The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-05-05

o waste or what becomes of il.
1t is estimated that what is lost and
unaccounted for in n campaign is
about One-third of the total cost.
To provide for the wants of an army
In the field there are five separate de.
partments, each with it's chief and
corps of assistants. They are the
quartermasters, ordnance, medical.
subsistence and pay. The most i'm
portant are the first four, for soldiers
IN the field have all their necessary
wants provided for, and money often
gets Injuries that are of no particular
benefit
The depots of supplies must always
be located at safe distance from the
field of active operations. The i'm
portance of this may be seen byrefer-
ring to Stonewall Jackson's great raid
on Manassas in the rear of Pope's
army, where immense supplies of
every description had been located.
Also at Acquia Creek and Belle Plain.
where over IL million dollars worth
had to be destroyed in order to keep
them from falling into the hands of
the Confederates.
The sinews of war in the Immediate
rear OF an operating army must be as
light as possible, but with a never fail
ing supply within reach and with
abundant means of transportation. A
base of supplies should rest on several
points, for n sudden raid by the enemy
might be disastrous if all were collected
In one deposit within reach of an en-
terprising General like Stouewall Jack
son or Jeb Stuart.
When Jackson captured the supplies
at Manassas and the depot at Acduia
Creek was burned our only immediate
source of supply was at Alexandria :;
and back of this Washington and Bal
tlmore. 1t was from Baltimore that
Mcclellan was supplied during the An
tletam campaign. This is said to have
been the objective point OF General
Lee. Had he captured Baltimore he
would have cut Off Washington from
the North and been abundantly able
to supply his army.
Civilians often ask, "What becomes
of the arms aud other accoutrements
lost in the enemy's country during a
cnmpaign?"
When a regim ent takes the field n
thousand strong it is fully armed and
equipped with the best of everything
to be had. 1t is not long before the
regiment, by battle and sickness, is
reduced to less than one.half its orig
lnal numbers, to say nothing bf deser-
lions. Colonies OF regiments and cap
tains of companies are always directly
responsible for the arms, and must
account for them in official reports.
When regiment goes into battle with
full ranks its losses will result from
one hundred TO several hundred killed
and wounded, the later predominating
largely. Many are also missing.
A dead or wounded soldier has no
further use for his arms or equipments.
Consequently the combatants holding
the field come into possession OF all
left upon it. n this case they are
gathered up, carefully counted and
turned over to the ordnance officer or
quartermaster and his receipt taken
therefor. This is embodied in the
coloneps or captains reports, with the
vouchers, which re yves them Of all
.u-aher responsibility. These accounts
are transmitted to the Ordnance Bur
eau in Washington, and the officer, if
delinquent, cannot receive his final
settlement until it is made straight.
case they cannot be accounted for
It is necessary for the officer to make
oath upon honor that they were "1ost
In action"
When such arms or accouirements
are received bv the ordnance officer or
quartermaster he becomes responsible,
"nd if lost while under his charge he
j. obliged to so through tho same
formula as the other officers. 1t is
doubtful if there is an ordnance officer
or quGrtermaster who served in the
field who was not obliged to swear off
many thousands Of dollars worth of
such accounts, and many had con-
siderable difficulty in settling up with
Oncle Sam.
The ordnance officer must find some
means Of Transporting the arms to a
safe depot in the rear, but in case this
Us impossible and there is danger of
their falling into the hands of an
enemy they mustbe destroyed Should
this be the case a full account of the
manner OF destruction, Jack of trans.
portation and all other details must bc
immediately forwarded to- the Chief
of Ordnance at Wellington IF thi.
report is accept the official is relieved
OF oil further responsibility for the
loss
During Popo's campaign there wa.
TO opportunity TO save anything. In
ieel the Union boys were fortunate
60 save Themselves, consequently d
large amount of arms and accoutre
nents fell into the hands of the Con
ie5crates, who were much in need oil
them. Thousands OF Confederate.
who fought at AntIctam we're armed
and equipped with what they OH
tanned from dead Union soldiers in
this campaign of Pope's. During TIN,
Wilderness and Spottsylvauia cam
pairn under General Grant our losse
were tremendous, but os we generally
held the field the collection of arm
and accoutrement was large. Tn thi
campaign only five wagons were al.
lowed TO q brigade Tho necessary
meat was driven on the hoof ant
killed as required.
There was consequently no trans
poriation and all arms gathered OF