HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　KINGSTON；　GEORGIA；　November　9；　1864
  1。　　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。
  2。　　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。
  3。　　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　fined　in　orders。
  4。　　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　days'　provisions　for　his　command；　and　three　days'　forage。　　Soldiers　must　not　enter　the　dwellings　of　the　inhabitants；　or　commit　any　trespass；　but；　during　a　halt　or　camp；　they　may　be　permitted　to　gather　turnips；　potatoes；　and　other　vegetables；　and　to　drive　in　stock　in　sight　of　their　camp。　　To　regular　foraging…parties　must　be　intrusted　the　gathering　of　provisions　and　forage；　at　any　distance　from　the　road　traveled。
  6。　　To　corps　commanders　alone　is　intrusted　the　power　to　destroy　mills；　houses；　cotton…gins；　etc。；　and　for　them　this　general　principle　is　laid　down：
  In　districts　and　neighborhoods　where　the　army　is　unmolested；　no　destruction　of　each　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。
  6。　　As　for　horses；　mules；　wagons；　etc。；　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　and　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　brigades。　　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；
  7。　　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　those　who　bear　arms。
  8。　　The　organization；　at　once；　of　a　good　pioneer　battalion　for　each　army　corps；　composed　if　possible　of　negroes；　should　be　attended　to。　This　battalion　should　follow　the　advance…guard；　repair　roads　and　double　them　if　possible；　so　that　the　columns　will　not　be　delayed　after　reaching　bad　places。　　Also；　army　commanders　should　practise　the　habit　of　giving　the　artillery　and　wagons　the　road；　marching　their　troops　on　one　side；　and　instruct　their　troops　to　assist　wagons　at　steep　hills　or　bad　crossings　of　streams。
  9。　　Captain　O。　M。　Poe；　chief…engineer；　will　assign　to　each　wing　of　the　army　a　pontoon…train；　fully　equipped　and　organized；　and　the　commanders　thereof　will　see　to　their　being　properly　protected　at　all　times。
  By　order　of　Major…General　W。　T。　Sherman；
  L。　M。　DAYTON；　Aide…de…Camp。
  The　greatest　possible　attention　had　been　given　to　the　artillery　and　wagon　trains。　　The　number　of　guns　had　been　reduced　to　sixty…five；　or　about　one　gun　to　each　thousand　men；　and　these　were　generally　in　batteries　of　four　guns　each。
  Each　gun；　caisson；　and　forges　was　drawn　by　four　teams　of　horses。　We　had　in　all　about　twenty…five　hundred　wagons；　with　teams　of　six　mules　to　each；　and　six　hundred　ambulances；　with　two　horses　to　each。　The　loads　were　made　comparatively　light；　about　twenty…five　hundred　pounds　net；　each　wagon　carrying　in　addition　the　forage　needed　by　its　own　team：　Each　soldier　carried　on　his　person　forty　rounds　of　ammunition；　and　in　the　wagons　were　enough　cartridges　to　make　up　about　two　hundred　rounds　per　man；　and　in　like　manner　two　hundred　rounds　of　assorted　ammunition　were　carried　for　each　gun。
  The　wagon…trains　were　divided　equally　between　the　four　corps；　so　that　each　had　about　eight　hundred　wagons；　and　these　usually　on　the　march　occupied　five　miles　or　more　of　road。　　Each　corps　commander　managed　his　own　train；　and　habitually　the　artillery　and　wagons　had　the　road；　while　the　men；　with　the　exception　of　the　advance　and　rear　guards；　pursued　paths　improvised　by　the　aide　of　the　wagons；　unless　they　were　forced　to　use　a　bridge　or　causeway　in　common。
