Allowance of Transportation &c.
Forage Allowance
Seizure of Supplies
HeadQuarters Army of the Potomac
November 5th 1863.
General Orders
No 100.
I. The following is the maximum allowance of transportation, camp and garrison equipage allowed this Army while in the field engaged in active operations, and will be strictly conformed to, viz:
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For the HeadQuarters of an Army Corps, 2 wagons or 8 pack mules for baggage; 1 two-horse spring wagon for contingent wants; 5 extra saddle horses for contingent wants; 1 wall tent for personal use and office of commanding General, 1 Wall tent for every two officers of his staff.
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For the HeadQuarters of a Division, 1 wagon or 5 pack mules for baggage; 1 two horse spring wagon for contingent wants, [ ] extra saddle horses for contingent wants; 1 wall tent for personal use and office of Commanding General; one wall tent for every two officers of his staff.
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For the HeadQuarters of a Brigade, 1 wagon or 5 pack mules for baggage; 1 wall tent for personal use and office of Commanding General; 1 wall tent for every two officers of his staff.
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To every three Company Officers, when detached or serving without wagons, 1 pack mule; to every twelve (12) Company officers, when detached, 1 wagon or 4 pack mules; to every two Staff Officers, when not attached to any HeadQuarters, 1 pack mule; to every ten (10) staff Officers, serving similarly, 1 wagon or 4 pack mules. The above wagons and pack mules will include transportation of personal baggage, mess chests, cooking utensils, desks, [ ]. The weight of Officers baggage in the field,/specified by Army Regulations, will be reduced so as to bring it within the foregoing schedule. All excess of transportation now with Army Corps, Divisions, Brigades, Regiments or Batteries, over the allowance herein prescribed, will be immediately turned in to the Quartermasters Department, to be used in the trains.
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Commissary Stores and forage will be transported by the trains. When these are not convenient of access, and where troops act in detachments, the Quartermasters Department will assign wagons or pack animals for that purpose; but the baggage of officers, not of train, or camp equipage, will not be carried in the wagons or by the pack animals so assigned. The assignment of pack animals for ammunition, hospital stores, subsistence and forage will be made on the basis of the amount of [ ] to be carried in orders from General HeadQuarters. The number of wagons is herinafter prescribed, [ ] existing orders, to wit:
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For each full Regiment of Infantry and Cavalry of 1000 men, for baggage, camp equipage, &c., 6 wagons; for each Regiment of Infantry less than 700 men and more than 500 men, 5 wagons; for each Regiment of Infantry of less than 500 men and more than 300 men, 4 wagons; for each Regiment of Infantry less than 300 men, 3 wagons; for each Regiment of Infantry and Cavalry, 3 wall tents for field and staff, one (1) shelter tent for every other commissioned officer, one (1) shelter tent for every two non-commissioned officers, soldiers, servants and camp [ ].
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For each battery of 4 and 6 guns, for personal baggage, mess chests, cooking utensils, desks, paper, [ ]/wagons respectively; for each 6 gun Battery, three wall tents for officers; for each 4 gun Battery, 2 wall tents for officers; shelter tents same allowance as for Infantry and Cavalry Regiments.
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For Artillery Ammunition trains, the number of wagons will be determined and assigned upon the following rules: Multiply the number of 12 pounder Guns by 122 and divide by 112; multiply the number of rifled guns by 50 and divide by 140; Multiply the number of 20 pounder guns by 2; multiply the number of 4 1/2 inch guns by 2 1/2, multiply the number of rifled guns in horse batteries by 100 and divide by 140. For the general supply train of Reserve ammunition of 20 rounds to each gun in the Army to be kept habitually with the Artillery Reserve of the Army, the following formula will apply: Multiply the number of 12 pounder guns by 20, divide by 112=number of wagons, multiply the number of rifled guns by 20, divide by [ ]=number of wagons. To every 1000 men, Cavalry and Infantry, for small arm ammunition, 5 wagons; for Artillery Reserve, for carrying fuzes, primers and Powder—2 wagons.
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The supply trains will be as follows: To each 1000 men, Cavalry and Infantry, for forage, Quartermaster’s stores, subsistence, forage, etc., 3 wagons; to each Cavalry Division for carrying forage for Cavalry horses, 30 wagons additional; to each Battery, for carrying its proportion of subsistence, forage, etc., 3 wagons; to each Horse Battery for the same purpose, 4 wagons; to every twenty-five (25) wagons of the Artillery Ammunition train, there will be allowed 5 wagons additional for carrying forage for animals of ammunition trains, additional wagons, baggage, camp equipage and [ ] of wagon Masters and teamsters. Nothing but/ammunition will be carried in the Artillery ammunition train. The baggage of the drivers of the wagons composing it will be carried in the additional wagons allowed for that purpose. To each 1500 men, Cavalry and Infantry for hospital purposes, 3 wagons; to each brigade of Artillery for Hospital purposes, 1 wagon; to each Army Corps, except the Cavalry, for entrenching tools, etc., 6 wagons; to each Corps HeadQuarters, for the carrying of Subsistence, forage and other stores not provided for herein, 3 wagons; to each Division HeadQuarters, for similar purposes as above, 2 wagons; to each Brigade HeadQuarters for purposes as above, 1 wagon; to each Brigade of Artillery and Infantry, for Commissary Stores and to officers, 1 wagons; to each Division of Cavalry or Infantry, for hauling forage for Ambulance [ ], portable forges, etc., 2 wagons; to each Division Cavalry and Infantry, for carrying armorer’s tools, fencing, muskets, extra arms and accountrements, 1 wagon. It is expected that each Ambulance and each wagon, except those of the Artillery Ammunition Train, will carry the necessary forage for its own team.
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If Corps, Division and Brigade Commanders take their guards or escorts from commands already furnished with the full allowance of transportation, a corresponding amount should be taken with them to HeadQuarters; but if they have not been provided for at all, then a proper number of wagons will be transferred bythe Depot Quartermaster, on the requisition of the Chief Quartermaster, certified/as approved by the commanding General. As a rule, neither Quartermaster nor Commissary Sergeants will be allowed to ride Public Horses.
II. It has been decided there is no advantage to the service, commensurate with the expense, in keeping up regularly organized pack trains, with mules independent of wagons. All pack saddles now on hand will be carried in the wagons of the Ammunition and Supply Trains, not to exceed two (2) in each wagon.
When it becomes necessary to pack officers baggage, rations or ammunition for short distances over rough roads and broken country, pack trains can be made up temporarily by taking mules from the wagons, not to exceed two (2) to any one wagon.
There will be allowed to each Corps, fifty (50) extra mules, to supply losses on marches and for [ ]ing.
The following modification of paragraph 1121 Revised Army Regulations, approved by the War Department, General-in-Chief, QuarterMaster General and the Commanding General, is hereby established, as far as relates to this Army, and will be observed until otherwise ordered.
The maximum allowance of forage per day will be, for horses ten (10) pounds hay and fourteen (14) pounds grain; for mules, ten (10) pounds hay and eleven (11) pounds grain, and when short forage only can be procured, eighteen (18) pounds of grain for horses and fifteen (15) pounds of Grain for mules, can be issued as the daily ration./
When the Army is on the march, the above orders will not apply. The wagons will carry only the marching ration (10 pounds average to each animal per day.) This increased allowance of grain is intended to be fed only when the animals are at rest, after long marches, to recuperate them, and when hay cannot be procured.
III. Private property shall not be taken except when required for the public service, and then only on the written order of the General Commanding the Army, a General commanding a Corps, or other independent Commander.
A copy of the order and receipts for the property taken, must be left with the owner thereof and a report of all property captured from the enemy, or seized for the public service, will be made monthly to the Chief of the department, at these HeadQuarters, to which it appertains.
By command of Major General Meade
S. Williams;
Assistant Adjutant General
Official
Asst Adjt Gen’l
Gen. O.
No 100
Allowance of Transportation
Camp and Garrison Equipage
Forage Allowance
Seizure of Supplies