Life and Military Career of Major-General William Tecumseh ShermanHeadley, P. C. (Phineas Camp)
History
Life and Military Career of Major-General William Tecumseh Sherman
Headley, P. C. (Phineas Camp)
Sherman, William T. (William Tecumseh), 1820-1891
“III. 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 ambulance; behind each brigade should follow a due
proportion of ammunition wagons, provision wagons, and
ambulances. In case of danger, each army corps should change
this order of march by having his advance and rear brigade
unencumbered by wheels. The separate columns will start
habitually at seven 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 travelled,
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 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 intrusted the
gathering of provisions and forage at any distance from the road
travelled.
“V. To army corps commanders is intrusted the power _to destroy
mills, houses, cotton-gins, etc._, 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 guerillas or bushwhackers molest our
march, or should the inhabitants burn bridges, obstruct roads,
or otherwise manifest local hostility, then army corps
commanders should order and _enforce a devastation more or less
relentless, according to the measure of such hostility_.
“VI. As for horses, mules, wagons, etc., 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 may also take mules or
horses to replace the jaded animals of their trains, or to serve
as pack mules for the regiments or brigades. 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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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