ARMY OPERATIONS. 



141 



.i5th, Gen. Osterhaus commanding in the ab- 

 sence of Gen. Logan; the 17th, Gen. Blair; 

 and the 20th, Gen. Slocum; beside four bri- 

 gades of artillery, one for each corps, two horse 

 batteries, and two divisions of cavalry. Gen. 

 Barry, chief of artillery, in fitting out this im- 

 portant arm, withdrew every doubtful or sus- 

 picious horse, and supplied enough serviceable 

 animals to give each artillery carriage eight 

 horses, and each battery a reserve of twelve 

 horses. The cavalry were equipped with equal 

 care. The total force numbered between 

 50,000 and 60,000 picked men, constituting 

 one of the most effective armies ever organ- 

 ized. The following order of Gen. Sherman 

 gives the plan of march and other details of 

 the campaign : 



HEADQrABTEES Mil. DlV. OP THE MISSISSIPPI, I 



rs- THE FIELD, KINGSTON, GA. .Wednesday, Nov. 9th. J 

 Special Field Order M>. 120. 



1. For the purpose of military operations, this 

 army is divided into two wings, viz. : The right wing, 

 Maj.-Gen. 0. 0. Howard commanding, the 15th and 

 17th corps. The left wing, Maj.-Gen. H. W. Slo- 

 cum commanding, the MtbTand 20th corps. 



2. The habitual order of march will be, whenever 

 practicable, by four roads, as nearly parallel as pos- 

 sible, and converging at points hereafter to be indi- 

 cated in orders. The cavalry, Brig. -Gen. Kilpatrick 

 commanding, will receive special orders from the 

 Commander-in-Chief. 



3. There will be no general trains of supplies, but 

 each corps will have its ammunition and provision 

 train, distributed habitually as follows : Behind each 

 regiment should follow one wagon and one ambu- 

 lance ; behind each brigade should follow a due pro- 

 portion of ammunition wagons, provision wagons, 

 and ambulances. In case of danger, each army corps 

 should change this order of march by having his ad- 

 vance and rear brigade unincumbered by wheels. 

 The separate columns will start habitually at 7 A. M., 

 and make about fifteen miles per day, unless other- 

 wise fixed in orders. 



4. The army will forage liberaUy on the country 

 during the march. To this end, each brigade com- 

 mander will organize a good and sufficient foraging 

 party, under the command of one or more discreet 

 officers, who will gather, near the route travelled, 

 corn or forage of any kind, meat of any kind, vege- 

 tables, corn meal, or whatever is needed"^ by the com- 

 mand ; aiming at all times to keep in the wagon 

 trains at least ten days' provisions for the command 

 and three days' forage. Soldiers must not enter the 

 dwellings of 'the inhabitants or commit any trespass; 

 during the halt, or a camp, they may be permitted to 

 gather turnips, potatoes, and other vegetables, and 

 drive in stock in front of their camps. To regular 

 foraging parties must be entrusted the gathering of 

 provisions and forage at any distance from the road 

 travelled. 



5. To army corps commanders is entrusted the 

 power to destroy mills, houses, cotton gins, etc., and 

 for them this general principle is laid down : In dis- 

 tricts and neighborhoods where the army is un- 

 molested, no destruction of such property should be 

 permitted ; but should guerrillas or bushwackers mo- 

 lest our march, or should the inhabitants burn 

 bridges, obstruct roads, or otherwise manifest local 

 hostilitv, then army corps commanders should order 

 and enforce a devastation more or less relentless ac- 

 cording to the measure of such hostility. 



6. As for horses, mules, wagons, etc., belonging to 

 the inhabitants, the cavalry and artillery may ap- 

 propriate freely and without limit ; discriminating, 

 however, between the rich, who are usually hostile, 

 ind the poor or industrious, usually neutral or 



friendly. Foraging parties may also take mules or 

 horses, to replace the jaded animals of their trains, 

 or to serve as pack-mules for the regiments or bri- 

 gades. In all foraging, of whatever kind, the parties 

 engaged will refrain from abusive or threatening 

 language, and may, when the officer in command 

 thinks proper, give written certificates of the facts, 

 but no receipts ; and they will endeavor to leave 

 with each family a reasonable portion for their 

 maintenance. 



7. Negroes who are able-bodied and can be of 

 service to the several columns, may be taken along ; 

 but each army commander will bear in mind that the 

 question of supplies is a very important one, and 

 that his first duty is to see to those who bear arms. 



8. The organization at once of a good pioneer bat- 

 talion for each corps, composed, if possible, of ne- 

 groes, should be attended to. This battalion should 

 follow the advance guard, should repair roads and 

 double them if possible, so that the columns will not 

 be delayed after reaching bad places. Also, army 

 commanders should study the habit of giving the 

 artillery and wagons the road, and marching their 

 troops on one side; and also instruct their troops 

 to assist wagons at steep hills or bad crossings of 

 streams. 



9. Capt. 0. M. Poe, Chief Engineer, will assign to 

 each wing of the army a pontoon train, fully equipped 

 and organized, and the commanders thereof will see 

 to its being properly protected at all times. 



By order ol' Maj.-Gen. W. T. SHERMAN. 

 L. M. DATTON, Aide-de-Camp. 



The following order issued by Gen. Slocum 

 to the troops under his immediate command 

 gives additional directions for the conduct of 

 the march : 



HEADQrABTEBS TWENTIETH COEPS, { 



ATLANTA, GA_ Nov. 7th, 1364. f 

 [Circular.] When the troops leave camp on the 

 march about to commence, they will carry in haver- 

 sack two days' rations salt meat, two "days' hard 

 bread, ten days' coffee and salt, and five days' sugar. 

 Each infantry soldier will carry sixty rounds of am- 

 munition on his person. Every effort should be made 

 by officers and men to save rations and ammunition ; 

 not a round of ammunition should be lost or unneces- 

 sarily expended. It is expected that the command 

 will be supplied with subsistence and forage mainly 

 from the country. All foraging will be done by 

 parties detailed "for the purpose by brigade com- 

 manders, under such rules as may be prescribed by 

 brigade and division commanders. Pillaging, ma- 

 rauding, and every act of cruelty or abuse of citi- 

 zens will be severely punished. Each brigade com- 

 mander will have a strong rear guard on every 

 march, and will order the arrest of all stragglers. 

 The danger of straggling on this march should be 

 impressed upon the mind of every officer and man 

 of the command. Not only the reputation of the 

 corps, but the personal safety of every man, will be 

 dependent, in a great measure, upon the rigid en- 

 forcement of discipline and the care taken of the 

 rations and ammunition. 



By command of Maj.-Gen. SLOCUM. 

 H. W. PERKINS, Asst. Adj. -Gen. 



A glance at the map will show that two 

 parallel lines of railway, having a general 

 southeasterly direction, connect Atlanta with 

 the Atlantic seaboard, one terminating at 

 Charleston, 308 miles distant, and the other at 

 Savannah, 293 miles distant. The former line 

 is composed of the Georgia Railroad, 171 miles 

 in length, connecting Atlanta with Augusta, 

 and of the South Carolina Railroad, extending 

 from Augusta to Charleston, 137 miles; and 

 the latter, of the Western and Macon road, 



