The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-26

Of New Enelsnders; Thomas S of New
Workers. etc, the difficulty of dis
banding would have been less; but the
armies were not made mp In that meth
odical way, Sherman S army in April
1865. was formed OF six army corps,
besides cavalry. In the Fifteenth and
Seventeenth corps, eight States were
represented; in the Tenth corps, nine
States; in the Twentieth. ten; in the
Fourteenth and Twentv-third, eleven,
In the entire army. seventeen. In all
the armies there was the same wide
State representation. The War depart
ment thus had 10 break MP each army,
select from it men from Maine, from
Ohio from Illinois, and arrange that
each of these fragments be sent on its
way.
1t was obliged, too. to do more than
get the troops home. On their way
North it must hold them long enough
70 secure the army history of each man,
and il proposed to do this in such q way
that he would have no legitimate res
son for complaint. Moreover, if pro
posed that when at last it did set him
down at his own door it should be with
money in his pocket and good will
toward the government IN his heart.
Problem Most Bewildering.
It was bewldering problem. but
III
volcanic energy SummonIpg General
Thomas NJ. Vincent. the Assistant Ad-
jutant General, who had in charge the
organization Of the volunteer forces. he
asked him for a plan to suit the case.
A few days later General Vincent pre-
sented a method he believed feasible.
As soon as the scheme had been ap,,
proved, the first of n long series OF
orders reducing the army was issued.
In response to these orders the, bnlldog
grip which the Union forces had SO long
had on the South now loosened, Inc
men released by each successive decree
began at once TO move ont from the
points in the East or West where they
were stationed to the rendezvous select,
cd for them: men from the armies OF
Meade and Sherman To Washington;
from that of Thomas TO Nashville or
Louisville; from that of Canby to New
Orleans, Vicksburg or Mobile. Al
over the vast area movement noitn-
ward towards the rendezvous was I'M
mediately perceptible.
The suddenness with which the sol
dicrs were faced about, before the, fact
that the war was over was clearly IN
their heads, and marched for home with
as much dispatch as if they were going
into battle. produced at first throughout
the armies a feeling of bewilderment.
The army disbanded! What did 1T
mean? Why. nothing less Than that
they were out of work-their occupa'
ton gone Soldering had become their
business. What were they going to do3
Work on the farm had gone on in their
absence Their benches had been filed;
Others were teaching their schools And
then there was large element who
had no homes to go to; to whom re
turn North meant nothing but wander
ing until fortune offered somcthiag.
But it was not only the sense of being
thrown adrift which affected the sol
dieys when the order for disbaudment
was first received. Four years of 6ght-
ing, of defeat and victory, bad hard
eued many of them into warriors. and
| thew loved their trade They might
grumble at times but the passion for
danger and adventure had its hold upon
| them, and no man who has once learned