Official Records of the Rebellion

[173] September 21 a subsistence depot was established at Hagerstown, Md., by Capt. W. H. Bell, commissary of subsistence, U. S. Army, assisted by Capt. J. A. Doyle, commissary of subsistence, volunteer service. For some time there was much delay in the transportation of stores over the railroad from Washington and Baltimore to this place. The officers in charge of the depot, however, did all in their power to comply with all requisitions for supplies.

On the 24th Captain Wilson was directed to establish a depot at Sandy Hook, Md. The following day his depot was in full working order, and a large amount of supplies was issued to the troops. The railroad bridge over the Potomac River having been rebuilt October 8, Captain Wilson, leaving Capt. J. C. Read, commissary of subsistence, volunteer service, in charge at Sandy Hook, established a depot at Harper’s Ferry. The different commands of the army of course drew [174] supplies from the depots most convenient to them. To be fully prepared to supply the army with stores for the Virginia campaign the depot at Sandy Hook was broken up on the 25th October and re-established the same day, under Capt. J. C. Read, at Berlin. A large portion of the army crossed the Potomac at this point, the remainder crossing at Harper’s Ferry.

As soon as the troops commenced crossing the river a depot was established at Lovettsville, Va., and Lieut. G. W. Chandler, Eighth Michigan Volunteers, acting commissary of subsistence, placed in charge. Captain Wilson, having previously been relieved from duty at Harper’s Ferry, and directed to proceed to Alexandria for the purpose, left the latter place with his force of clerks and laborers and a train of cars laden with subsistence stores November 3, and the same day established a principal depot at Manassas, from which to establish sub-depots for supplying the army when it should come sufficiently near the lines of railroad on its march from Berlin toward Warrenton, Va.

November 6 Captain Wilson opened a depot at Thoroughfare Gap. He closed it the same day, and the next day established depots at White Plains and Salem. The grade of the railroad being heavy, and the track in bad condition, it was impossible to transport more than a limited amount of stores to the depots just named. That any reached them in season was mainly due to the energy and perseverance of Captain Wilson and his assistants. They were broken up, and the grand depot established at Gainesville on the 8th, from which point and Manassas (the stores being forwarded promptly by railroad from the depot at Alexandria) the army was supplied until depots were established at Warrenton and Warrenton Junction, November 10 and 11. Lieutenant-Colonel Porter was left in charge of all the subsistence depots on the line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. As soon as the troops had advanced into Virginia and ceased to draw stores from Lovettsville and Berlin, in compliance with directions given him he had the stores then remaining at those depots removed to Harper’s Ferry, and, in addition, sent from Frederick City sufficient to make an aggregate of 600,000 rations at the former place.

Leaving at Frederick City a month’s supply for the troops and hospitals there and in that vicinity, the balance of the stores were reshipped from that depot to Alexandria. Lieutenant-Colonel Porter also prepared with his party to proceed to the same place, to be in readiness for further duty with the army. Captains Woodward and Murphy, with their herds of beef cattle, followed closely the army into Virginia, having the same relation to the troops and to each other that they had in the campaign of Maryland.

November 2 a large herd of beef cattle, held in readiness on the south side of the Potomac, moved forward in charge of Capt. M. R. Came, commissary of subsistence of volunteers, in the direction of Manassas and Gainesville to meet the army. It arrived in good season, and other herds were subsequently received in a like manner.

During the Maryland campaign and the march of the army into Virginia the department had to depend altogether upon its own resources to unload and reload its stores at the depots and to perform other necessary duties foreign to it.

Major-General McClellan was relieved from the command of the Army of the Potomac at Rectortown, Va., November 7, 1862.

Throughout the campaigns of the Peninsula, Maryland, and Virginia, no complaint of moment against the subsistence department reached [175] my ear, and I believe it gave general satisfaction to the army, the Government, and to the country.

The following are the numbers and classes of vessels laden with subsistence stores discharged by the laborers of the subsistence department while on the Peninsula. More than nine-tenths of them had entire cargoes:

This includes two large ships, and many barks, brigs, schooners, and propellers of the largest size. Besides, we loaded a number of vessels of different classes with supplies in changing depots from one place to another. In some cases we were compelled to lighter vessels as far distant as 35miles from the depot. One hundred and twenty-two vessels with subsistence stores intended for this army and sent to the Peninsula were afterward discharged at Alexandria. There was not a vessel consigned for the subsistence department of this army while it was on the Peninsula that has not been satisfactorily traced up and accounted for.

The steam-hoisting arrangement on a barge for discharging vessels, furnished by the Quartermaster’s Department on our recommendation, enabled us to gain both in time and labor and successfully meet any urgent demands for stores. It proved invaluable, and was true economy to the Government.

The sheet-iron ovens furnished by the department and used by several of the commands at Harrison’s Landing proved a decided success.

But little of the large supply of “extract of coffee” sent to us was issued, the troops as a general thing preferring to do without coffee altogether than to use it. The ration of it was too small by one-half, and it was believed to produce diarrhea.

The following suggestions and remarks may be of value in future operations:

When salt beef or pork is for immediate use a reduction for wagon transportation of 56 pounds per barrel can be made by cutting the heads of the barrels in such a manner as to allow the brine to escape.

If each brigade commissary were provided with a wagon containing a box to fit the entire inside of it, divided off into a sufficient number of compartments for beans, rice, coffee, sugar, salt, and weights and measures, keeping them constantly full, the heavy loss by broken packages would be avoided and the convenience be great. A wagon could be retained for the purpose, or the box be removed when in a permanent camp and again replaced when necessary to move.

Whenmovements are made similar to those of the Peninsular Campaign it would be advantageous to have a boat fitted up with cooking arrangements for supplying small detachments of troops with a meal immediately on their landing.

The reduction of the ration to its old standard for field service, allowing, in addition to it, the present issues of fresh vegetables, would furnish [176] the troops while on that service with quite as much food as they use, and be a source of saving to the Government.

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