Foraging Parties vs. Companies

[Eric Tipton]

Hello Future Bummers:

As we have been discussing the event with people, there still seems to be some confusion regarding the differences between "Foraging Parties" and "Companies", so we wanted to get out this message tonight to clarify some of these differences.

First, we will not have a typical company (or battalion) structure. We will not count off by twos. We will not have file closers. We will not have a full compliment of NCO's for each Foraging Party. We will initially move out in three groups, which we have designated as divisions. After we get started, these groups will be sent out just as the original foraging parties were.

Each foraging party will consist of the following:

1 Officer - Other than Tripp Corbin - the ranking officer for the event, the officer of each foraging party will be a lieutenant.
1 Sergeant
2 Corporals
The rest are privates

Second, we will follow the normal military chain-of-command, but because of the nature of the scenario, there will be times when NCO's and even privates had to make decisions for the group depending on their location. Almost everything that we do in Civil War Reenacting is from the top-down. This event will very much be from the bottom-up, because, again, we will not be traveling in large groups. However, it would be wise for each of you to stick close together at the event. The following passage from Joseph Glatthaar's book "The March to the Sea and Beyond" illustrates why:

"Of course, foraging duty was not always easy. Sherman's foragers spent practically every daylight hour in an extremely hazardous situation, traveling through a hostile land in relatively small numbers well beyond supporting distance from the main column. Confederate troops and guerillas dominated the surrounding countryside, and for that reason foragers left camp in groups of at least thirty or more. As they foraged, however, these groups divided into very small parties and spread throughout the area. Those men who gathered enough forage returned to camp while others continued to collect foodstuffs. It was in this exposed condition that Confederates and guerillas attacked foragers."

Third, your sole objective is to collect food to take back to your regiment. We do not want drawn out engagements. That isn't the goal for the event. The goal is to collect as much food as possible and get it back to the main column. Think of this as a food scavenger hunt. If you forage well, you will eat well or share with less-adept foragers. Remember, again. You are not companies. You are foraging parties.

So, if you have any questions regarding the Federal structure for the event, please ask them here in this thread. We will attempt to answer the questions as best we can without giving too much away. We also request that the leaders of each foraging party send this message to the men in your party. Ken Cornett is working on e-mail lists for each foraging party. If you are leading a party and do not currently have an e-mail list of your men, please contact Ken at bummers2009@yahoo.com.

Thanks everyone. We will be posting more specific information very soon. Please ask questions and please take a look and add to the first person library thread started in this folder.

[PetePaolillo]

Re: Foraging Parties vs. Companies

Eric,a note on foraging....From Henry Hitchcocks diary pg116 "Marching with Sherman"...
..."All through this pine country there are better farms than we expected, and large stores of corn, fodder and potatoes (sweet), but Lieut. Snelling tells me that this is true only along the main roads and that off these, there are either no farms or mere patches of land cultivated by the poorer whites...."

Be very aware going off the main roads. " Just say no to Straggling":D

[Michael Comer]

Re: Foraging Parties vs. Companies

Oh, you can straggle - it will be ok. Nothing bad's going to happen to you. Trust me.:baring_te

[Ken Cornett]

Re: Foraging Parties vs. Companies

Mike, you cornfeds better not let us organizers down! I expect many of us Yanks to be captured (and treated farily of course). But, it goes both ways...we might just capture us some rebs too.

[PetePaolillo]

Re: Foraging Parties vs. Companies

Found this book Confederate Rage, Yankee wrath on Google books.
http://books.google.com/books?id=YIP...age&q=&f=false

Check out pages 220-228.There are some great quotes in this section. Sergeant William B. Miller of the 75th Indiana wrote ih his diary. " Some bushwhackers attacked our foragers ...They hung some they captured which shows that it will not be good to fall into their hands." When an infantry Major could not stop rowdy soldiers from burning a village near Atlanta He declared, "If we are to continue our devastation as we began today I don't want to be captured on this trip, for I expect every man of us the Rebels capture will get a 'stout rope and a short shrift." Just ten days into the March a staff officer decided "We must not be taken prisoners." Near the end in North Carolina and Iowa sergeant wrote, "The Enemy killed all of our men that they caught foraging. "You had better believe that this childe kept close to the road."

[Coatsy]

Re: Foraging Parties vs. Companies

Pete,

That is a great and quick synopsis of how dangerous the foraging parties could be. By the time the Blue Horde got into the Carolinas it was nasty if caught.

An exert from Trudeau's "Southern Storm" describes 7 Federals from the XX Corps going out for food and not returning on the 2nd or 3rd day out from Atlanta. Whew! That's rough!

Everyone, keep in mind we are looking at actions that occured from Atlanta to Milledgeville aka roughly the first 10 days out of the Savannah Campaign....

[sam H]

Re: Foraging Parties vs. Companies

Here is a pretty interesting correspondence I found between Sherman and Wade Hampton regarding the treatment of prisoners in the Carolinas....

HDQRS. MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,

In the Field, February 24, 1865.

Lieut. Gen. WADE HAMPTON,

Commanding Cavalry Forces, C. S. Army:


GENERAL: It is officially reported to me that our foraging parties are murdered after capture and labeled "Death to all foragers." One instance of a lieutenant and seven men near Chesterville; and another of twenty "near a ravine eighty rods from the main road" about three miles from Feasterville. I have ordered a similar number of prisoners in our hands to be disposed of in like manner. I hold about 1,000 prisoners captured in various ways, and can stand it as long as you; but I hardly think these murders are committed with your knowledge, and would suggest that you give notice to the people at large that every life taken by them simply results in the death of one of your Confederates. Of course you cannot question my right to "forage on the country." It is a war right as old as history. The manner of exercising it varies with circumstances, and if the civil authorities will supply my requisitions I will forbid all foraging. But I find no civil authorities who can respond to calls for forage or provisions, therefore must collect directly of the people. I have no doubt this is the occasion of much misbehavior on the part of our men, but I cannot permit an enemy to judge or punish with wholesale murder. Personally I regret the bitter feelings engendered by this war, but they were to be expected, and I simply allege that those who struck the first blow and made war inevitable ought not, in fairness, to reproach us for the natural consequences. I merely assert our war right to forage and my resolve to protect my foragers to the extent of life for life.

I am, with respect, your obedient servant,

W. T. SHERMAN,

Major-General, U.S. Army.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To which Hampton replied:


HEADQUARTERS,

In the Field, February 27, 1865.

Maj. Gen. W. T. SHERMAN, U.S. Army:


GENERAL: Your communication of the 24th instant reached me to-day. In it you state that it has been officially reported that your foraging parties are "murdered" after capture. You go on to say that you have "ordered a similar number of prisoners in our hands to be disposed of in like manner; that is to say, you have ordered a number of Confederate soldiers to be "murdered." You characterize your order in proper terms, for the public voice, even in your own country, where it seldom dares to express itself in vindication of truth, honor, or justice, will surely agree with you in pronouncing you guilty of murder if your order is carried out. Before dismissing this portion of your letter, I beg to assure you that for every soldier of mine "murdered" by you, I shall have executed at once two of yours, giving in all cases preference to any officers who may be in my hands.

In reference to the statement you make regarding the death of your foragers, I have only to say that I know nothing of it; that no orders given by me authorize the killing of prisoners after capture, and that do not believe my men killed any of yours, except under circumstances in which it was perfectly legitimate and proper that they should kill them. It is a part of the system of the thieves whom you designate as your foragers to fire the dwellings of those citizens whom they have robbed. To check this inhuman system, which is justly execrated by every civilized nation, I have directed my men to shoot down all of your men who are caught burning houses. This order shall remain in force so long as you disgrace the profession of arms by allowing your men to destroy private dwellings.

You say that I cannot, of course, question your right to forage on the country--"It is a right as old as history." I do not sir, question this right. But there is a right older, even, than this, and one more inalienable--the right that every man has to defend his home and to protect those who are dependent on him; and from my heart I wish that every old man and boy in my country who can fire a gun would shoot down, as he would a wild beast, the men who are desolating their land, burning their homes, and insulting their women.

You are particular in defining and claiming "war rights." May I ask if you enumerate among these the right to fire upon a defenseless city without notice; to burn that city to the ground after it had been surrendered by the inhabitants who claimed, though in vain, that protection which is always accorded in civilized warfare to non-combatants; to fire the dwelling houses of citizens after robbing them; and to perpetrate even darker crimes than these crimes too black to be mentioned?

You have permitted, if you have not ordered, the commission of these offenses against humanity and the rules of war; you fired into the city of Columbia without a word of warning; after its surrender by the mayor, who demanded protection to private property, you laid the whole city in ashes, leaving amidst its ruins thousands of old men and helpless women and children, who are likely to perish of starvation and exposure. Your line of march can be traced by the lurid light of burning houses, and in more than one household there is now an agony far more bitter than that of death. The Indian scalped his victim regardless of age or sex, but with all his barbarity he always respected the persons of his female captives. Your soldiers, more savage than the lndian, insult those whose natural protectors are absent.

In conclusion, I have only to request that whenever you have any of my men "murdered" or "disposed of," for the terms appear to be synonymous with you, you will let me hear of it, that I may know what action to take in the matter. In the meantime I shall hold fifty-six of your men as hostages for those whom you have ordered to be executed.

I am, yours, &c.,

WADE HAMPTON,

Lieutenant-General.

[PetePaolillo]

Re: Foraging Parties vs. Companies

This is from an account of GB McDonald a drummer from the 30th Illinois Infantry.....below is an excerpt on Foraging parties.

"Regular details of two from each company were made for the purpose of getting grub from the country for the army. Johny Leiner of Co. "E" and Henry Wilson and John Jenson, of Co. "C" were sent out with the foragers and when they start out each man secures a mount of some kind and a team and wagon to haul the grub in.
They got a team and a big old family carriage and had it loaded with flour, meal, hams, bacon, butter, chickens, honey, and how the sweet potatoes even started from the ground, while we were marching through Georgia. They came to a little river that had a bridge partly torn up. Wishing to visit a little town on the other side, called Bakers Post office, they fixed the bridge and went over to get what they could, leaving their load on the other side. Of course, they always put out a guard to watch for the enemy.
While they were nosing around the rebs made a dash on them. Every man to his horse and made a run for the other side of the river. John Jenson was riding a blind horse and it fell down, and in a few seconds a gun shot was heard and Jenson was killed, as he was never seen afterward. Another man's horse was shot, but the rider escaped on foot. In their haste to get away from the pursuing enemy they left their carriage load of good things to eat for the Johnnies.
But the foragers were not to be defeated in their purpose of securing something for the hungry sore footed boys to eat when they returned to the regiment. They captured a cart and a yoke of oxen and loaded it with good things to eat and joined the regiment at Savannah.
"

[DougCooper]

Re: Foraging Parties vs. Companies

each man secures a mount of some kind and a team and wagon to haul the grub in.


Eric - will we have horses or mules and perhaps a wagon or two?

[BenjaminLDavis]

Re: Foraging Parties vs. Companies

I have been reading Wheeler's book ~ he talks about valuables and/or food buried in
caskets that the bummers eagerly dug up. Course, now and again there was a
corpse in the casket.
I know you fellers are good, but how might you carry this one off?

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: Foraging Parties vs. Companies

Why Jim, that's an easy one. Somebody stops at a medical center for a cadaver or wanders inner city alleys until a dead bum is located. Another guy volunteers some worn out or mainstream clothing to dress our new friend, let's call him Issac, in grave clothes. A country ham, some produce and a few silver trinkets from the flea market placed around the body in plain pine box completes the picture.

[trippcor]

Re: Foraging Parties vs. Companies

Matt,
You scary me sometimes and this is one of those times.

[Pvt_Sullivan]

Re: Foraging Parties vs. Companies

WOW! And I've been told I'm crazy for just wanting to use my ramrod for its intended purpose.

The 59th Indiana Foraging Party is going to looking for food, taking the food and leaving. I seriously doubt there is going to be time wasted digging up some poor departed soul for their valuables. My six-shooter will be used as needed to keep the Secesh and the Bummers in line.

[Coatsy]

Re: Foraging Parties vs. Companies

"Eric - will we have horses or mules and perhaps a wagon or two?"

What happens at Bummers stays at Bummers.


Everyone will probably see a lot this answer from now on until the event.

[PetePaolillo]

Re: Foraging Parties vs. Companies


"Sherman's 'Bummers' foraging in South Carolina. Our artist sent us with this sketch of 'Bummers Foraging' a graphic account of their modus operandi. He wrote: 'These active and unscrupulous fellows generally started out every morning mounted on very mean horseflesh, and, as a general rule, they always came back very well mounted, with the animals they rode in the morning laden, even to breaking down, with all the good things of this world. In one place in South Carolina they came to a large plantation owned by a leading Confederate named Fitzgerald. Here the Federal soldiers found, buried in various out-of-the-way places, an immense quantity of gold and silver plate, of the aggregate value of over $70,000; here they also found a large quantity of the finest Madeira wine, which had been stowed away in the old gentleman's wine cellar for nearly thirty years. Indeed, as a general thing, it may be said that the brave fellows had plenty of good wine to drink on their memorable march through Georgia and South Carolina.'"— Frank Leslie, 1896

Source: Frank Leslie, Famous Leaders and Battle Scenes of the Civil War (New York: Mrs. Frank Leslie, 1896)432


The question is will there be good wine? I don't need a horse or mule:D