413 Series III Volume V- Serial 126 - Union Letters, Orders, Reports
Page 413 | UNION AUTHORITIES. |
December 11.-Started at 11 a.m.; left river road near seven-mile post fom Savannah, Ga.; for Middle Ground road; camped in a swamp between river road and middle county road; distance of day's march, five miles.
December 12.-Marched at daylight; crossed Central Railroad; camped on Middle Ground road, near Station No. 1, on Central Railroad; traveled three miles and a half; forage from the country reduced to rice and rice straw.
December 13 to December 16.-In camp.
December 17.-Communication fairly open; received to-day the first mail from the North.
December 18 to December 21, inclusive.-In camp, drawing a small amount of forage from King's Bridge, on the Ogeechee River.
December 22.-Entered Savannah; distance from camp, six miles; established headquarters.
December 23 to December 31, inclusive.-At Savannah, Ga.
During my stay at Savannah, Ga., I had the honor to forwarding, as directed by the chief quartermaster Military Division of the Mississippi, Bvt. Brigadier General L. C. Easton, my official report of the campaign from Atlanta to Savannah, Ga. To make this report complete, however, in itself, I take the liberty to recapitulate the gross grain of the quartermaster's department of the corps, and most respectfully refer for loss and gain of the different commands of the Fourteenth Army Corps to consolidated report No. 4, herewith annexed. I would most respectfully also draw the attention of the department to the fact that the amount fed to animals during the campaign is by far less than the actual amount consumed. A good many animals during the campaign were picked up by soldiers not connected with regular authorized foraging parties. A good many of these being of a very inferior quality were turned out as soon as the officers commanding the foraging squads got hold of them, and in consequence no account taken of them. In figuring the approximate amount of forage fed I have taken the average number of animals as reported to this office, and allowed to each only the authorized ration.
Total gain in horses during campaign from Atlanta to Savannah, Ga., 232; total gain in mules during campaign from Atlanta to Savannah, Ga., 5; total gain in ponies during campaign from Atlanta to Savannah, Ga., 5; total amount of grain captured during the same time, 1,420,000 pounds; total amount of grain fodder captured during same time, 1,025,000 pounds.
CAMPAIGN THROUGH THE CAROLINAS.
Having been engaged as previously reported from the entrance of the Fourteenth Army Corps in Savannah, Ga., in refitting the corps, clothing for the same being very necessary, as well as rest both for animals and men, headquarters of the Fourteenth Army Corps left Savannah, Ga., on the 25th day of January, 1865, the troops as well as the trains having they were for the first time during a year's campaign mud bound.d, headquarters of the corps left Savannah about 11.30 a.m. January 25, 1865, on Middle Ground road, weather being very windy. Camped at night near Eden Church; distance of day's march, twenty miles.
January 26, 1865.-Started at 7.30 a.m. on Springfield road, being most of the distance through swamps; were under the necessity of
Page 413 | UNION AUTHORITIES. |