II. Since the rebel power has been driven from Middle Tennessee numbers of men have left their army; they and others scattered through the country are in danger of being assembled into lawless bands for theft, pillage, and violence under the name of guerrilla warfare. To prevent this, which would destroy the whole country, the general commanding earnestly warns all such persons not to engage in such a criminal course. If they wish to oppose the Government of the United States, they must take upon themselves the uniform and subject themselves to the duties and restrictions of regularly organized rebel soldiers. If taken within the country subject to our control in disguise, roaming as individuals or banding with other brigands, and living by stealing and plundering, they will be treated as spies or robbers, enemies of the human race, against whom it is the duty of all, both military and civilians, to wage a war of extermination. III. Since it is for the salvation of civil society, no persons within the limits of this command will be exempted from the duty of using their utmost efforts to put a stop to any attempt to inaugurate a system of plunder, rapine, and murder under the name of guerrilla warfare. In enforcing this duty the general commanding will follow the old rule of common law, and hold the inhabitants of each locality responsible for the guerrilla warfare practiced in their midst, and unless satisfied that they have done their full duty and used their utmost efforts to stop it, will lay waste their country and render it untenable for robbers. IV. Peaceful inhabitants, without regard to political sympathies, being equally interested in preventing the ruin of their country, are counseled and enjoined to unite in putting a final end to all lawless and individual warfare, robbing, and plundering under the name of partisans and guerrillas. To this end they must use all the moral influence they can bring to bear, warning those who threaten, publicly denouncing the practice, and giving information which will lead to the prevention of the crimes or the capture and punishment of the offenders. They will further be permitted to resume the freeman's right of bearing arms in self-defense whenever and wherever the Military Governor of the State and the department commander deem it practicable without involving the risk of their being captured and used against the Government. V. All persons heretofore acting with the rebellion and desirous of becoming peaceable citizens, are referred to General Orders, No. 175, for the terms upon which it will be allowed.* By command of Major-General Rosecrans : C. GODDARD, Assistant Adjutant-General. GENERAL ORDERS, HDQRS. DEPT. OF THE CUMBERLAND, I. Where it is possible, commanders of troops will send in advance notice to the inhabitants of the section from which they intend to *See Series I, Vol. XXIII, Part II, p. 184. draw supplies of the kind and quantity required and the points at which they will be received, informing them at the same time that, to avoid the evils consequent upon the customary mode of foraging, to insure to themselves prompt payment or proper vouchers, it will be necessary that the inhabitants themselves should provide and bring the supplies to the points indicated, or collect and give notice where they can be had and why they cannot be delivered at the specified place. It will be the duty of commanders to see that the proper staff officers receive and settle for such supplies. They will also provide a suitable guard, with a competent commissioned officer, to supervise the transactions, to enforce orders, and prevent injustice to citizens, and will promptly and severely punish neglect or violation of this or foraging orders. II. The general commanding regrets to be obliged to call attention of commanders to the neglect of the provisions of department General Orders, Nos. 17 and 30, of 1862. Foraging must be conducted strictly in accordance with them. III. When encamped in an inhabited country commanders will establish, when practicable, markets, to be held at suitable times at designated points near the picket lines, to which the inhabitants of the country will be invited to bring, for sale or barter, vegetables, fruits, forage, and all supplies required for the use of the army. These markets will be under the supervision of the provost-marshal, who will see that no disorder takes place, and that no impositions are practiced either on citizens or soldiers. Any attempt to defraud the people, or take away their animals or other property, must be promptly and severely punished. By command of Major-General Rosecrans : C. GODDARD, Assistant Adjutant-General. ORDERS.] HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND, I. The Fourteenth Army Corps, Major-General Thomas, will move as follows: Two divisions to a good camping ground north and in vicinity of Stevenson; two divisions into the Sequatchie and Battle Creek Valleys, in supporting distance of each other, near Jasper and north of Battle Creek. The divisions will take their ammunition, and not less than eight days' rations, and forage for not less than five days. The sick will be sent to Nashville or left at Cowan, with one regiment for a guard, until they can be sent to Nashville. This regiment will also furnish guards for the depot at Cowan, the railroad bridge, and the tunnel. A regiment of infantry will be left to guard the depot at Tracy City, whence the left wing of the Fourteenth Army Corps will draw its supplies, for at least five days to come. General Thomas will provide rapid and certain communication between his right and left wings by courier and signal, or both combined; his right wing will draw supplies from the railroad; his staff officers, for the purpose, will correspond with and get orders from the proper chiefs of the department staff. *See Series I, Vol. XX, Part II, pp. 61, 116. The whole corps must be in position and report of the position must be at these headquarters by Wednesday evening next. General Reynolds will send his mounted brigade, under special instructions to be issued from these headquarters, to make a demonstration on Chattanooga and Harrison's Landing. A mounted force from the Fourteenth Corps will be left at Tracy City sufficient to protect the telegraph operator and act as couriers. The movement must begin to-morrow morning. II. The movements of the Twenty-first Army Corps will be as follows: Wood's division, by the most expeditious and practicable route, to Therman, in the Sequatchie Valley, with ten days' rations and eight days' short forage. Palmer's division, by the best route to Dunlap, believed to be through Irving College. Van Cleve will move with two brigades of his division and Minty's cavalry brigade; he will move the main body of the cavalry via Sparta, clearing out the rebels from Caney, and encamping the first night at or near Sparta, moving the next day on Pikeville. Two battalions of cavalry will accompany the infantry column, which will move, via Spencer, on Pikeville, and reaching there by Tuesday. Thus the whole corps and cavalry, save a brigade of Van Cleve's