The Washington herald., 1914-04-13
THE WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago.
April 13 ls64Gen Rufus Ingalls, Chief Quartemasr the Amy Of
the Potomac Supplied Gen. Grant and Cen Meade
of Transportation Required for the Campaign Against Lees Army
Column Of Animals 100 Miles Long
written expressly for The HeraIdJ


Fifty years ago today Gen. Rufus In
gals, chief quartermaster of the Army
of the Potomac, supplied Gen. U. S. Grant
and Gen. George q. Meade with state
ment of the transportation being assem-
bled for the approaching campaign
against the army Of Gen. Lee
No army in the worlds history had ever
marched with such a great wagon train
as was being prepared to follow the
Army Of the Potomac when II should
, cross the Rapidan and take up its march
in the direction OF Richmond.
Gen. Grant has stated in his memoirs
that his wagon train would have reached
from the Rapidan to Richmond. sixty-five
miles. Examination Of the figures sup
piled by Gen. Ingalls,, both in his pre-
liminary estimates and in his official re-
port. show that this was not an eXtrava-
CANT settlement.
The total number OF wagons to accom-
pany the army was 1870, and the total OF
ambulanccs -. These vehicles. with their
teams moving in a single column, each
occupying sevcnty-five feet on the road,
would make a column seventy-twO miles
long.
The animals required to draw the We
hicles. together with those in the cavalry
and owned by officers, made a total of
So. .i99. II led IN single file. allowing each
animal ten feet of space on the road.
they would have made a column 1OI miles
long.
The animals included 29.945 ARTILLERY.
cavalry. and ambulance horses: 4.06 pri-
vato horses. and 22.52S mules. The total
Of ,4S9 animals was an excess Of about
.2GCO0 over the number with the army in
the Gettysburg campaign.
Forage for all these animals must be
hauled. II each consumed the ten pounds
Of grain a day allowed by the regulations
tn" daily haul for this consumption alone
would be 2S2 tons.
Science in transportation.
Gen Grant was much impressed with
the arrangements made by Gen Ingalls,
for the transportation OF the army's
supplies. There never was a better
quartermaster's corps than that in the
Army of the Potomac was his tribute
to Ingalls,: and Grant had been a quar-
termaster.
Gen IngaIls-who was a native Of
Maine-had already won the reputation
Of being a great quartermaster. He had
applied scientific principles to his depart
ment. He had a genius for detail. Each
OF the armys wagons was marked with
the distinguishing badge OF the brigade
and division to which IL belonged. Each
wagon was also marked plainly with the
character of its contents: IL ammunition.
the kind. whether artillery or infantry:
If forage. whether hay or grain: il ra-
tiOns. whether beans. bread. or pork, ami
so on.
The stupendous character Of the under
taking OF preparing the armys supplies
for the great campaign. and the infinity
OF detail followed in such preparation. -
well known by some of the documents
appearing in the official records.
Not only must everything needed on
the march % provided. from salt T.
cannon balls. but the weight of every
article required by 125.OoO men. when
marching or hChting. or by those in hos
pitfalls. must be known in advance Of the
opening OF the campaign.
The estimates submitted by Gen. In |
gals OF the wagons that would be re !
luired were based upon minute calcu- I
latiOns of the weight of the food and ,
other supplies the army would need. |
Every pound OF pork and ounce of salt !
that would be issued to a private SOL |
was enormous
The ration Of pork. for example. was !
Dne pound. II was expected that on |
the march pork would he issued three |
times in ten davs. This would call for |
the hauling of 5000 pounds of pork or |
about 1S1 tons, 10 supply FOO men. the !
number on which the quartermaster /
BASED his estimates
Beef was to be taken along on the
loUf. The regulation issue of beef when
0ork was not issued. was sixteen ounces
pound of hardtaCk to a man each DAY.
the regulation quantity. meant 1900 .
pounds. or s. tons a day for the army
Men to Garry I..OO Tons.
The army was to march and fight on
light ratio1s," and not counting meat.
which was to be forwarded on the hoof.
the ration carried by a man was to
days ratiOns, his blanket. clothing. over
coat. canteen. gun and fifty rounds of
made his total burden be-
tween thirty and forty pounds. At the !,
smaller figure the 10000 infantry in the
army would start to march with an ag-
yregate weight OF 1900 tons on their
JaCks
Estimating the rations for the army at 1
is pounds each. and the total force at
2I.0t0 men, the army would consume
about III tons OF food a day. not count
ng beef.
The gross weight of a days supply of
ood for 100 men on the march. when
'ork was issued, was thus given by the
luartermaSter General: Pork I2lS
'ounds: hard bread. 1.2lI pounds: sugar.
81 pounds: coffee. 102 pounds: salt, 4OIs
ounds: total OF 2.70is pounds Vege-
ables were not carried on the march,
or apparent reasons. When the army ,
tie vegetables. it ate them heartily From
anuary | to April l. 1864 while in camp.
he soldiers of the army consumed 20 55l
Ounds of potatoes, an average of twelve
ons day.
The quarterma ster estimated that soy
Hteen wagons were required to haul
he supplies for 1000 men and the
eCessary fodder for the animals draw