by　these　parties　of　foragers；　usually　called　〃bummers；〃　for　I　have　since　heard　of　jewelry　taken　from　women；　and　the　plunder　of　articles　that　never　reached　the　commissary；　but　these　acts　were　exceptional　and　incidental。　　I　never　heard　of　any　cases　of　murder　or　rape；　and　no　army　could　have　carried　along　sufficient　food　and　forage　for　a　march　of　three　hundred　miles；　so　that　foraging　in　some　shape　was　necessary。　　The　country　was　sparsely　settled；　with　no　magistrates　or　civil　authorities　who　could　respond　to　requisitions；　as　is　done　in　all　the　wars　of　Europe；　so　that　this　system　of　foraging　was　simply　indispensable　to　our　success。　　By　it　our　men　were　well　supplied　with　all　the　essentials　of　life　and　health；　while　the　wagons　retained　enough　in　case　of　unexpected　delay；　and　our　animals　were　well　fed。　　Indeed；　when　we　reached　Savannah；　the　trains　were　pronounced　by　experts　to　be　the　finest　in　flesh　and　appearance　ever　seen　with　any　army。
  Habitually　each　corps　followed　some　main　road；　and　the　foragers；…　being　kept　out　on　the　exposed　flank；　served　all　the　military　uses　of　flankers。　　The　main　columns　gathered；　by　the　roads　traveled；　much　forage　and　food；　chiefly　meat；　corn；　and　sweet…potatoes；　and　it　was　the　duty　of　each　division　and　brigade　quartermaster　to　fill　his　wagons　as　fast　as　the　contents　were　issued　to　the　troops。　　The　wagon…trains　had　the　right　to　the　road　always；　but　each　wagon　was　required　to　keep　closed　up；　so　as　to　leave　no　gaps　in　the　column。　If　for　any　purpose　any　wagon　or　group　of　wagons　dropped　out　of　place；　they　had　to　wait　for　the　rear。　　And　this　was　always　dreaded；　for　each　brigade　commander　wanted　his　train　up　at　camp　as　soon　after　reaching　it　with　his　men　as　possible。
  I　have　seen　much　skill　and　industry　displayed　by　these　quarter…　masters　on　the　march；　in　trying　to　load　their　wagons　with　corn　and　fodder　by　the　way　without　losing　their　place　in　column。　　They　would；　while　marching；　shift　the　loads　of　wagons；　so　as　to　have　six　or　ten　of　them　empty。　　Then；　riding　well　ahead；　they　would　secure　possession　of　certain　stacks　of　fodder　near　the　road；　or　cribs　of　corn；　leave　some　men　in　charge；　then　open　fences　and　a　road　back　for　a　couple　of　miles；　return　to　their　trains；　divert　the　empty　wagons　out　of　column；　and　conduct　them　rapidly　to　their　forage；　load　up　and　regain　their　place　in　column　without　losing　distance。　On　one　occasion　I　remember　to　have　seen　ten　or　a　dozen　wagons　thus　loaded　with　corn　from　two　or　three　full　cribs；　almost　without　halting。　　These　cribs　were　built　of　logs；　and　roofed。　　The　train…guard；　by　a　lever；　had　raised　the　whole　side　of　the　crib　a　foot　or　two；　the　wagons　drove　close　alongside；　and　the　men　in　the　cribs；　lying　on　their　backs；　kicked　out　a　wagon…load　of　corn　in　the　time　I　have　taken　to　describe　it。