division and a battalion of cavalry, will be in the Sequatchie Valley by Wednesday night, and open communication between divisions, and from the corps to these headquarters via McMinnville on the left and Tracy City on the right. Van Cleve will leave a battalion of cavalry at or near Sparta to watch the flank of his route, and give warning of rebel guerrilla or cavalry movements in that direction. On arriving at Pikeville, he will without delay push a strong cavalry reconnaissance, if possible, to the Tennessee River, via Morganton and Smith's CrossRoads, to Blythe's Ferry and Washington, and get forward their reports without delay. General Palmer will on Thursday push a brigade of infantry to Soddy Post-Office, and send advances to Poe's Tavern, and on the direct road to Harrison's, supporting Colonel Wilder's reconnaissance, which will endeavor to reach the river on that day, opposite Chattanooga and Harrison's Landing. This brigade may have the show of the head of the column, by following it with a part of another brigade and a battery to some intermediate point. General Wood will also send an infantry brigade, to make a reconnaissance as far as the eastern edge of Walden's Ridge, by the road through Therman, showing the head of his column opposite Chattanooga. These reconnaissances will be conducted with a show of modest concealment, indicating strength. The results must be sent to headquarters with the utmost dispatch; arrangements to insure this end must be made in advance. Should any threatening force of the rebel infantry appear, the reconnoitering parties will hold themselves in observation on the front, and report for orders. If they show nothing this side, but a strong force on the east side of the river, they will post an advance guard within observing distance, and take a good position near the valley, where all the trains will be left until further orders. Should perfectly satisfactory evidence be found that the enemy has evacuated the country and gone south, these advances should go to the river and guard it, while looking for all available means of crossing and report back information and for orders. Each division commander will divide his trains into three sections and replenish the haversacks of the troops from these sections successively, sending back the empty wagons for supplies to McMinnville, or Tracy City, should we succeed in placing enough subsistence at that point. Great pains must be taken to organize these trains under competent officers, adequate guards, and staff. III. The Twentieth Army Corps will move as follows: Johnson's division by the Bellefonte road to a camp near that point, where he will select a convenient camp, concealed from the observation of the enemy, and open communication with his corps headquarters at Stevenson by Wednesday night. General Davis' division will move by the best intermediate route over the mountains, down Raccoon Cove, and select a good camp for forage and water, near the railroad, between Mud and Raccoon Creeks, or its vicinity, and post himself in communication with the corps headquarters at Stevenson by Thursday. IV. The cavalry movements will be as follows: Minty's brigade will act under orders of General Van Cleve, according to special instructions of the general commanding. The chief of cavalry with the reserve brigade will follow the general headquarters, and will have special instructions for the remainder of the cavalry, which will be given him by the general commanding. V. The Reserve Corps will move as follows: An advance to Fayetteville to protect the depot; a column of two brigades of infantry and all the spare cavalry to Athens; an advance to Decatur, to be called "the advance of the Reserve Corps," numbering 25,000 strong, and to remain there in observation with all means of transportation and movement on hand for advancing to cover our rear on the Tennessee, or protecting any point threatened within this State. VI. The garrison at Carthage will at once be moved-except a regiment to be left as depot guard-and take post at Alexandria, cover the line of Caney Fork, and communicate with McMinnville, the garrison of which will be relieved by this brigade as soon as practicable. This Carthage brigade, with Stokes' cavalry, will draw subsistence from Carthage until further orders. A line of telegraph will be constructed from Gallatin to Carthage as soon as more pressing wants of the service are attended to. VII. Subsistence for the right wing of the Fourteenth Army Corps, for the Twentieth Army Corps, for the cavalry, the pioneers, and headquarters, will be drawn either from the railroad or from the depot at Stevenson. For the left wing of the Fourteenth Army Corps, for the Twenty-first Army Corps, and the cavalry with them, subsistence will be drawn either from Tracy City or McMinnville. Corps and division commanders will be expected to keep up their supplies as near as possible to the amount with which they start. VIII. These headquarters will move to Stevenson on Tuesday next. Corps and division commanders are enjoined to observe as much reserve and secrecy and celerity as possible, and will take the utmost care to keep open communication with the parts of their commands and with these headquarters. They will see that plenty of horseshoes, nails, ropes, and paulins are taken along to replace breakages, and furnish means to improvise boats for crossing streams. and even rivers. The depots and lines of communication will be in charge of Maj. Gen. G. Granger, who will give such orders as may be necessary for their protection, and to insure the prompt forwarding of supplies. By command of Major-General Rosecrans : C. GODDARD, Lieutenant-Colonel, Assistant Adjutant-General. (Copies sent to Major-General Thomas, Major-General McCook, Major-General Crittenden, Major-General Stanley, Maj. Gen. G. Granger, and Brigadier-General Garfield.) Major-General THOMAS, Decherd: WINCHESTER, TENN., August 15, 1863. The general commanding wishes to know how General Reynolds is getting along with the Doran road. R. S. THOMS, Major-General ROSECRANS : DECHERD, August 15, 1863—6 p. m. General Reynolds has finished the road up the mountain and is ready to complete work at any time. GEO. H. THOMAS, Major-General, U. S. Army. HEADQUARTERS TWENTIETH ARMY CORPS, General GARFIELD: General Sheridan states that he has ten companies from the brigade at Stevenson guarding bridges, making the duty required of the rest of the troops stationed there very heavy. I have the honor to request that the four companies of the Third Division guarding the Crow Creek bridges may be relieved by troops from the First Division of the Fourteenth Army Corps, now stationed near there. General Sheridan reports that the enemy burned the remainder of the Bridgeport bridge last night. I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, A. McD. McCOOK, Major-General, Commanding. HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND, Winchester, Tenn., August 15, 1863. Tullahoma: Brigadier-General JOHNSON, The general commanding wishes to know if General Steedman has relieved your command yet. R. S. THOMS, |