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Gen. Mcclellan's Order Against Straggling

Gen. Mcclellan's Order Against Straggling image
Parent Issue
Day
26
Month
September
Year
1862
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

He&'i'iuaríers Auuy oí the Potomao, ) Camp uear Rutkville. Md , tíept. 9. J OïNEUAL oncsiia ato, JOó. Thc miseliirvcus praotice of stragglinjf. it is uliservi.-d, s again iustituied iu thia army, and thia ii muiiy oaíe.s, without the kast ipparent caneen! on the p.irt of oomiüandiug officers of eilher the higher or lower grades. Straggling is habitually assooiated wit! cowurjietí, maraudmg and t haf L. The straggler must now be taugUc to leívrii that liu' loavs the rniiks without uuthority; and akulka at the se vei-cst rtsk, óvon to thut of dcath, Commandors of régimen ts will seo that tho rolls of e.very íompany are calltd before the regiment starts oc tha march, at cvery halt, and at the close of the march. The absentóos at thesa roll-wJl will bo reported to the regimental Adjutant Regiineu'al Adjutai.t w 11 retain lists of absentees thu.s reported to them, and if, upon the straggler joiriihg his company, he have not a good cïoso for his abst'Oco, ihü word " straggled,'' and tlia date ai;d time absent will be set against the suldier's name on the noxt muster roll. The j;idges of tho validity of this excuse will bo the throe senior officers of the regiment in session togother. Loss of pay for Ihe linie absent, as a matter of eourso, follows thia entry, but Colnnel's of rogimeuts will sec Lh al stragglers are besides brought to puiiishinent. Field officers have now, by law, all tho power that a regimsntal eoiirt nuuti-l Ind fortliepunisliinontofüfl'endeis. In the absence of u field offiucr, an acting field of fioer may exerciss theso powers. If the proft'ered excuse esliibit laxily or nolcct of duty on th-; part of the eunipany oom mandor, their üaiöcs will be repurtcd for dismissal, or they liay be bronght tg trial. j On tho marel), corps coiuinandcrs i sliou'd allow rcjt it proper iutervals, ' that the troaps may have au opportuuily lo aujtist mar cquipmeiits, oöey the calis of nature, utc, etc. Except at tbeso rests, no inan sliould be allowod to leavo the rauks, save for sotue extraordinary cause, wlien tlie company com inander will give tlie soldier a w ritten ticket of perauèsipn to loave the ranks ; these tickets should be preparad in blaak beforehand, p]vcry soldier thus leuviui: the ranks Will leuvu lus tmisküi, haver sack and knapsack witb tho eaaipauy, which the Capta::) will h:ive carriod by soldiers of the cotqpaoy (II tUo soldier returns. Ir' the soldier bü i& and full out, his sickness will 111 p!oa i:i his "avor fur escape frona thu peuajtiea of stragglern, unless furnislicd vtith a writ:en certifícate of his sickness from the Surgeon ür Asiatant Siirgeou of the regiment. Sick man sliould, in all cases, be properly taken chargo cf by the med ical office ps cf the ï-cgiment, that they may nut be aecused oí' straggliog if ie ally sick or wounded. Ë.ich división shoijld. liave a strong rear guurd, behind which no straggler, of whatever corps or regiment, should be permitted to remaní, unless the straggler's company is to the reu r. If the división Lave any cavalry with tliém, it will scour the country on tho flanks ; if not, then infantry fiunkers of the rear guard must perform that ofBoe. X'ic bayouct mqat bo used to euforce obedi enco to these orders. The inspector generáis of corps should be especially active to see that tueso instructions are cxecuted. Provost marshals will send cavalry when they havo it on all roads to theirear to hurry up stragglcrs. No strag gier should be permitted to halt until hu has joined his proper regiment. Oa all forks of roads, corps coinmanders should leave mounted men, if they have them ; if not, then footmen, to remain dui ing the passage of the corps and come up with the rear guards, to show which way the troops have m'arched. - The provost marshals of corps or divisions should tako measures to occupy every dwelliug in the vicinity of the line cf of mareh of the troops, and prevent any intrusión on the part of offieers or men. All damages to fences or crops, all marauding aiid trespassing will bo prevented as far as possible. Maraudcrs will be at once brought to trial by división commanders, and the setitcncc of death will be executed, if awarded by the court, with promptness and as publicly as possible. Any officer of any regiment or corps whatever is authorized to order forward or arrest any stragglers of any regiment in the iriny. Resistance to such exeroise of authority will be at the risk of death. By command of Major üeneral McCLELLAN. S. Williams, A. A. G.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus