The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-04-21
Sketches Of Sherman ON his Great
-I.K .yp.3 q. a5.i. March. aiaigrr aW
THE BuMMKRs- OF THE Army.

H. In order to systematic and more thor
oushly regulate the work of foraging for
the troops, detail Of sixty men to d.
vision was made. These men, under proper
officers, were mounted, and were called by
the boys " bummers. /" They became an
institution in the army, and the history Of
their work is not the least important part
of the labors of that army. Covering the
TANKS and front and rear of the army,
they served to a great extent the purpose
of cavalry. They had many skirmishes
with Hampton, and Gen. Sherman asserts
that he has never known them to be
driven in by the rebel horse. In some in
stances they have been in the advance, and
it is q matter of record that these bummers
actually captured Midway, on the Charles
ton and Savannah Railroad. The story is
this: Gen. Howard, with 1000 men OF
his army, was carefully advancing towards
the road, expecting at every moment to
meet the enemy. As he was giving direc-
tions to the officer in command, he noticed
one of these b1mmers mounted on dumpy
mule, with rope bride, and without sad
die. coming down the road at full speed,
beating his mule at every step with his
cudgel. "Stop, stop!" said the General ;
".where are you going?" "Haven't got
time !" said the man, still beating and
squirting the mule. Haven't got time
in q devil of hurry! The bummers of
the third brigade have captured Midway,
and I'm after reinforcements!"
These bummers were the first to enter
Fayetteville. Their work has been well
done and done in this manner: Knowing
about where the command would encamp
for the night, they would be ready near
that point, with their rations all divided
out, each man having ten piles for his reg
iment-one for each company. The road
at such points would be lined for miles
with these foragers, and their piles of
meat, potatoes, rice, meal, corn, &c. They
looked more like market men than soldiers.
The regiment as they came to their places
would halt, and each company divide out
their rati0ns. 1t was the work of but q
few moments, when tho march was re-
sumed. 7s' .to.i ti' -- "'1@.55 o.
These bummers, and their vehicles for
transportation, following their divisions in
their march through the town, were the
most amusing sight we ever saw. Mount.
ed on mules, horses and oxen, with old
saddles and brides, followed by carriages
Of every description, from a gig to car
ryall, drawn by mules, horses or oxen
carts aud wagons of every description
then the pack mules and oxen, all loaded
with chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, ba-
con, hams, meal, rice, and everything the
country afforded, led by negroes, old and
young, male and female. All this, off.
cered and guarded by these bummers, was
the occasion of many jokes and hearty
laughs. D.. r.-,...- 10
So efficient has this organization been,
and OF 80 great service and assistance to
the cavalry, that though Gen. Hamptons
cavalry force outnumbers Gen. Kilpat-
ricks nearly three to one, the rebels have
never been able to strike our wagon
trains, ard, from Atlanta to Goldsboro,
they have never captured even one single
wagon. FL Fs 80
GEN. SHERMAN ORGANIZES "BUMAdERs FOB
THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
The burning of Columbia has been
heard of by your readers. By this unfor-
tunate accident some 5000 people were
left without homes and food. As Gen.
Sherman was about to leave, he was VS.
tied by the Mayor, who wanted to know
what was to become of him and those
5000 people dependent on him. go to
your friend, Gen. Hampton" said Sher-
man. "He, I" said the Mayor, is our worst
enemy" "Well, then," the General told
him. "he must live off the country, as he
had done" "But,' said his Honor,
"there is nothing left in the country, and
I can't see how these people are to live"
r"WelI." said Sherman, ait you really
want my advice, / will give it to you.
First. l will tell you great secret. I'm
not going to Augusta. There is tract
of country that my foragers haven't yet
touebed. / forbid them going there, that
the people might thinkI was saving that
to live off of in my march on that city.
Now, you can forage out of that country :"
&C Well, said his Honor, "that might do,
but these people viii resist US, and We
have no arms. 1 will give you ayms, /"
said Gen., Sherman, and forthwith, issued
forty stand of arms to the Mayor, and thus
organized for these chivalric South Caro-
-5l5ngosqms q