Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 1.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

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[214] year when they could find pasturage in the vicinity of the army, afforded a supplementary resource. In proportion as he acquired experience in war, the Federal soldier became more sober, more sparing of his rations, and learnt at the same time to carry a heavier load on his shoulders. Among the necessary elements for calculating the number of days he could remain separated from his depots, there are some, as will be seen, which are essentially variable. We shall confine ourselves, in regard to these, to the figures furnished by the experience of the same army at two different epochs of the war. In October, 1862, McClellan being desirous to move his quarters from the head of one line of railway to another, as we will show presently, with an army of 122,000 men—an operation which might oblige him to subsist for ten days without any other supplies than those he carried with him,—these supplies were transported by a train of 1830 wagons. These wagons were drawn by 10,980 animals; there were besides 5046 cavalry horses, and 6836 belonging to the artillery; in order to carry ten days complete rations of forage for these animals, it required a second train, with an addition of 17,832 beasts, which had to supply the 40,664 horses or mules which in some capacity or other thus followed the army, with half rations, the country through which that army passed having to furnish the rest. This enormous figure only comprised the transportation of provisions, exclusive of ammunition and of the sick and wounded. In May, 1864, this same army was of nearly the same strength, numbering 125,000 men, 29,945 cavalry horses, and 4046 belonging to officers, 4300 wagons, and 835 ambulances—56,499 animals in all—when it took the field under the command of Grant, prepared to fight and march for three weeks, if necessary, before rejoining any of its depots. The rations had been greatly diminished, and the soldiers were accustomed to carry heavy loads; they had three full rations in their knapsacks and three days allowance of biscuits in their haversacks; each wagon having capacity for 1400 small rations, the train could furnish ten days provisions and forage, while the droves of beef-cattle that accompanied the army provided for three more. So that, while McClellan had only provisions for ten days at the utmost, two years later, Grant, with the same army and the same resources, was able to take with him