Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-06-05
SkIllfuI Loading OF Wagons.

--N----D
The skill and success of the men in
collecting forage, says Gen. Sherman, in
his personal narrative, was one of the
features of the march from Atlanta
through Georgia. Each brigade com
mander had authority to detail COM
pany of foragers, usually about fifty
men, with one or two commissioned Off
GERS selected for their boldness and en-
terprise. Thisparty would be dispatched
before daylight with knowledge of the
intended days march and camp; would
proceed on foot five or six miles from
the route travelled by their brigade, and
then visit every plantation and farm
within range. They would usually pro-
cure wagon or family carriage, load it
with bacon, cornmeal, turkeys, chick
ems, ducks, and everything that could be
used as food or forage, and would then
regain the main road, usually in advance
of their train. When this came up, they
would deliver to the brigade commissary
the supplies thus gathered by the way.
Often would pass these foraging par
ties at the roadside, waiting for their
wagons to come up, and was amused at
their strange collections-mules, horses,
even cattle, packed with old saddles and
loaded with hams, bacon, bags of corn
meal, and poultry of every character
and description. Although this foraging
was attended with great danger and hard
work, there seemed to be charm about
it that attracted the soldiers, and it was
privilege to be detailed on such q
party. Daily they returned mounted on
all sorts of beasts, which were at once
taken from them and appropriated to
the general use; but the next day they
would start out again on foot, only to
repeat the experience of the day before.
No doubt many acts of pillage, robbery
and violence were committed by these
parties of foragers, usually called "bum-
mers;" for have since heard of iewelry
being taken from women, and the plum
der of articles that never reached the
commissary; but these acts were excep-
tional and incidental. [ never heard of
any cases sf murder or rape; and no
army could have carried along sufficient
food and forage for a march of three
hundred miles, SO that foraging in some
shape was necessary. The country was
sparsely settled, with no magistrates OF
civil authorities who could respond to
acquisitions, as is done in all the wars OF
Europe, so that this system of foraging
was simply indispensable to our success.
By it our men were well supplied with
all the essentials of life and health, while
the wagons retained enough in case OF
unexpected delay, and our animals were
we'll fed. Indeed, when we reached
Savannah, the trains were pronounced
by experts to be the finest in fesl
and appearance ever seen with any army
[ have seen much skill and industry
displayed by these quartermasters OF
the march in trying to load their wagons
with corn and fodder by the way without
losing their place in the column. They
would, while marching, shi the loads
of wagons, so as to have six or ten O.
them empty. Then, riding well ahead
they would secure possession of certain
stacks of fodder near the road, or crib
of corn, leave some men in charge, thel
open fences and road back for q coupl,
of miles, return to their trains, diver
the empty wagons out of column, anC
conduct them rapidly to their forage
load up, and regain their place in column
without losing distance. On one occa
sion remember to have seen ten or
dozen wagons thus loaded with COR
from two or three full cribs, almost with
out halting. These cribs were built @
logs and rooted. The train-guard, by
lever, had raised the whole side of th
crib foot or two; the wagons drov
close alongside, and the men in th
cribs, lying on their backs, kicked out
wagon-load of coin in the time I hav
taken to describe it.