Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1883-10-11
MARCHING ACROSS CAROLINA.
How the L 9Th Army Corps Subsisted Itself
While En- Route.
(Erchn1lne,l

(Erchange.)
Gen. M. F. Force read paper be-
fore the Ohio Commandery of the
Loyal Legion at a recent meeting 1t
consisted of personal "reminiscences con-
nected with the movements of the Sd
division, 18th army corps, of which he
WAS the commander during it's march
from Pocotaligo to Greensboro, n. c..
In the course of the paper the General
says Napoleon discusses the relative
merits Of drawing subsistence from the
country by requisition and drawing it
by direct seizure. In the thickly in
habited countries Of Europe, where
the roads are studded with cities, re-
QUESTION is practical and preferable
But in a sparsely settled region, where
towns are few and small and scantily
supplied, and provisions are mainly
found OH scattered plantations, there
is no alternative; there is no means of
obtaining subsistence but by direct
seizure. In the Sd division the forage
detail for each regiment consisted of
one officer and about dozen enlisted
men the number of enlisted men vary
ing with the size of the regiment. In
the morning every detail reported to
the provost marshals of the division
before leaving camp. They went in
advance of the column and secured
the country ten miles out from the
fanks; often went further out. Wis
iting plantations, they gathered sup
plies, and when necessary, captured
wagons to bring supplies into camp.
At first they went out on foot, but be-
fore long they were all mounted. They
acquired experience which seemed like
instinct in finding their way about the
country and to the ground selected for
the night camp. Arriving at the
camp-ground, sometimes being the first
on the ground, they observed the corps
staff allot ground to each division, and
then the division officers allot ground
to each brigade. The ground for each
brigade being desi ignated, they knew
where each regiment would bivouac.
At once every party would repair to
| the ground where its regiment on ar
rival would camp, and the troops com
ing in through the night would find
not only pickets posted, but camp fires
burning and bacon, sweet potatoes and
corn meal ready for them. Sometimes
6 q patty wok.d fly. a griat snill. and
instead Of going to camp would set tc
work grinding meal and send to camp
for wagons and would spend the night
grinding it the supply of corn held
out. It was a common practice with
planters to bury their provisions
and hide their stock in the swamps,
for both armies, national and
confederate, foraged alike. But the
men soon gained wonderful facility
in discovering the hidden stores. From
the general appearance of the barns
and smoke houses they quickly and
unerringly made up their minds where
something was hidden. By indica-
tions which themselves would find ii
hard to explain, they determined the
general locality where the cache was
made. Advancing in line in open or
der, driving their ramrods into tbs
ground, a few minutes would reveal
the hidden stores. A negro one day
said to Gen. Leggett: "Dese Yankee
soldiers have noses like hounds. Mass
hid all his horses away out dar in dc
swamp. Some soldiers come along
All at once dey held up dere noses anc
shifted, and stopped still and shifted
| and turned into de swamp and held VI
dere noses and shifted, and, Lord a
Massy, went right straight to whered
horses was tied" One day a sergean
went into country house. The plan
ter and his wife were there. After :
little talk the sergeant, with great so
lemnity, asked: HAS any one diec
here lately 2" The planter quickl..
said "No, nobody" The sergean
gravely said: II thought somebody hac
died here The planter said: "No
sir" His wife said ooh, yes don
you remember, my dear don't yo1
remember that colored boy that wa
buried yesterday?' The planter add
ed: ooh, yes; there was colored bo.
buried here yesterday. The sergean
with increased solemnity, said: 8
only wanted to let you know that
have opened that grave and taken ou
the corpse" There was loud expostu
lation then, for this corpse, so-callec
was the plantation supply of ham.
r.roI,no Cays