  In　a　well…ordered　and　well…disciplined　army；　these　things　might　be　deemed　irregular；　but　I　am　convinced　that　the　ingenuity　of　these　younger　officers　accomplished　many　things　far　better　than　I　could　have　ordered；　and　the　marches　were　thus　made；　and　the　distances　were　accomplished；　in　the　most　admirable　way。　　Habitually　we　started　from　camp　at　the　earliest　break　of　dawn；　and　usually　reached　camp　soon　after　noon。　　The　marches　varied　from　ten　to　fifteen　miles　a　day；　though　sometimes　on　extreme　flanks　it　was　necessary　to　make　as　much　as　twenty；　but　the　rate　of　travel　was　regulated　by　the　wagons；　and；　considering　the　nature　of　the　roads；　fifteen　miles　per　day　was　deemed　the　limit。
  The　pontoon…trains　were　in　like　manner　distributed　in　about　equal　proportions　to　the　four　corps；　giving　each　a　section　of　about　nine　hundred　feet。　　The　pontoons　were　of　the　skeleton　pattern；　with　cotton…canvas　covers；　each　boat；　with　its　proportion　of　balks　and　cheeses；　constituting　a　load　for　one　wagon。　　By　uniting　two　such　sections　together；　we　could　make　a　bridge　of　eighteen　hundred　feet；　enough　for　any　river　we　had　to　traverse；　but　habitually　the　leading　brigade　would；　out　of　the　abundant　timber；　improvise　a　bridge　before　the　pontoon…train　could　come　up；　unless　in　the　cases　of　rivers　of　considerable　magnitude；　such　as　the　Ocmulgee；　Oconee；　Ogeechee；　Savannah；　etc。
  On　the　20th　of　November　I　was　still　with　the　Fourteenth　Corps；　near　Eatonton　Factory；　waiting　to　hear　of　the　Twentieth　Corps；　and　on　the　21st　we　camped　near　the　house　of　a　man　named　Mann；　the　next　day；　about　4　p。m。；　General　Davis　had　halted　his　head　of　column　on　a　wooded　ridge；　overlooking　an　extensive　slope　of　cultivated　country；　about　ten　miles　short　of　Milledgeville；　and　was　deploying　his　troops　for　camp　when　I　got　up。　　There　was　a　high；　raw　wind　blowing；　and　I　asked　him　why　he　had　chosen　so　cold　and　bleak　a　position。　　He　explained　that　he　had　accomplished　his　full　distance　for　the　day；　and　had　there　an　abundance　of　wood　and　water。　　He　explained　further　that　his　advance…guard　was　a　mile　or　so　ahead；　so　I　rode　on；　asking　him　to　let　his　rear　division；　as　it　came　up；　move　some　distance　ahead　into　the　depression　or　valley　beyoud。　　Riding　on　some　distance　to　the　border　of　a　plantation；　I　turned　out　of　the　main　road　into　a　cluster　of　wild…plum　bushes；　that　broke　the　force　of　the　cold　November　wind；　dismounted；　and　instructed　the　staff　to　pick　out　the　place　for　our　camp。
  The　afternoon　was　unusually　raw　and　cold。　　My　orderly　was　at　hand　with　his　invariable　saddle…bags；　which　contained　a　change　of　under…clothing；　my　maps；　a　flask　of　whiskey；　and　bunch　of　cigars。　Taking　a　drink　and　lighting　a　cigar；　I　walked　to　a　row　of　negro…huts　close　by；　entered　one　and　found　a　soldier　or　two　warming　themselves　by　a　wood…fire。　　I　took　their　place　by　the　fire；　intending　to　wait　there　till　our　wagons　had　got　up；　and　a　camp　made　for　the　night。　　I　was　talking　to　the　old　negro　woman；　when　some　one　came　and　explained　to　me　that；　if　I　would　come　farther　down　the　road；　I　could　find　a　better　place。　　So　I　started　on　foot；　and　found　on　the　main　road　a　good　double…hewed…log　house；　in　one　room　of　which　Colonel　Poe；　Dr。　Moore；　and　others；　had　started　a　fire。　　I　sent　back　orders　to　the　〃plum…bushes〃　to　bring　our　horses　and　saddles　up　to　this　house；　and　an　orderly　to　conduct　our　headquarter　wagons　to　the　same　place。　　