Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1900-08-16


detailed to wagon driving to replen'
ish the impoverished stock Of the reg,
mental or division larder. But when
the distance is increased to sixty OF
one hundred miles the trick is one Of
great difficulty.
There are along this line of commu-
nication two lines Of transport wagons
constantly on the move and in oPpo-
site directions. The one line is for
wagons filled with stores and supplies
Tor the army. The other is made up
of empty wagons going back to the
base for other loads Easy stages are
made Of the journey.
For instance, one lot of loaded wag-
ons will start from the base and go an
easy distance, when another lot OF
empty ones will be coming in the op-
posite direction. The drivers and
horses will be exchanged, those on the
loaded wagons returning with the
empty ones to the base Of supplies and
those on the empty wagons taking the
loaded supplies one stage nearer the
army, at the end of which the same
thing is repeated.
Within easy reach of the army is
established second base of supplies
where great amount Of stores is ac-
cumulated in order to enable the army
to extend its operations further from
It's principal base. Of course, rail
road makes the thing doubly sure and
quick. But there is usually good
deal Of wagon hauling to be done even
with the railroads, because it is not
often possible for an army to conhne
its operations to the line of rail COM
munication. In any case, from the
nearest base of supplies are brought
to the division or regimental wagons,
which are filled on requisition and re-
ceipts are given for the supplies re-
ceived.
A weeks supply or even ten days
food should be at hand with the army.
From the regimental depots the COM
pany gets its food for each day, and it
is transferred to the company kitchen.
Here are great kettles Of coffee steam
ing over the fire, with bacon or other
meat cooking in the pans. Thus the
food which started as the contents Of
one of the boxes in the mountain Of
supplies on the shore, finally comes to
the plate of soldier to give him
strength.
Sometimes flying column takes no
commissary train with it, cuts itself
off from its base of supplies and moves
swiftly through the country, taking a
few days rations. This cannot be
done unless the country is thoroughly
known and can be depended on for
food
Sir George Head, writing of his ez-
perience in charge Of the commissary
in the peninsular war, says that 3
o'clock every morning found him in
the presence Of the commanding gen.
eral, where he was told of the move
ment of the army for the day. He
would then 90 to his own quarters,
where he found scores Of representa-
tives of the different parts Of the army
waiting for information. Sometimes,
he says, he was obliged to ride out IN
the rain and scour the country for
wheat to be made into -four for that
nights distribution.
The worry of such position can
scarcely be imagined, for even after a
supply of wheat was found, it had to
be transported to the mill, ground and
carried to a convenient place for dis
tribution among the parts of the army,
which operations required the services
of many men and teams.
There is considerable red tape re-
quired to get provisions, no less than
seventy-fve different kinds Of blanks
being supplied to be used as requisi-
tions.