Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-12-10
Sherman's Grand Expedition.
Official Order Relating to the March.
Important and Interesting Details.
sHERNAN's oRpERs FOR MS MARCH. /

HrApo'Rs, MILITARY DIVISION OF TIE MISS,
In TIE FIELD, KINesToS, Ga, Nov.s, lse4f
/. For the purpose of military operations
this army is divided into two wings, viz: The
right wing, Major General o. o. Howard com
manding the Fifteenth and Seventeenth
corps; the left wing, Major General Fl. W.
Slocum commanding the Fourteen ard TWEEN
tieth corps. 4 -, aa
II. The habitual order of march will be,
whenever practicable, by four roads, as near
" parallel as possible, and converging at
points hereafter to be indicated in orders.
The cavalry, Brigadier General Fitzpatrick
commanding, will receive special orders from
the Commander-in-Chief Is
III. There will be no general trains of sup
plies, but each corps will have its aInmuni-
ton and provision train, distributed habitu-
ally as follows: Behind each regiment should
follow one wagon and one ambulance; be-
hind each brigade should follow 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 advance and rear brig
ade unencumbered by wheels. The separate
columns will start habitually at seven A. NJ.
and make about fifteen miles per day, unless
otherwise fixed in orders. as
w. The army will forage literally on The
country during the march. To this end, each
brigade commander viii organize 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 COM
mand; aiming at all times to keep in the wa
gon trains at least ten days provisions for tie
command and three days forage. Soldiers mast
not enter tie dacellings of the inhabitants or
commit any trespass; during the halt or a
camp they may he permitted to gather tur-
nips, potatoes ana other vegetables, and drive
in stock in front of their camps. To regular
foraging parties must be entrusted the gath
ering of provisions and forage at any distance
from the road travelled.
V. To army corps commanders is entrusted
the power to destroy mills, houses, cotton gins,
de-, and for them this general principles laid
down:-In districts and neighbOrhoods mhere
tie army is anlmOleSted, no destruction of such
property should be permitted; but should
guerrillas or bushwhackers modest our march,
or should the inhabitants burn bridges, OBJ
struct roads or otherwise manifest local hos.
tility, then army corps commanders should
order and enforce devastation more or less re-
Leatless, according to the measure of such hostility
VI As for horses, mules, wagons, &C., be-
longing 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. For
aging 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.
VII. NeqroeS rho are able bodied and can be
of service to tie segerdi columns, may be taken
along but each army commander will bear
in mind that the question of supplies is
very important one, and that his first duty is
to see 10 those who bear arms.
VIII. The organization at once of good
pioneer battalion for each corps, composed,
If possible, of negroes, shOul 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, ar
my 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. 2
IN Captain o. NJ. Poe, Chief Engineer,
will assign TO each wing of the army pom
toon train, fully equipped and organized, and
the commanders thereof will see to its being
properly protected at all times.
Ely order of
Major General w. I. SHERMAN.
T. NJ DAYTOS Aid de Camp
GEN. sLoCUMs ORDER TO HIS WING OF THE ARMY.
HEADQUARTERS TWENTIETH CoRPs,l
- ATLANTA, GA, Nov. Z, 1864.
= 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
day sugar. Each infantry soldier will carry
sixty rounds of ammunition on his person.
Every effort should be made by officers and
mel to save rations and ammunition I; not a
round of ammunition should be lost or unne-
cessarily expended. 1t is expected the COM
mand will be supplied with subsistence and
forage mainly from the country. All forag-
ing will be done by parties detailed for the
purpose by brigade commanders, under such
rules as may be prescribed by brigade and d.
vision commanders. PiHaging, nsaraHding,
and eery ctof cruelty or abuse of citizens agiH
Be severeiy punished. Each brigade command
er will have a strong rear guard on every
march, and will order the arrest of all stray
glers. The danger of struggling 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 enforcement of
discipline and the care taken of the rations
and ammunition.
By command of Maj. Gen. SLOCUM.
ii. w. PERKINS, Asst. Adjt Gen.
REBEL ACCOUNTS OF sHERMAN's PROGRESS.
According to late rebel papers Sherman's
toward Macon was feint. No
attack had been made on that place up to
Wednesday last, but when a short distance
from it he turned north-eastward towards
Milledgeville, the capital of the State, which
town, it is reported, his cavalry captured
Sunday night, subsequently burning the capt.
toll building and the penitentiary. II is also
said strong force of his army made DEM
onstration on Augusta, within twenty miles
of which place his right was repulsed. The
movement on Augusta is also considered
feint TO distract attention from Sherman's
first real objective point, which is surmised
to be Savannah. 1t is prophesied that he
will move as directly as possible on the lat
ter city from Milledgeville, and the belief is
expressed that theparge Union feet which has
been collected in james river is destined for
Savannah. and will meet Sherman there.
The Augusta Chronicle of the 10th inst. stated
that a large fleet of union transports had al
ready arrived off the Georgia coast.