 

 ity, we are compelled to use force, because all reason 

 and argument cease when arms are resorted to. 

 When the provisions, forage, horses, mules, wagons, 

 etc., are used by our enemy, it is clearly our duty 

 and right to take them, because otherwise they might 

 be used against us. 



In like manner, all houses left vacant by an inimi- 

 cal people are clearly our right, or such as are needed 

 as store-houses, hospitals, and quarters. But a ques- 

 tion arises as to dwellings used by women, children, 

 and non-combatants. So long as non-combatants 

 remain in their houses and keep to their accustomed 

 business, their opinions and prejudices can in no- 

 wise influence the war, and therefore should not be 

 noticed. But if any one comes out into the public 

 streets and creates disorder, he or she should be 

 punished, restrained, or banished, either to the rear 

 or front, as the officer in command adjudges. If the 

 people, or any of them, keep up a correspondence 