In　looking　around　the　room；　I　saw　a　small　box；　like　a　candle…box；　marked　〃Howell　Cobb；〃　and；　on　inquiring　of　a　negro；　found　that　we　were　at　the　plantation　of　General　Howell　Cobb；　of　Georgia；　one　of　the　leading　rebels　of　the　South；　then　a　general　in　the　Southern　army；　and　who　had　been　Secretary　of　the　United　States　Treasury　in　Mr。　Buchanan's　time。　　Of　course；　we　confiscated　his　property；　and　found　it　rich　in　corn；　beans；　pea…nuts；　and　sorghum…molasses。　　Extensive　fields　were　all　round　the　house；　I　sent　word　back　to　General　David　to　explain　whose　plantation　it　was；　and　instructed　him　to　spare　nothing。　　That　night　huge　bonfires　consumed　the　fence…rails；　kept　our　soldiers　warm；　and　the　teamsters　and　men；　as　well　as　the　slaves；　carried　off　an　immense　quantity　of　corn　and　provisions　of　all　sorts。
  In　due　season　the　headquarter　wagons　came　up；　and　we　got　supper。　After　supper　I　sat　on　a　chair　astride；　with　my　back　to　a　good　fire；　musing；　and　became　conscious　that　an　old　negro；　with　a　tallow…　candle　in　his　hand；　was　scanning　my　face　closely。　　I　inquired；　〃What　do　you　want；　old　man！〃　　He　answered；　〃Dey　say　you　is　Massa　Sherman。〃　　I　answered　that　such　was　the　case；　and　inquired　what　he　wanted。　　He　only　wanted　to　look　at　me；　and　kept　muttering；　〃Dis　nigger　can't　sleep　dis　night。〃　　I　asked　him　why　he　trembled　so；　and　he　said　that　he　wanted　to　be　sure　that　we　were　in　fact　〃Yankees；〃　for　on　a　former　occasion　some　rebel　cavalry　had　put　on　light…blue　overcoats；　personating　Yankee　troops；　and　many　of　the　negroes　were　deceived　thereby；　himself　among　the　number　had　shown　them　sympathy；　and　had　in　consequence　been　unmercifully　beaten　therefor。　　This　time　he　wanted　to　be　certain　before　committing　himself；　so　I　told　him　to　go　out　on　the　porch；　from　which　he　could　see　the　whole　horizon　lit　up　with　camp…fires；　and　he　could　then　judge　whether　he　had　ever　seen　any　thing　like　it　before。　　The　old　man　became　convinced　that　the　〃Yankees〃　had　come　at　last；　about　whom　he　had　been　dreaming　all　his　life；　and　some　of　the　staff　officers　gave　him　a　strong　drink　of　whiskey；　which　set　his　tongue　going。　　Lieutenant　Spelling；　who　commanded　my　escort；　was　a　Georgian；　and　recognized　in　this　old　negro　a　favorite　slave　of　his　uncle；　who　resided　about　six　miles　off；　but　the　old　slave　did　not　at　first　recognize　his　young　master　in　our　uniform。　　One　of　my　staff…officers　asked　him　what　had　become　of　his　young　master；　George。　　He　did　not　know；　only　that　he　had　gone　off　to　the　war；　and　he　supposed　him　killed；　as　a　matter　of　course。　　His　attention　was　then　drawn　to　Spelling's　face；　when　he　fell　on　his　knees　and　thanked　God　that　he　had　found　his　young　master　alive　and　along　with　the　Yankees。　　Spelling　inquired　all　about　his　uncle　and　the　family；　asked　my　permission　to　go　and　pay　his　uncle　a　visit；　which　I　granted；　of　course；　and　the　next　morning　he　described　to　me　his　visit。　　The　uncle　was　not　cordial；　by　any　means；　to　find　his　nephew　in　the　ranks　of　the　host　that　was　desolating　the　land；　and　Spelling　came　back；　having　exchanged　his　tired　horse　for　a　fresher　one　out　of　his　uncle's　stables；　explaining　that　surely　some　of　the　〃bummers