Today in History:

713 Series I Volume XXXIX-III Serial 79 - Allatoona Part III

Page 713 Chapter LI] CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION.

General Sherman, I will state that the infantry force will amount to about 50,000 men, and all armed with the Springfield or Enfield rifle musket. The artillery is as follows: Thirty-four light 12- pounder guns, thirty 3-inch guns, and four 20-pounder Parrot guns. The cavalry has about 3,000 Spencer earbines, 2,000 Sharps carbines, and a few hundred of Burnside, Ballard, Merrill, and Smith carbines and Lindner rifles. The point to which ammunition and stores are to be sent for this army will be designated to you by other authority.

T. G. TAYLOR,

Chief of Ordnance.

SPECIAL FIELD ORDERS,
HDQRS. MIL. DIV. OF THE MISS., In the Field, Kingston, Ga., Numbers 120.
November 9, 1864.

I. For the purpose of military operations this army is divided into two wings, viz, the Right Wing, Major General O. O. Howard commanding, the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps; the Left Wing, Major General H. w. Slocum commanding, the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps.

II. The habitual order of march will be, wherever practicable, by flour roads, as near parallel as possible and converging at points hereafter to be indicated in orders. The cavalry, Brigadier-General Kilpatrick commanding, will receive special orders from the commander-in-chief.

III. There will be no general train of supplies, but each corps will have its ammunition train and provision train distributed habitually as follows: Behind each regiment should follow one wagon and one ambulance; behind each brigade should follow a due proportion of ammunition wagons, provision wagons, and ambulances. In case of danger each army corps commander should change this order of march by having his advance and rear brigade unincumbered by wheels. The separate columns will start habitually at 7 a. m., and make about fifteen miles per day, unless otherwise fixed in orders.

IV. The army will forage liberally on the country during the march. To this end, each brigade commander will organize a good and sufficient foraging party, under the command of one or more discreet officers, who will gather, near the route traveled, corn or forage of any kind, meat of any kind, vegetables, corn-meal, or whatever is needed by the command, aiming at all times to keep in the wagons at least ten day's provisions for the command and three days' forage. Soldiers must no enter the dwellings of the inhabitants, or commit any trespass, but during a halt or a camp they may be permitted to gather turnips, potatoes, and other vegetables, and to drive in stock of their camp. To regular foraging parties must be instructed the gathering of provisions and forage at any distance from the road traveled.

V. To army corps commanders alone is instursted the power to destroy mills, houses, cotton-gins, &c., and for them this general principle is laid down: In districts and neighborhoods where the army is unmolested no destruction of such property should be permitted; but should guerrillas or bushwhackers molest our march, or should the inhabitants burn bridges, obstruct roads, or otherwise manifest local hostility, then army commanders should order and enforce a devastation more or less relentless according to the measure of such hostility.

VI. As for horses, mules, wagons, &c., belonging to the inhabitants, the cavalry and artillery may appropriate freely and without limit, discriminating, however, between the rich, who are usually hostile, and the poor or industrious, usually neutral or friendly. Foraging parties


Page 713 Chapter LI] CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION.