comes. I wish you would keep your cavalry on roads to the north of the direct one by Gladden's Grove, as that will be needed all day for infantry and wagons. You shall have the bridge as fast as your brigades come. I regret the matter you report, that eighteen of your men have been murdered after surrender, and marked that the enemy intended to kill all foragers. It leaves no alternative; you must retaliate man for man and mark them in like manner. Let it be done at once. We have a perfect war right to the products of the country we overrun, and may collect them by foragers or otherwise. Let the whole people know that the war is now against them, because their armies flee before us and do not defend their country or its frontier as they should. It is petty nonsense for Wheeler and Beauregard and such vain heroes to talk of our warring against women and children. If they claim to be men they should defend their women and children and prevent us reaching their homes. Instead of maintaining their armies let them turn their attention to their families, or we will follow them to the death. They should know that we will use the produce of the country as we please. I want the foragers to be regulated and systematized so as not to degenerate into common robbers, but foragers, as such, to collect corn, bacon, beef, and such other products as we need, are as much entitled to our protection as our skirmishers and flankers. You will, therefore, at once shoot and leave by the roadside an equal number of their prisoners, and append a label to their bodies stating that man for man shall be killed for every one of our men they kill. If our foragers commit excesses punish them yourself, but never let an enemy judge between our men and the law. For my part I want. the people of the South to realize the fact that they shall not dictate laws of war or peace to us. If there is to be any dictation we want our full share. Yours, truly, W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General, Commanding. GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE SO Hilton Head, S. C., February 23, 1865. Lieut. Col. James F. Hall, First New York Volunteer Engineers, having been, on account of receiving leave of absence, temporarily relieved as provost-marshal-general of this department in General Orders, No. 11, current series, from these headquarters, and having since been promoted to be colonel of his regiment now serving in the Department of Virginia, will turn over all records and property pertaining to the office of provost-marshal-general, which he may have in his possession to his successor, Lieut. Col. Stewart L. Woodford, One hundred and twenty-seventh New York Volunteers, and proceed to the headquarters of his regiment. By command of Maj. Gen. Q. A. Gillmore: W. L. M. BURGER, Assistant Adjutant-General. HDQRS. NORTHERN DISTRICT, DEPT. OF THE SOUTH, Captain BARKER, Commanding Fort Strong, Morris Island, S. C.: You are hereby placed in command of Morris Island, S. C. You will see that the public property is preserved, and that no camps are injured or meddled with. The latter will be needed immediately as rendezvous for the organization of colored regiments. By order of Brigadier-General Schimmelfennig: J. W. DICKINSON, Captain and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General. WASHINGTON, February 23, 1865. Major-General SCHOFIELD, Cape Fear River, N. C.: GENERAL: The Secretary of War directs me to say that he is informed that you have taken for your headquarters the hospital boat, the Spaulding. If so, your action is disapproved, and you will imme diately return the vessel to the Medical Department. He also directs ine to say that no Government vessel will be diverted from its proper business and used as the headquarters of any officer without the permission of the War Department, and that an application for such use must state the circumstances rendering it necessary, and showing that headquarters cannot be established on shore. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, H. W. HALLECK, Major-General and Chief of Staff. WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, Maj. Gen. J. M. SCHOFIELD, Washington, February 23, 1865. Commanding Dept. of North Carolina, off Fort Fisher, N. C.: SIR: The Secretary of War directs me to inform you that your occupation of the hospital transport S. R. Spaulding for your headquarters is in violation of General Orders, No. 18, copy herewith inclosed,* and is disapproved by him. The Secretary directs that you immediately give up the steamer to the control of the Medical Department again, and that you conform to the terms of the general order referred to. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. E. M. STANTON, E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General. CITY POINT, VA., February 24, 1865-11 a. m. Secretary of War, Washington: I would respectfully recommend the appointment of Schofield as brigadier-general in the regular army. He ought to have had it from the battle of Franklin. U. S. GRANT, * See February 8, p. 342. 35 R R-VOL XLVII, PT II WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, February 24, 1865. Lieutenant-General GRANT: The Chief of Ordnance sent yesterday an ordnance officer to Cape Fear River to secure the captured ordnance and ordnance stores. I have made the appointment of Schofield brigadier-general in regular EDWIN M. STANTON, army. Secretary of War. HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, His Excellency J. Y. SMITH, Governor of the State of Rhode Island: GOVERNOR: In the absence of Major-General Sherman, commanding in the field, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt at these headquarters of the resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island commendatory of the conduct and services of the general and the officers and men under his command. The resolutions and letter of transmittal will be forwarded to the general as soon as communication is opened to him. I have the honor to be, Your Excellency's most obedient servant, HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, Lieut. Gen. WADE HAMPTON, In the Field, February 24, 1865. One Commanding Cavalry Forces, C. S. Army: GENERAL: It is officially reported to me that our foraging parties are murdered after capture and labeled "Death to all foragers." instance of a lieutenant and seven men near Chesterville, and another of twenty "near a ravine eighty rods from the main road" about three miles from Feasterville. I have ordered a similar number of prisoners in our hands to be disposed of in like manner. I hold about 1,000 prisoners captured in various ways, and can stand it as long as you; but I hardly think these murders are committed with your knowledge, and would suggest that you give notice to the people at large that every life taken by them simply results in the death of one of your Confederates. Of course you cannot question my right to "forage on the country." It is a war right as old as history. The manner of exercising it varies with circumstances, and if the civil authorities will supply my requisitions I will forbid all foraging. But I find no civil authorities who can respond to calls for forage or provisions, therefore must collect directly of the people. I have no doubt this is the occasion of much misbehavior on the part of our men, but I cannot permit an enemy to judge or punish with wholesale murder. Personally I regret the bitter feelings engendered by this war, but they were to be expected, and I simply allege that those who struck the first blow and made war inevitable ought not, in fairness, to reproach us for the natural consequences. I merely assert our war right to forage and my resolve to protect my foragers to the extent of life for life. Ι am, with respect, your obedient servant, W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General, U. S. Army. HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, In the Field, One mile North of Warrenton's, Fifteen South of Lancaster, February 24, 1865. Major-General HOWARD, Commanding Right Wing: GENERAL: Jeff. Davis is not yet across, and the roads are so very bad that I think it will take him all day and to-morrow to get well over and up on high ground. The Twentieth Corps is here. We can see the Seventeenth passing eastward, about one mile south. Davis is - ordered to take roads that will bring him into the direct road from Lancaster to Chesterfield, and the Twentieth will move by Hanging Rock, and thence by roads to the south of Davis. Unless the rains cease we will have a hard time. Don't push too fast, but gather as much food as you can en route. I think you could send into Camden with safety, but there is no object, but when you get to Lynch's Creek you might pass the Ninth Illinois Cavalry* across and push them toward Florence with orders to break two or three bridges about Timmonsville and then to rejoin you at Cheraw. I don't believe there is any cavalry of the enemy down there, and ours might pick up some good horses. The only object would be to prevent the shipment by cars of the garrison of Charleston to Fayetteville or Wilmington to oppose us. If at the time you suppose all of the Charleston garrison is east of Florence the expedition would not be advisable. I believe Foster is in possession of Charleston, because of the general belief to that effect and the reports of the negroes you sent me. I have also just released a prisoner captured yesterday by the Twentieth Corps, who was a bright lad sixteen years old, son of Richard Bacot, who was at West Point with me, and whom I knew well at Charleston. This boy left Charleston last Thursday at 12 m., at which time he says our troops had been shelling the city for twenty-four hours from James Island. He was a hospital attendant and was sent along with the sick from the hospitals to Florence, thence to be conveyed to the hospital at Cheraw. He said the orders for evacuation had been published, and the garrisons were to be rendezvoused along the Florence road at Porcher's and Bonneau's. He said they were removing the powder and ammunition, but would leave the heavy guns. The gun-boats were to be blown up. He says the first orders were to go to Columbia, but these were changed. If you can possibly employ a negro to go through to Charleston, make a cipher dispatch telling our general position and destination and an order of liberal payment. I think you will have good roads, and that there is no danger in our spreading out this side of Cheraw, thence to Fayetteville roads favor us as also from Fayetteville to our destination. At both Cheraw and Fayetteville are bridges that we can secure by holding the towns responsible. We find no enemy hereabouts, and suppose them all to be about Charlotte and Salisbury. Kilpatrick must now be at Lancaster; he crossed last night and was off this morning. W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General, Commanding. II. Capt. William Duncan, Company K, Fifteenth Illinois Cavalry, will, with his command and that of Capt. John L. King, commanding *Mounted infantry. Fourth Independent Company Ohio Cavalry, and as many men as can be furnished from the signal corps, scout in the direction of Camden, and, if practicable, enter the city and destroy the depot and other railroad property and whatever army supplies may be found. By order of Maj. Gen. O. O. Howard: A. M. VAN DYKE, Assistant Adjutant-General. HDQES. DEPARTMENT AND ARMY OF THE_TENNESSEE, Maj. Gen. JOHN A. LOGAN, Commanding Fifteenth Army Corps: GENERAL: The general commanding directs that during to-morrow you close up your command ready to move forward the next day, and that you send your mounted infantry forward to secure and hold the bridge at Tillersville until the arrival of the column at that point. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, A. M. VAN DYKE, Assistant Adjutant-General. HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, FIFTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Maj. MAX. WOODHULL, Assistant Adjutant-General, Fifteenth Army Corps: MAJOR: I respectfully report that in accordance with orders, I broke camp near Flat Rock Church at 7 a. m., marching by way of McDowell's and Young's to my present camp at West's Cross-Roads, making a distance of fifteen miles over the heaviest roads. I was obliged to do a great deal of corduroying, and over one stream on the line of march to make a bridge some fifty feet in length. The Third Brigade of my division is still back at Red Hill. The commanding officer has just sent me word that he will probably not move to-day, as at 4 a. m. the pontoon boats had not been taken up. I saw no evidence of the enemy to-day. My troops are encamped looking eastward, my headquarters being near to the cross-roads. I am, major, very respectfully, C. R. WOODS, Brevet Major-General. HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, FIFTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Maj. MAX. WOODHULL, Assistant Adjutant-General: I have the honor to report that this division, preceded by the Fourth, arrived here at 4 p. m., which is as near West's as the command can well be put to-night. I can find no one who knows anything about West's. This is on the direct Camden and Cheraw road, six miles from the former place and fourteen from the crossing of Lynch's Creek at Tiller's. The roads to-day have been very good, notwithstanding the rain; have been plain, and I have kept as far to the left as I could find roads. My right flank brushed Camden, one regiment passing through it. The road to Lynch's Creek is direct and good. I am, respectfully, W. B. HAZEN, Major-General. |