Today in History:

479 Series I Volume XLVII-II Serial 99 - Columbia Part II

Page 479 Chapter LIX. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION.

The details will return to camp as soon as the work is finished.

In the destruction the rails will be bent and twisted.

Corps headquarters will remain in the city to-morrow.

The brigade from the First Division now doing provost duty will remain in the city to-morrow.

By command of Major General F. P. Blair:

C. CADLE, JR.,

Assistant Adjutant-General.


SPECIAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. THIRD DIV., 17TH ARMY CORPS, Numbers 39.
In the Field, S. C., February 18, 1865.

I. This command will move forward to-morrow at 8 a.m. in the following order to destroy railroad:

First, Second Brigade, excepting one regiment to guard camp; second, First Brigade; third, artillery trains and ambulances will remain in present camp.

The command will return to camp when the work assigned is completed.

* * * * *

By order of Brigadier General M. F. Force:

J. C. DOUGLASS,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

GENERAL ORDERS,
HDQRS. LEFT WING, ARMY OF GEORGIA, Numbers 6.
In the Field, February 18, 1865.

The attention of all officers is called to Special Field Orders from headquarters of the army, prohibiting the transportation of tents, except one for brigade headquarters and upward. An immediate and rigid enforcement of this order is expected. All surplus tents and every pound of baggage not authorized by regulations and existing orders, will at once be burned or abandoned. A portion of the army has recently marched ten days through a country yielding but little forage, and following this march it has been compelled to remain at one point nearly two days. The result has been that portions of the command have been utterly destitute of forage and the animals have suffered severely. We have got a long and arduous march to make with almost an absolute certainty of being delayed several days at one point on our line, and that, too, in a section which will probably yield but the small supplies for either man or animals. Under these circumstances the importance of collecting supplies as rapidly as possible, and of making an econimical use of them, must be apparent to all. The stores now on hand will be placed in as few wagons as possible, and all wagons obtained either by this method or by the abandonment of tents and private baggage, will at once be loaded with such subsistence stroes and forage as can be obtained in the country. At least six days' forage should, if possible, be kept constantly on hand. All disabled and worthless mules and horses will at once be shot. No person, white or balck, nto connected with the army will be permitted to accompany either column at the slightest risk of embarrassment to our future operations.

By command of Major General H. W. Slocum:

ROBT. P. DECHERT,

Captain and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.


Page 479 Chapter LIX. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. -UNION.