Today in History:

366 Series I Volume XI-III Serial 14 - Peninsular Campaign Part III

Page 366 THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN, VA. Chapter XXIII.

from the depots. The allowance of tents will therefore be immediately reduced to the following standard, and no other accommodations must be expected until a permanent depot is established:

For the headquarters of an army corps, division, or brigade, one wall-tent for the general commanding and one to every two officers of his staff.

To each full regiment, for the colonel, field, and staff officers, three wall-tents.

For all other commissioned officers, one shelter-tent each.

For every two non-commissioned officers, soldiers, officers' servants, and camp followers, as far as they can be supplied, one shelter-tent.

One hospital tent will be allowed for office purposes at corps headquarters, and one wall-tent at division and brigade headquarters.

All tents in excess of this allowance will be immediately turned in to the depots.

Tents of other patterns required to be exchanged for shelter-tents will be turned in as soon as the latter can be obtained from the Quartermaster's Department. Under no circumstances will they be allowed to be carried when the army moves.

III. The allowance of officers' baggage will be limited to blankets, a small valise or carpet-bag, and a reasonable mess kit. All officers will at once reduce their baggage to this standard. The men will carry no baggage except blankets and shelter-tents. The chief quartermaster will provide storage on the transports for the knapsacks of the men and for the officers' surplus baggage.

IV. Hospital tents must not be diverted from their legitimate use, except for officers, as authorized in paragraph II.

V. The wagons allowed to a regiment or battery must carry nothing but forage for the teams, cooking utensils for the men, hospital stores, small rations, and officers' baggage. One of the wagons allowed for a regiment will be used exclusively for hospital stores, under the direction of the regimental surgeon. The wagon for regimental headquarters will carry grain for the officers' horses. At least one and a half of the wagons allowed to a battery or squadron will carry grain.

VI. Hospital stores, ammunition, quartermaster's stores, and subsistence stores in bulk will be transported in special trains.

VII. Commanding officers will be held responsible that the reduction above ordered, especially of officers' baggage, is carried into effect at once, and corps commanders are especially charged to see that this responsibility is enforced.

VIII. On all marches quartermasters will accompany and conduct their trains, under the orders of their commanding officers, so as never to obstruct the movement of troops.

IX. All quartermasters and commissaries of subsistence will attend in person to the receipt and issue of supplies for their commands, and will keep themselves constantly informed of the situation of the depots, roads, &c.

By command of Major-General McClellan:

S. WILLIAMS,

Assistant Adjutant-General.


Page 366 THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN, VA. Chapter XXIII.