For The Purpose Of Military Operations

Union General William T Sherman issued his Special Field Orders Number 120 on November 9^th 1864, in preparation for the March to the Sea.

Union Major General William T Sherman issued Special Field Orders Number 120 just before leaving the Atlanta, Georgia area on November 9^th 1864.  It contained the orders for conduct while marching to Savannah, Georgia and the coast.  The Order explained Sherman’s plan to destroy the property of the Southern people, bringing an end to the Civil War through physical and psychological war fare.  The men were instructed to forage, taking what they needed even if that left the population starving.

“Headquarters Military Division of the Mississippi, In the Field, Kingston, Georgia, November 9, 1864

I. For the purpose of military operations, this army is divided into two wings viz.: The right wing, Major-General O. O. Howard commanding, composed of the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps; the left wing, Major-General H. W. Slocum commanding, composed of the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps.

II. The habitual order of march will be, wherever practicable, by four roads, as nearly parallel as possible, and converging at points hereafter to be indicated in orders. The cavalry, Brigadier - General Kilpatrick commanding, will receive special orders from the commander-in-chief.

III. There will be no general train of supplies, but each corps will have its ammunition-train and provision-train, distributed habitually as follows: Behind each regiment should follow one wagon and one ambulance; behind each brigade should follow a due proportion of ammunition - wagons, provision-wagons, and ambulances. In case of danger, each corps commander should change this order of march, by having his advance and rear brigades unencumbered by wheels. The separate columns will start habitually at 7 a.m., and make about fifteen miles per day, unless otherwise fixed in orders.

IV. The army will forage liberally on the country during the march. To this end, each brigade commander will organize a good and sufficient foraging party, under the command of one or more discreet officers, who will gather, near the route traveled, corn or forage of any kind, meat of any kind, vegetables, corn-meal, or whatever is needed by the command, aiming at all times to keep in the wagons at least ten day's provisions for the command and three days' forage. Soldiers must not enter the dwellings of the inhabitants, or commit any trespass, but during a halt or a camp they may be permitted to gather turnips, potatoes, and other vegetables, and to drive in stock of their camp. To regular foraging parties must be instructed the gathering of provisions and forage at any distance from the road traveled.

V. To army corps commanders alone is intrusted the power to destroy mills, houses, cotton-gins, &c., and for them this general principle is laid down: In districts and neighborhoods where the army is unmolested no destruction of such property should be permitted; but should guerrillas or bushwhackers molest our march, or should the inhabitants burn bridges, obstruct roads, or otherwise manifest local hostility, then army commanders should order and enforce a devastation more or less relentless according to the measure of such hostility.

VI. As for horses, mules, wagons, &c., belonging to the inhabitants, the cavalry and artillery may appropriate freely and without limit, discriminating, however, between the rich, who are usually hostile, and the poor or industrious, usually neutral or friendly. Foraging parties may also take mules or horses to replace the jaded animals of their trains, or to serve as pack-mules for the regiments or bridges. In all foraging, of whatever kind, the parties engaged will refrain from abusive or threatening language, and may, where the officer in command thinks proper, give written certificates of the facts, but no receipts, and they will endeavor to leave with each family a reasonable portion for their maintenance.

VII. Negroes who are able-bodied and can be of service to the several columns may be taken along, but each army commander will bear in mind that the question of supplies is a very important one and that his first duty is to see to them who bear arms.

— William T. Sherman, Military Division of the Mississippi Special Field Order 120, November 9, 1864”

Shot Off His Horse

Union Brigadier General Charles Garrison Harker was killed June 27^th 1864 during the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.

Charles Garrison Harker was born December 2^nd 1835 in Swedesboro, New Jersey.  As a young man, he worked in a store owned by United State Congressman Nathan T Stratton.  Stratton worked to get Harker an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point.  He graduated in 1858 and joined the 2^nd United States Infantry on garrison duty at Governor’s Island in New York Harbor.  He would go on to see service in the Oregon and Washington Territories.

When the Civil War started he assigned to train new recruits in Ohio.  With a couple of promotion he was by October 24^th 1861 the Captain of the 15^th United State Regulars.  He would then move onto the 65^th Ohio Infantry and become their Colonel on November 11^th 1861.  Harker and the 65^th would be in the Battles of Shiloh and Corinth.  He would move up to command a brigade in the Army of the Ohio and the Army of the Cumberland.  For his actions during the Battle of Chickamauga on Snodgrass House Hill, Harker received a promotion to Brigadier General on September 20^th 1863.

As the Atlanta Campaign got rolling in 1864, Harker was commanding a brigade in Union Major General Oliver Otis Howard Corps.  Union General William Tecumseh Sherman made an attempted to push Confederate troops out from behind their lines on Kennesaw Mountain.  During the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain while leading his men on June 27^th 1864, Harker was shot off his horse, receiving a mortal wound.  He died the same day.  Harker is buried in the Trinity Episcopal Church Cemetery in Swedesboro, New Jersey.

Looking For A Defensive Position

A part of the Atlanta Campaign, the Battle of Adairsville was fought northeast of Rome, Georgia on May 17^th 1864 as a Confederate delaying action.

After the Battle of Resaca, Confederate General Joseph E Johnston took his army south, while Union General William T Sherman pursued.  Looking for a good defensive position, Johnson moved on to Adairsville while the Cavalry fought rearguard actions.  Sherman divided his troops into three columns, and advance on a broad front.

On May 17^th 1864 Union Major General Oliver O Howard’s IV Corps began skirmishing about two miles from Adairsville with Confederate Lieutenant General William J Hardee’s entrenched Corps.  The 24^th Wisconsin and 44^th Illinois attacked Confederate Benjamin F Cheatham’s division near the Octagon House receiving heavy losses.  With three Union divisions preparing for attack, darkness fell and called off the fighting.

Sherman concentrated all his troops in the Adairsville area, preparing to attack Johnston the next morning.  Johnston finding the valley at Adairsville to wide, leaving him no place to anchor his flanks, he withdrew his troops.

If you are interested in reading more about the Battle of Adairsville, GA  is a good place to start.

Only Thing Between Sherman And His Supplies

The Union Army captured Fort McAlister on December 13th 1864.

Union General William Tecumseh Sherman’s troops were in need of supplies as they approached Savannah, Georgia. Concluding that supply ships could reach him if they took Fort McAllister, he ordered Major General Oliver Otis Howard’s Army of Tennessee to do just that. Howard ordered division commander Brigadier General William B Hazen to attack the fort, which they did on December 13th 1864. Hazen’s four thousand men rushed forward upon his order through many obstacles including buried torpedoes, entering the fort they captured it in about fifteen minutes. This gave the Union troops the control of the Ogeechee River and access to the ocean.

With supplies coming, Sherman began to prepare for the siege and capture of Savannah. He achieved this goal on Christmas day.