le　of　the　largest　measure　of　physical　effort；　the　soldier　needs　about　three　pounds　gross　of　food　per　day；　and　the　horse　or　mule　about　twenty　pounds。　When　a　general　first　estimates　the　quantity　of　food　and　forage　needed　for　an　army　of　fifty　or　one　hundred　thousand　men；　he　is　apt　to　be　dismayed；　and　here　a　good　staff　is　indispensable；　though　the　general　cannot　throw　off　on　them　the　responsibility。　　He　must　give　the　subject　his　personal　attention；　for　the　army　reposes　in　him　alone；　and　should　never　doubt　the　fact　that　their　existence　overrides　in　importance　all　other　considerations。　　Once　satisfied　of　this；　and　that　all　has　been　done　that　can　be；　the　soldiers　are　always　willing　to　bear　the　largest　measure　of　privation。　　Probably　no　army　ever　had　a　more　varied　experience　in　this　regard　than　the　one　I　commanded　in　1864'65。
  Our　base　of　supply　was　at　Nashville；　supplied　by　railways　and　the　Cumberland　River；　thence　by　rail　to　Chattanooga；　a　〃secondary　base；〃　and　thence　forward　a　single…track　railroad。　　The　stores　came　forward　daily；　but　I　endeavored　to　have　on　hand　a　full　supply　for　twenty　days　in　advance。　　These　stores　were　habitually　in　the　wagon…trains；　distributed　to　corps；　divisions；　and　regiments；　in　charge　of　experienced　quartermasters　and　commissaries；　and　became　subject　to　the　orders　of　the　generals　commanding　these　bodies。　They　were　generally　issued　on　provision　returns；　but　these　had　to　be　closely　scrutinized；　for　too　often　the　colonels　would　make　requisitions　for　provisions　for　more　men　than　they　reported　for　battle。　　Of　course；　there　are　always　a　good　many　non…combatants　with　an　army；　but；　after　careful　study；　I　limited　their　amount　to　twenty…five　per　cent。　of　the　〃effective　strength；〃　and　that　was　found　to　be　liberal。　　An　ordinary　army…wagon　drawn　by　six　mules　may　be　counted　on　to　carry　three　thousand　pounds　net；　equal　to　the　food　of　a　full　regiment　for　one　day；　but；　by　driving　along　beef…cattle；　a　commissary　may　safely　count　the　contents　of　one　wagon　as　sufficient　for　two　days'　food　for　a　regiment　of　a　thousand　men；　and　as　a　corps　should　have　food　on　hand　for　twenty　days　ready　for　detachment；　it　should　have　three　hundred　such　wagons；　as　a　provision…train；　and　for　forage；　ammunition；　clothing；　and　other　necessary　stores；　it　was　found　necessary　to　have　three　hundred　more　wagons；　or　six　hundred　wagons　in　all；　for　a　corps　d'armee。
  These　should　be　absolutely　under　the　immediate　control　of　the　corps　commander；　who　will；　however；　find　it　economical　to　distribute　them　in　due　proportion　to　his　divisions；　brigades；　and　even　regiments。　Each　regiment　ought　usually　to　have　at　least　one　wagon　for　convenience　to　distribute　stores；　and　each　company　two　pack…mules；　so　that　the　regiment　may　always　be　certain　of　a　meal　on　reaching　camp　without　waiting　for　the　larger　trains。
  On　long　marches　the　artillery　and　wagon…trains　should　always　have　the　right　of　way；　and　the　troops　should　improvise　roads　to　one　side；　unless　forced　to　use　a　bridge　in　common；　and　all　trains　should　have　escorts　to　protect　them；　and　to　assist　them　in　bad　places。　　To　this　end　there　is　nothing　like　actual　experience；　only；　unless　the　officers　in　command　give　the　subject　their　personal　attention；　they　will　find　their　wagon…trains　loaded　down　with　tents；　personal　baggage；　and　even　the　arms　and　knapsacks　of　the　escort。　　Each　soldier　should；　if　not　actually　〃sick　or　wounded；〃　carry　his　musket　and　equipments　containing　from　forty　to　sixty　rounds　of　ammunition；　his　shelter…tent；　a　blanket　or　overcoat；　and　an　extra　pair　of　pants；　socks；　and　drawers；　in　the　form　of　a　scarf；　worn　from　the　left　shoulder　to　the　right　side　in　lieu　of　knapsack；　and　in　his　haversack　he　should　carry　some　bread；　cooked　meat；　salt；　and　coffee。　　I　do　not　believe　a　soldier　should　be　loaded　down　too　much；　but；　including　his　clothing；　arms；　and　equipment；　he　can　carry　about　fifty　pounds　without　impairing　his　health　or　activity。　A　simple　calculation　will　show　that　by　such　a　distribution　a　corps　will…thus　carry　the　equivalent　of　five　hundred　wagon…loadsan　immense　relief　to　the　trains。