  I　reached　Atlanta　during　the　afternoon　of　the　14th；　and　found　that　all　preparations　had　been　made…Colonel　Beckwith；　chief　commissary；　reporting　one　million　two　hundred　thousand　rations　in　possession　of　the　troops；　which　was　about　twenty　days'　supply；　and　he　had　on　hand　a　good　supply　of　beef…cattle　to　be　driven　along　on　the　hoof。　　Of　forage；　the　supply　was　limited；　being　of　oats　and　corn　enough　for　five　days；　but　I　knew　that　within　that　time　we　would　reach　a　country　well　stocked　with　corn；　which　had　been　gathered　and　stored　in　cribs；　seemingly　for　our　use；　by　Governor　Brown's　militia。
  Colonel　Poe；　United　States　Engineers；　of　my　staff；　had　been　busy　in　his　special　task　of　destruction。　　He　had　a　large　force　at　work；　had　leveled　the　great　depot；　round　house；　and　the　machine…shops　of　the　Georgia　Railroad；　and　had　applied　fire　to　the　wreck。　　One　of　these　machine…shops　had　been　used　by　the　rebels　as　an　arsenal；　and　in　it　were　stored　piles　of　shot　and　shell；　some　of　which　proved　to　be　loaded；　and　that　night　was　made　hideous　by　the　bursting　of　shells；　whose　fragments　came　uncomfortably；　near　Judge　Lyon's　house；　in　which　I　was　quartered。　The　fire　also　reached　the　block　of　stores　near　the　depot；　and　the　heart　of　the　city　was　in　flames　all　night；　but　the　fire　did　not　reach　the　parts　of　Atlanta　where　the　court…　house　was；　or　the　great　mass　of　dwelling　houses。
  The　march　from　Atlanta　began　on　the　morning　of　November　15th；　the　right　wing　and　cavalry　following　the　railroad　southeast　toward　Jonesboro'；　and　General　Slocum　with　the　Twentieth　Corps　leading　off　to　the　east　by　Decatur　and　Stone　Mountain；　toward　Madison。　　These　were　divergent　lines；　designed　to　threaten　both　Mason　and　Augusta　at　the　same　time；　so　as　to　prevent　a　concentration　at　our　intended　destination；　or　〃objective；〃　Milledgeville；　the　capital　of　Georgia；　distant　southeast　about　one　hundred　miles。　　The　time　allowed　each　column　for　reaching　Milledgeville　was　seven　days。　　I　remained　in　Atlanta　during　the　15th　with　the　Fourteenth　Corps；　and　the　rear…　guard　of　the　right　wing；　to　complete　the　loading　of　the　trains；　and　the　destruction　of　the　buildings　of　Atlanta　which　could　be　converted　to　hostile　uses；　and　on　the　morning　of　the　16th　started　with　my　personal　staff；　a　company　of　Alabama　cavalry；　commanded　by　Lieutenant　Snelling；　and　an　infantry　company；　commanded　by　Lieutenant　McCrory；　which　guarded　our　small　train　of　wagons。
  My　staff　was　then　composed　of　Major　L。　M。　Dayton；　aide…de…camp　and　acting　adjutant…general；　Major　J。　C。　McCoy；　and　Major　J。　C。　Audenried；　aides。　　Major　Ward　Nichols　had　joined　some　weeks　before　at　Gaylesville；　Alabama；　and　was　attached　as　an　acting　aide…de…camp。　　Also　Major　Henry　Hitchcock　had　joined　at　the　same　time　as　judge…advocate。　　Colonel　Charles　Ewing　was　inspector…general；　and　Surgeon　John　Moore　medical　director。　　These　constituted　our　mess。　　We　had　no　tents；　only　the　flies；　with　which　we　nightly　made　bivouacs　with　the　assistance　of　the　abundant　pine…boughs；　which　made　excellent　shelter；　as　well　as　beds。
  Colonel　L。　C。　Easton　was　chief…quartermaster；　Colonel　Amos　Beckwith；　chief…commissary；　Colonel　O。　M。　Poe；　chief…engineer；　and　Colonel　T。　G。　Baylor；　chief　of　ordnance。　　These　invariably　rode　with　us　during　the　day；　but　they　had　a　separate　camp　and　mess　at　night。
  General　William　F。　　Barry　had　been　chief　of　artillery　in　the　previous　campaign；　but　at　Kingston　his　face　was　so　swollen　with　erysipelas　that　he　was　reluctantly　compelled　to　leave　us　for　the　rear；　and　he　could　not；　on　recovering；　rejoin　us　till　we　had　reached　Savannah。
  About　7　a。m。　of　No