  Where　an　army　is　near　one　of　our　many　large　navigable　rivers；　or　has　the　safe　use　of　a　railway；　it　can　usually　be　supplied　with　the　full　army　ration；　which　is　by　far　the　best　furnished　to　any　army　in　America　or　Europe；　but　when　it　is　compelled　to　operate　away　from　such　a　base；　and　is　dependent　on　its　own　train　of　wagons；　the　commanding　officer　must　exercise　a　wise　discretion　in　the　selection　of　his　stores。　　In　my　opinion；　there　is　no　better　food　for　man　than　beef…cattle　driven　on　the　hoof；　issued　liberally；　with　salt；　bacon；　and　bread。　　Coffee　has　also　become　almost　indispensable；　though　many　substitutes　were　found　for　it；　such　as　Indian…corn；　roasted；　ground；　and　boiled　as　coffee；　the　sweet…potato；　and　the　seed　of　the　okra　plant　prepared　in　the　same　way。　　All　these　were　used　by　the　people　of　the　South；　who　for　years　could　procure　no　coffee；　but　I　noticed　that　the　women　always　begged　of　us　some　real　coffee；　which　seems　to　satisfy　a　natural　yearning　or　craving　more　powerful　than　can　be　accounted　for　on　the　theory　of　habit。　　Therefore　I　would　always　advise　that　the　coffee　and　sugar　ration　be　carried　along；　even　at　the　expense　of　bread；　for　which　there　are　many　substitutes。　Of　these；　Indian…corn　is　the　best　and　most　abundant。　　Parched　in　a　frying…pan；　it　is　excellent　food；　or　if　ground；　or　pounded　and　boiled　with　meat　of　any　sort；　it　makes　a　most　nutritious　meal。　　The　potato；　both　Irish　and　sweet；　forms　an　excellent　substitute　for　bread；　and　at　Savannah　we　found　that　rice　also　suitable；　both　for　men　and　animals。　　For　the　former　it　should　be　cleaned　of　its　husk　in　a　hominy　block；　easily　prepared　out　of　a　log；　and　sifted　with　a　coarse　corn　bag；　but　for　horses　it　should　be　fed　in　the　straw。　During　the　Atlanta　campaign　we　were　supplied　by　our　regular　commissaries　with　all　sorts　of　patent　compounds；　such　as　desiccated　vegetables；　and　concentrated　milk；　meat…biscuit；　and　sausages；　but　somehow　the　men　preferred　the　simpler　and　more　familiar　forms　of　food；　and　usually　styled　these　〃desecrated　vegetables　and　consecrated　milk。〃　　We　were　also　supplied　liberally　with　lime…juice；　sauerkraut；　and　pickles；　as　an　antidote　to　scurvy；　and　I　now　recall　the　extreme　anxiety　of　my　medical　director；　Dr。Kittoe；　about　the　scurvy；　which　he　reported　at　one　time　as　spreading　and　imperiling　the　army。　　This　occurred　at　a　crisis　about　Kenesaw；　when　the　railroad　was　taxed　to　its　utmost　capacity　to　provide　the　necessary　ammunition；　food；　and　forage；　and　could　not　possibly　bring　us　an　adequate　supply　of　potatoes　and　cabbage；　the　usual　anti…scorbutics；　when　providentially　the　black　berries　ripened　and　proved　an　admirable　antidote；　and　I　have　known　the　skirmish…line；　without　orders；　to　fight　a　respectable　battle　for　the　possession　of　some　old　fields　that　were　full　of　blackberries。　　Soon；　thereafter；　the　green　corn　or　roasting…ear　came　into　season；　and　I　heard　no　more　of　the　scurvy。　　Our　country　abounds　with　plants　which　can　be　utilized　for　a　prevention　to　the　scurvy；　besides　the　above　are　the　persimmon；　the　sassafras　root　and　bud；　the　wild…mustard；　the　〃agave；〃　turnip　tops；　the　dandelion　cooked　as　greens；　and　a　decoction　of　the　ordinary　pine…leaf。
  For　the　more　delicate　and　costly　articles　of　food　for　the　sick　we　relied　mostly　on　the　agents　of　the　Sanitary　Commission。　　I　do　not　wish　to　doubt　the　value　of　these　organizations；　which　gained　so　much　applause　during　our　civil　war；　for　no　one　can　question　the　motives　of　these　charitable　and　generous　people；　but　to　be　honest　I　must　record　an　opinion　that　the　Sanitary　Commission　should　limit　its　operations　to　the　hospitals　at　the　rear；　and　should　never　appear　at　the　front。　　They　were　generally　local　in　feeling；　aimed　to　furnish　their　personal　friends　and　neighbors　with　a　better　class　of　food　than　the　Government　supplied；　and　the　consequence　was；　that　one　regiment　of　a　brigade　would　receive　potatoes　and　fruit　which　would　be　denied　another　regiment　close　by：　Jealousy　would　be　the　inevitable　result；　and　in　an　army　all　parts　should　be　equal；　there　should　be　no　〃partiality；　favor；　or　affection。〃　　The　Government　should　supply　all　essential　wants；　and　in　the　hospitals　to　the　rear　will　be　found　abundant　opportunities　for　the　exercise　of　all　possible　charity　and　generosity。　　During　the　war　I　several　times　gained　the　ill…will　of　the　agents　of　the　Sanitary　Commission　because　I　forbade　their　coming　to　the　front　unless　they　would　consent　to　distribute　their　stores　equally　among　all；　regardless　of　the　parties　who　had　contributed　them。
  The　sick；　wounded；　and　dead　of　an　army　are　the　subjects　of　the　greatest　possible　anxiety；　and　add　an　immense　amount　of　labor　to　the　well　men。　　Each　regiment　in　an　active　campaign　should　have　a　surgeon　and　two　assistants　always　close　at　hand；　and　each　brigade　and　division　should　have　an　experienced　surgeon　as　a　medical　director。　　The　great　majority　of　wounds　and　of　sickness　should　be　treated　by　the　regimental　surgeon；　on　the　ground；　under　the　eye　of　the　colonel。　　As　few　should　be　sent　to　the　brigade　or　division　hospital　as　possible；　for　the　men　always　receive　better　care　with　their　own　regiment　than　with　strangers；　and　as　a　rule　the　cure　is　more　certain；　but　when　men　receive　disabling　wounds；　or　have　sickn